Step 14 – Separation Anxiety
Step 14 - Separation Anxiety
Another thing to consider, at this point in time, as we are starting to take our horses somewhere to work, is the potential for Separation Anxiety.
As you know, horses are herd animals and have strong social bonds, so when they are separated from their friends, they can become shifted into the sympathetic nervous system and show outward signs of anxiety. Â
If your horse is struggling with separation anxiety, we recommend watching the videos in the Separation Anxiety playlist and dedicating your efforts to resolving this issue. While it may not be the news you were hoping for, addressing this concern is essential because the effectiveness of the entire process hinges on our ability to attune to our horse’s emotional state. Overlooking their anxiety about separation creates a challenging starting point. It’s vital to remember that when a horse is in a state of anxiety or stress due to separation, their learning capacity is limited, as significant learning occurs when they are not in the sympathetic nervous system mode.
There is an alternative in that you could work on the exercises that we are introducing next if your horse has separation anxiety and work on that issue as well. In this case you could work your horse where they are most comfortable or take the other horse with you and keep them close where you work your horse.
A reminder how to use this course: click on Mark Complete below and if your horse does not have any separation anxiety, then you can go to Step 15 tomorrow. If they do have some separation anxiety try to get it resolved before moving on.