this links to the question I have posted with regards to my mare but I want to concentrate in this question on our gelding.
If you lead hte mare away from the field he stands there and calls and calls and calls.She doesn't bother which is great. There is nothing I can do for him there as I am away with my mare. BUT when i bring him in and the mare is still tied up outside her stable, we cannont get Gamin into his box ashe barges straight out.
Also in the morning when I take the mare out to tie her up for grooming, Gamin makes a racket in his stable, banging the door and shouting,although he can see her.
He is clearly anxious but what can I do to help him. He is very strong, he has learned in the past to use his strength to his advantage but at times it is clearly not very safe for us. Any suggestions for help....Yes please
Hi, I've responded to your other posting, see what you think, if you found it useful I can add a bit more to this one if you like. If you didn't find it useful please say, I won't be offended :-)
Please help!! My friend has this problem too, but to the extreme!! - can you point me to the post that you left Viccihh1??
Not sure if you remember us - the horse made a brief appearance at the demo at the Grange, UK last October as a surprise to some friends who had helped him. His name was Sam and he used to exhibit similar behaviour to Woody that you used in the demo that night. Sam is great to ride now and a pleasure to be around. However, when his stable mate leaves it is a very different story. He is ok if he is on the dually and held but if loose in the stable then he will barge the door, run laps and kick out at the walls as soon as we walk into the other horses stable with tack (as he knows he is going to be left). We have tried rattling a plastic bag when he sparks off and stopping the instant he stands still but really struggling to find a long term solution. All suggestions welcome - as can't seem to figure out how to help him relax and its not good for his or our health.
Hi Trejansi
I think I better change my picture! I don't work with Monty, I'm a self employed trainer in UK that follows Montys methods and training programme and that picture was taken when I visited Flag is Up last year for a week (a wonderful experience)!
As to my posting, my comments are on the posting marked "moody mare/nutter"
Best wishes
Vicci
Hi Vicci, I think I did mistake you!!! What a lovely picture of you and Monty and so lucky to have been to Flag is up Farm. Nice to know you are in the UK - me too.
Have read the posting under moody mare/nutter - do you have any additional ideas for handling this one???
I should add...rattling the plastic bag may deal with the immediate behaviour while you are there but the issue is that he doesn't like being alone, not that he barges round the stall (that is the response to his fear of being alone). If you consider Monty's philosophy of incremental learning it may help to introduce him to being alone on a gradual basis. Also, change the routines a bit - what will he do if you take the other horse out and tack up somewhere else? Yhe principle you use with the bag i.e. reward for standing still can be the same by using the other horse, for instance, take the other horse out of sight and when Sam is quiet (with help from the Dually initially if necessary) bring his mate back; the distances/time apart can be extended as he gets more confident. Do you have another companion he can have? Monty talks in his books about sheep and parrots and goats and allsorts being replacement stable companions :-) Good luck
Thanks Viccihh. Will pass on the advice and let you know how we get on. Sam is much better when there is a third horse (when my boy stayed over for a while) in the equation and doesn't react half as much. Unfortunatly its not practical for my friend to get a third on a long term basis, and once my chap came home Sam's reactions ramped up again. Fingers crossed :-)