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For some reason I thought u were talking about people Haha, I thought you were talking about people, too! I was thinking people too You could try seperating them at the show. Try to have a stall or two between them. Its amazing how attached some horses can get just on the trailer ride.
If they live together at home, try to seperate them there also. Especially if they will be showing together all season.
I guess that's one advantage to having an anti scocial mare like mine. Lilykoi Hell hath no fury like the chestnut thoroughbred mare. I agree with seperating them.
Especially at the show. If they live next door at home, you might want to seperate there as well if you are going to be showing both this summer. Haha - I edited the title for clarity. My barn mate and I trailer to shows a lot together. The work starts at home though. They are not pastured together, their stalls are not right beside eachother and when we trailer, we stick to the divide and win method.
They are pulled off the trailer, tacked on different sides and in the schooling ring although we do pass we stay away from eachother for the most part untill we are done showing. His horse was more seasoned, but we set the pace right off the bat. Work is work, no matter where we are.
It does take some time. When he would call, the work got tougher.
I also trailered to other shows alone too. The horse relyed on the other horse less and less. Our barn is a very small private barn, and while the two aren't turned out together, their stall proximity is unavoidable. They will definitely be showing together all year. I'm hoping it's something they usually grow out of with time We put ear puffs in while schooling at the show Both in the schoolie's ears and the horse being left in the barn. It didn't deter the screaming much when it was the greenie being left behind in the barn - but the greenie schooling and the more experienced horse left behind was less an issue after about 15 minutes.
Boy, did I learn this the hard way: We two owners figured that each guy would stay relaxed and focused because of the other's company. Which was the case -- until we broke them up for even a moment. Tied at opposite sides of the trailer? Asked to separate their kissy faces in the warm-up ring? Actually separating them in our two classes, even though they could see each other thru the fenceline?
During the BFF's WTC class, horse bucked in front of the judge, while mine was content to throw it into reverse for several feet, backing me into a line of parked cars while spectators marvelled at the rude beast. Incredibly, my horse settled down and got to business when it came time for my WT class. He waited until the lineup to throw a hissy when he saw his buddy standing outside the fenceline. ANY time it starts, at home even just an easy to ignor little one, I quickly let them know that it is not allowed.
Have a halter with a chain and go somewhere just to practice. Give them a rap and then circle them to distract them.
Make it annoying to them that they have to put up with you repeatedly doing this to them over and over until they stand and be quiet. Don't have anything else on your plate until you fix this. Nothing is more annoying at a public place than seeing people allow this and having to listen to it. Take charge of the situation. If you're riding the horse , thump - womp him with both legs and circle him sharply until his feet stop. Then stand and relax and praise him. Repeat, repeat when necessary. Get your horse to focus and stay focused on you. Use work, ride in figures, make him work and listen to you.
The cue card kid just held up an empty cue card. For a minute there I thought I had lost my sense of humor. Anytime Casper would get near the mare she would pound him relentlessly he was After a few days of being beat up constantly, we changed their turnout. My gelding eventually went totally blind.
I still rode and competed him on the flat in dressage and some open shows. I went to a show one day, rode one class, returned to my trailer and tied my usually calm, collected, blind gelding to the trailer. I never heard the mare call out No amount of chastising worked. Mutt Mare and her owner finish their showing and leave I still had two more classes. As soon as they leave my gelding shuts up. While she was on the show grounds, I could not get my horse to pay attention to me.
Nothing I did seemed to work.
Once she was gone It got to a point that I was asking Mutt Mare's owner what shows and classes he was going to so I could prepare accordingly. Luckily for me, we didn't cross paths too often as I was showing at a different level than Mutt Mare. The horse I have now is not attached to any other horse. But there will be other horses in the future, and I also, would like to know how to deal with this problem.
I know how annoying this can be. A poorly fitted saddle hampers both horse and rider. I've had even my seasoned show horses go through odd relapses with the whole separation anxiety thing. A couple of years ago one of my mares my chestnut one, go figure decided that she.
I rode her in several 3'6" jumper classes where she screamed the entire way around the course. There was one really funny picture in hindsight anyways of the mare jumping a fence while practically looking behind herself My other mare had a royal FIT every time I took the one away, but she was totally fine when she was the one being ridden. I spent the whole warmup at one indoor show watching the head and neck of my chestnut mare above the tops of the portable stalls while she stood on her hind legs and screamed her disapproval at being left "alone" there were horses in front of her and next to her on the other side.
I've never had one that carried the behavior on long term, though, and in a situation where I had a choice I always put stalls between my bonded horses. That was usually enough. Becoming the great herd leader for the mare will bring her trust and attention to the handler.
Set up a situation where you think she will scream. The instant she does of even before, send her around in fairly smalll circles. Realizing she is probably a big mare, do not make the circles too small. But she would be put to work firmly and for a few minutes. Then allowed to stop moviing.
The instant she screams again, she is put back to work. When under saddle the work could be turns on the forehand, asked for firmly and with several rotations in both directions. This all must be practiced before needed in the show ring. It must be as much like breathing as possible.