You wrote:
> My new Arab is socially inept. I atribute it to her age (5) and that her
> previous owners kept her by herself (in pasture and barn).....
> I have four horses and a split pasture, about an acre and a half on each
> side. A barn is on each piece of land and I have two horses on each.
> Since getting her, I have kept her pasture mates in rotation.
> Every two weeks or so.
> I have always done this with my other horses but this one seems really
> effected by the constant changes.
How long have you had the horse. Some horses take longer to settle
in than others!
I purchased my old app when he was 4 - separated from ANY horses
since he was weaned. His only buddies were 2 cows. He socialized w/
COWS! He never learned to respect a herd leader (ie ME). He nipped,
he was pushy, and he never really developed a relation w/ his pasture
mates. (He sounded very wierd as he whinnied - kind of a chuckle -
at any cow we passed.) Since he was a chow hound, dinner was never a
problem for him. We spent a great deal of time setting limits on
acceptable social behavior. He is now a sweet 12 yo & belongs to a
10 yo girl.
When you say her ground manners diminish when you rotate
pasturemates, what is actually happening? Is she looking for them,
is she pushy w/ you, nips, etc.? Is she especially attached to one
of the other horses? Is she staying in one spot & others are
rotating, or is she switching barns/stalls too? What happens if all
4 are turned out together? (Dominance games? Where does this amre
fit in. Remember that pecking order may change if she has only been
there a very short time.) Five years old is still a baby in many
ways, esp. if she has not socialized much in the past
It is a ROYAL pain to allow a horse to become too herd bound to one
or two pasture mates. If they both go to a ride, they MUST keep up
w/ one another, even if their way of traveling is too different. One
if not both of the horses will not have a good ride (never mind the
riders). On the other hand, some herd socialization is important.
Good Luck!!! I'll bet she ultimately likes this life a little more
than life as a halter horse!
Linda Flemmer
Blue Wolf Equestrian Supplies/ Blue Wolf Ranch
Chesapeake, VA
"In case of emergency - Fur side up, steel side down!"