Equine Separation Anxiety
Many equines form close social bonds with one another, out in the wild they are herd animals so depend on each other for survival. Just like us, their social bonds or "friendships" are an important part of ensuring positive mental well-being.
You may see your equines mutually grooming, playing, parallel grazing, taking turns in recumbent sleep or generally spending time near each other. These are all signs that these equines have a social bond. Equines who are bonded tend to become anxious when split up, this is when Separation Anxiety can occur. The stress from the separation for even a short amount of time can cause problems for both horses and donkeys. It's important to spot the signs of Separation Anxiety as soon as possible to enable you to reduce their stress and protect them from short-term and long-term health problems.
Signs of Separation Anxiety
- Alertness
- Tension
- Spooking
- Increased heart rate
- Wrinkles around eyes
- Dilated nostrils
Separation Anxiety can be difficult to manage, especially when it comes to riding or working with horses one-on-one. So our Behaviour and Training Team have gathered some top 5 tips to help you manage separation anxiety the best you can for your pet...
- If you don't need to separate the equines then keep them together (this is particularly important with donkeys).
- Keep equines in sight of each other where possible.
- Make sure any horses who are being left alone have other companions (we have some lovely companion horses who are looking for forever homes, view them here).
- When training equines to be apart it's important to take it slow and create a calm learning environment. Gradually increase the time and distance the equines are separated from each other. Use positive reinforcement to help keep horses calm and make the experience enjoyable. Avoid flooding or overloading them all at once (don't leave your horses in a state of anxiety for extended periods).
- Give your horses things to do such as a hay net, fibre feed or an enrichment activity.
Working with horses through separation anxiety can be difficult and time-consuming, with other additional pressures making it harder to work steadily through a training process.
If you need additional support, please speak to one of our Team, ask@oaktreeanimals.org.uk
