I Need Help With Seperation Anxiety and Pacing

I need help figuring out a way to keep my new horse happy and stress free. There are three horses in our backard, 2 of which are my room mates and one who is mine. I have to keep him sectioned off in the yard now (at my room mates request) and he has MAJOR seperation anxiety. I know he is stressed he paces back forth tries to push through and brake the fence, screams and whinnies out to them all day long. He doesn't finish his food if they leave his sight...etc.etc...Its not too great for his health or mine to say the least. He ignores toys and the like...I just dont know what to do except put another horse back there with him...anyone have any suggestions? I really need help

First, stop all grain products or feed. Just give him free choice grass hay or timothy. Make his diet as "calm" as possible. If you need to give supplements, use shredded beet pulp (no molasses) or hay pellets. Add some water to make it all stick.

Next, work with him more, DAILY if you can. Get him bonded to YOU, even if you only work him 10 minutes. Just hand walk him around, brush him, do some mild/easy ground work, etc. Make hanging out with you fun. Use treats/food rewards when he behaves well. Once he's working for you, take him on "walks" in hand.

If your yard is fenced well (with hog panel or no-climb on all sides) then you can get him a goat (a nanny goat). Goats are great at calming horses and he will have his own "friend". Nanny goats (girls) don't smell bad and are usually well tempered.

If you have wood or wire fencing, or don't want a goat, then I would add a calming supplement to his feed and keep him on the "calm" grain-free diet indefinitely. Use a vitamin supplement and some hay pellets. If he loses weight, add a fat source (like corn oil or rice bran).

luvs2ride1979.............great advice!!!! It's all about settling and getting into a routine! Work your guy and just hang around him... grooming etc as luv's said to get him bonded to you. Does he get any turn out grazing time? I know with my filly as long as she had grass, she was fine without company lol, it helps and eventually over time things calm down.

Thanks for the great advice, he is already on a grass hay and only gets rice bran. I do spend time with him every day, whether its grooming or working out, the days he works out he seems a little better but not a whole lot, but I will take him for more walks on the days I dont have a lot of time. I bring him apples and carrots at night and he gets peppermint treats throughout the day. I have definitely thought about getting him a goat, does anybody know a good place to find one and info on how to take care of one. I really appreciate the help I was beginning to lose hope.

Great advice. My horse is VERY anxious when he is left, weaves and paws when he's left in cross ties, very vocal when he sees other horses and *hates* being left behind by anyone- be it me or another horse just that leaves his sight (that he doesn't even know!). I have him on "Calm and Cool" and it's improving his moods A LOT!! Plus, his new barn only feeds him three way hay, which is a lot better than the alfalfa he was on back home. His diet has helped a lot... which makes sense. I am on anxiety medicine myself, and if I eat a lot of sugar or caffeine, I get *really crazy*! hahaha
But yeah, spend lots of time with him, too! Bali is always best when he's getting lots of attention. It's hard, because you want to just let them be social and happy, but it's important that they can be on their own and know they are going to be okay! Tonight Bali's pasture mate was being ridden and when the rider left Bali didn't want to go anymore... :-/ He's such a social little bugger.

this is seriously what u need to do....my horse used to do that....not as serios though :'(

Thanks again, I am contacting a lady with goats tomorrow and also looking up "calm and cool" the poor thing is digging a hole to china in his pen...

loves2ride has some good advice. A low energy diet will help alot. Its also a training issue. He is buddy sour. I have found that the easiest way to get them over that is to tie them up away from the other horses where they cant see each other and leave him tied until he quiets down and stops pacing. When he is finally standing still and relaxed you untie him and put him away. You are teaching him that its okay to be away from his buddies.
Otherwise he will act up when you are riding him and he gets left behind, etc.
You may have to leave him tied for an hour. 2 hours. 3 hours. all night, etc. It doesnt hurt them to to be tied up if they have water to drink.

Great advice!! Diet does the trick. My arab had MAJOR seperation problems when I moved her to my property from her original home. She "dug" a trench, she paced so much. We switched her to a regular pellet with no molasses, and gave her hay that wasn't too rich, and I worked with her daily. She settled down soon enough. But we got her another horse anyway. It won't work right away, but soon he'll be fine. And working with him like that will give you a great chance to bond, which will be useful in EVERY situation you will ever encouter with him.

Thanks for the advice, I dont know how I can keep him tied up away from the other horses because basically our yard is a big U shape around the house and he is on one side but I have no control over what my room mates horses do, which really sucks and she really hates my horse and this behavior just makes things worse. I really want him to be independent, but he can almost always see them no matter what. If I could afford it I would just board him elseware.

This is another weird thing I have been noticing to, is that when I get home a little later in the day (after feen time) and she feeds him, he acts very strange regardless of whether or not he see his buddies. He'll be pacing walking all over his food, and I feel like something is going on when im not home that is upsetting him. I know she dislikes him but I dont know how far that goes...am I being paranoid or something?