Weaving/Separation problems

[fatcob]

LONG SORRY!!!! Had Socks (14.1hh arab cross 17 year old gelding) on loan trial for about 10 days now. When I first saw him at his owners he was weaving a bit in the stable - but she said it was because he had been inside for 4 days keeping a young mare company. In fact when I first turned him out here he weaved at the fence! He did settle after a day or two. Just moved him to my friend's yard and was hoping to bring him in at night. The YO said that if he wouldn't stay in the stable by himself (the others are all out 24/7 at the moment), then just bring in one of her old ponies to keep him company. He has already bonded with another pony - they are inseparable in the field. Brought him in last night (he was a bit slow/reluctant to come out of the field) and he went crazy in the stable (out of sight of the fields) - weaving a lot at the door. I then tied him up where he could see the ponies at the gate - and he calmed a bit. So, brought in another pony and put her in the stable next to him. He still weaved with her there! Couldn't leave him like that - and willing to have him out 24/7 (already got turnout rugs for winter anyway) - so turned them both out again. However, worried now that the weaving/separation will be a big problem. I will be riding out in company most of the time, but want to be able to hack out alone/travel to competitions (he was anxious in the trailer when his field companion went out of sight). Even just be able to bring him into the barn (we have an indoor school with stabling/tack rooms etc alongside it under the same huge roof) and groom/tack up etc, without him going crazy. I am going there this morning and will bring him in, groom, fuss - then turn him out. The same in the evening. Will do this for a couple of weeks and see how he settles (can't ride until the saddler comes to fit his saddle - he hasn't been ridden for 2 years and consequently has lost condition). If doesn't work out, then he will have to go back to his owner and I will start the search for a pony again! His owner told me that he loses weight easily in the winter - and to rug/feed him well - now I am suspicious that this happens because he frets so much (he is half Arab and who knows what has happened to him in the past - he has various nasty scars all over his body and can be headshy - his owner was aggressive with another of her horses when I first went to see him :mad: ). He is beautiful (very pale palamino) and I so much want to give him the perfect home he deserves. He is too young to be stuck in a field doing nothing - he is meant to be an excellent ride and totally bombproof (used to compete at a national level in working hunter classes). Was also told that he loads well - but it took 30 minutes and a lunge rein to get him in the trailer (does travelling bring back bad memories of shows?).

[H & Bailey]

He may calm down when he gets used to the yard routine but be prepared for him to weave when you fetch him into the stable.
Make sure the yard are ok for him to stop there as alot of places dont have weavers as it may lead to other horses copying and it is classed as a vice,and consequently a horse cannot be sold as sound if it weaves as it can cause leg problems.
If the other horses live out in the winter it probably will be the best solution to rug him really well and leave him out and fetch him in for a feed fuss and rug check,if he is to be stabled get a weaving grill for the door and have lots of toys for him to play with the distract him a bit.
My old mare used to weave on occasion especially at feed time but I used to make sure i had buckets ready made so i could throw it straight in her manger so she didnt get chance,she would weave when moved to a new field or if new horses came and its quite upsetting and there isnt alot you can do but try and set them into a routine.I tried to make sure she lived out as much as possible so she could see what was going on and she was much happier for it.
good luck.

[intouch]

I have a serious weaver, he will work himself up into a sweat in 5 minutes if he is left in his stable and can't see his mates.
I've found if I close over his top door he will go and stand in the back of the stable and seems to relax, but I wouldn't want to do that for more than a few minutes.
At the moment he's out if he's not being ridden, but when I have to bring him in nights, he will have a mini pony to share his stable (he's very gentle), and I have a mirror roll (from kleeneasy) which I'm waiting for someone to put up on his wall. I've also got some bach flower remedies to try.
Last year he did settle to some extent when it got dark, but there's no doubt it is distressing for both horse & owner!
He's an absolute angel in every other way so I'll live with it!

