Helping Horses With Separation Anxiety: 5 Key Steps to Create Mutual Trust and Confidence
Many horses have a level of anxiety of separation. If the anxiety is mild, it may be minor or bothersome. But if your horse is so attached to the herd that its behavior worries you, it could endanger your horse's safety and safety.
It is normal for your horse to feel safe when he's with his herd. After all, for prey, security is abundant. So what can you do to reverse the reaction caused by the horse's survival instinct?
Build a bond based on mutual trust and respect and build trust as well. Your horse must believe that it is as safe as its flock. This contact begins with your horse from the ground.
Working on the ground is much more than pushing a horse around a delicate circumference or a dividing line. That's it and everything you do with your horse when you're not riding - grooming, walking by hand, lung, long lining, and even hanging around his stomach.
How to behave, what to ask her and how to ask her to know whether she feels safe or not. Confidence and a sense of security cannot come when using force or fear.
The next five steps are the foundation to earn a horse's confidence and respect so that he feels as safe as his flock.
Step 1: Work with her as she feels calm. Initially, this will be close to the herd so that its stress level is as low as possible. You can lie in the stomach (if it is safe) or just cross the fence.
Step 2: Encourage her to take a quiet position by making the volume level in or below her tour. When you touch the rope and gently push down, gently shake your head. Do not pull or pull the rope!
Step 3: Ask him to estimate your space by bending around and not pushing any part of his body. She cannot respect you if she can reach you. Of course, your safety comes first - move if you risk kicking, step-by-step or run over.
Step 4: Appreciate its need to move when under pressure, but control where and how to go. Requesting a stressful horse to stay is still a cause for concern. Face it or simply move in a small circle.
Step 5: Gradually increase the distance from your herd. In the first sign of stress, apply the first 4 steps to reduce anxiety. If you feel so nervous that you are anxious or unable to relieve it, return to the place where you feel comfortable.
The more you apply the first four steps, the more natural it will be for you and your horse. You can use it in any stressful situation. Your sessions should not be long, but you should always end with your horse calm.