Herd-Oriented Horses

I am 14 years old and have a 13-year-old quarter horse mare named Miss, whom I board. At the stable, horses are always coming and going or switching stalls. When a horse has been removed from the stall next to Missy's, she stops eating and drinking. This happens even if a horse has only been next to her for one day. A few months ago, Missy reacted so badly that she went crazy in her stall and hurt her leg, and now she has a lame leg. Could this be separation anxiety?

- Courtney

Courtney, it’s great that you have picked up on the cause of your mare’s distress. Some horses are very herd-oriented and depend upon others for social cues. When these horses are stabled alone, they can very quickly develop bonds to other horses. If your quarter horse is mostly a pleasure horse, I would suggest thinking about getting her a stallmate like a goat, burro or even a rescue horse. Animal shelters often have goats and burros in need of homes, and your horse would likely bond strongly to a stallmate.

Share ThisShare This

Share