[fatcob]

Thanks for the advice and support. Hopefully he will be OK out 24/7 - the yard is on an exposed part of the Pembrokeshire coast and the wind can really blow! I will be getting him a heavyweight rug with neck cover to prepare for the worst of the winter weather. If I do need to stable him, then I will try a weaving grille - but at least then there will be other horses in the stables (the YO has 2 in-foal mares, which she plans to stable at night). I brought him in yesterday evening for a small feed, groom, try on new rugs etc. There were 2 other ponies loose in the indoor school and he seemed more settled with them watching him eating:p I turned him out before he could start to get upset. Will do that twice a day - and I am sure then he will be calmer with a routine. My policy is to be relaxed with him - when we do start riding out, then no pressure to 'perform'. I think he has had a really stressful life - and he now needs to take it easy. I hope to get him fit and do some endurance rides - just what he needs to realise that life can be fun.

ps Bach Flower Remedies are a good idea - any idea where I can get them on-line?

[intouch]

Don't know about on-line but Boots do them, most decent pharmacists should stock them.
Any chance you could leave him in the indoor school in bad weather?
I have a theory that my guy had a traumatic weaning, maybe been closed up when separated or lost his mum too young. He was not well done when I got him, in fact he was for the knackers, but is now the most amazing person. I'm hoping to do our first dressage test next Saturday!

[fatcob]

The indoor school would be an option - 2 overweight ponies are already being housed in there (with adjoining outside yard) to keep them off the grass. However, we found out yesterday that we will be relocating to Staffordshire (early November), so now need to make decision whether to take Socks with us. Will see how he settles over the next week and hope to get a saddle on him today. If he turns out to be an excellent ride and not too crazy to handle, then I will start looking for a yard to move him to. Otherwise his owner takes him back and he is turned out permanently (she doesn't have a rider for him).

[intouch]

Let us know how it went:)

[flick88]

I have a horse who when i first bought him he was in a real state too thin to even ride, he used to stand in the middle of the field and weave someone was seriously cruel to him i would think. it took a long time but with lots of attention and proper feeding (his teeth were also really bad and he had to have lots of work done on them) the dentist said they were so bad that even if i had fed him 25kilos of food a day he would not have been chewing it so it would not have digested properly to put weight on. Harry now looks like a different horse to when i got him, he had his teeth done and i earnt his trust with lots of cuddles and a good routine a good diet, toys in his stable etc and now he hardly weaves at all and certainly never in the field anymore. he tends to only do it when he is waiting in the stable for his breakfast. :) good luck and i hope he settles

[Sallinello]

Putting a mirror up in the stable is supposed to help with weaving. Obviously you would have to use a special safety mirror which is shatterproof but I am saving this to use as a last resort for my horse if he doesn't improve!

[fatcob]

He is so much calmer!! I can bring him in from the field and he ties up fairly quietly in the barn to be groomed etc - even when there aren't other horses about. However, another 'problem' has arisen - he windsucks!! He spends a lot of time in the field by his favourite fence pole - and will also windsuck on the wooden rail in front of him when he is brought into the barn (even whilst eating his food). I imagine this is why it is so difficult to get condition on him - and he has bad wind :p Who knows what has happened to him in the past. I have seen this before with very talented/beautiful horses - they have been over-pressured in the showing ring and now just do whatever to cope with life. He is so loving - and enjoys being ridden - I hacked him up the road for 15 minutes and apart from jogging, which I was warned about, he was fine. My head says that he should go back to his owner, as he will not be suitable for competitive endurance - my heart says that I will be really upset to think of him going back and he has improved so much already. I have already lined up a livery yard in Staffordshire - 800 acres and an indoor school - so I imagine he would settle there as well. Will start a new thread re. advice on windsucking.

[intouch]

Sometimes your heart is a more accurate reflection of the world than your head!
I tried a couple of times to sell Eric but couldn't find anyone good enough for him!
He now comes down the field every time I go for him (before, I wondered if he had a hearing problem)
I think he has made the decision to stay with me.

[intouch]

Point of interest - Eric & I were at our dressage test today (62%, Prelim 4, not too bad for a first!) but I was offered a stable as I had to wait for my friend. This was a nice, airy American barn, the front walls about 4', side walls 5'6". I didn't think he would be happy, but he loved it! I went back for him an hour later and he was asleep in the back of the box! So now I either have to find someone there who would like to buy him - or move 20 miles so I can keep him there! Sadly, as soon as he came home to his own ordinary stable, he was as bad as ever - insisted on being turned out in a thunder storm.