Separation anxiety in horses

Does your horse ever panic and become anxious when left on their own or when a certain companion that they have a strong bond with is taken away? This could be a sign that your horse is suffering from separation anxiety.

The signs of separation anxiety include:

• increased heart rate
• reluctance to eat or drink
• increased passing of droppings/urinating
• trembling
• sweating
• vocalization (neighing)
• box- and fence-walking
• rearing, bucking and napping when ridden 

A horse’s reaction to separation anxiety will differ from horse to horse, with some only showing mild signs such as looking for their friend, while others may panic so much that they put themselves and others around them in danger from injury.  

Horses with severe separation anxiety are likely to be stressed and anxious all of the time and not just when the separation occurs. It can cause horses to be constantly on edge and hyper-vigilant even when they’re not on their own. This can make every day management for the owner very difficult and can lead to horses being moved on, retired or even put to sleep.  

What causes separation anxiety?

If we look at how horses have evolved to live naturally, they are prey animals and live in herds where they have safety in numbers. Other herd members can help keep them safe by alerting them of danger and watching over them while they rest and sleep. Horses isolated and on their own are more likely to be attacked by predators. Horses also naturally form strong attachments and will often ‘pair bond’ for life with another horse that is similar in age and build to themselves.

When you compare this natural lifestyle to how domestic horses are kept, the differences can be vast with horses kept in stables and individual turnout paddocks, unable to touch and carry out natural behaviours such as mutual grooming and playing. It’s also not unusual for horses to be moved from yard to yard throughout their lives making it hard for them to form strong bonds with other horses. This upheaval and change can cause a lot of stress in some horses and make them even more clingy and anxious when separated from other horses. 

There are also horses who are completely isolated or have very little contact with other equines and this can cause them to become extremely anxious. To a horse, being on their own makes them vulnerable to predators and therefore hyper vigilant - any lapse in concentration could result in their death. Horses who don’t feel safe enough to lie down to sleep may suffer from sleep deprivation which brings its own health and behavioural issues. 

Can you help a horse with separation anxiety?

By making changes to how a horse is managed, and by followed a retraining programme, most cases of separation anxiety can be significantly improved. Even horses with severe separation anxiety can have their confidence restored with a sympathetic step-by-step approach.

The main focus when resolving separation anxiety is to retrain the horse’s reaction to being by him or herself by boosting their confidence and rewarding them for being separated from others. 

It’s a common misconception that, if you keep horses on their own in a separate paddock and away from others all the time, they won’t become attached. However, this often has the opposite effect and when they do finally meet another horse, they will be even more clingy and desperate to stay with them.  

Step-by-step guide to improving separation anxiety