The mini left behind

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Trenna

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I have an experienced gelding who has been to shows and CDEs, no problem. My other mini is a mare that is just a companion/pet but I'm not sure she's ever been without equine companionship.

Now I want to trailer the gelding to clinics and shows and I'm worried about what I will leave behind for my husband to deal with.

The mare is fine if I'm out of sight driving on the property. She whinnies a lot when he comes into the barn to be groomed or clipped, etc.

They are not in together most of the time (sometimes for an hour of grazing a day) but they can always see each other, even in the stalls at night.

When I've had the gelding in the grooming stall, she's reared in her stall, feet on the chain link that is 4 feet high. She is normally a bit of a nervous horse and I don't really want to stress her out. If she's put in her stall at night (with food) she runs around and around ignoring the food until the gelding comes in so don't think food will do that well.

Has anyone used ace tablets to keep them from hurting themselves, handling being alone better?

Trenna
 
^^ This is what I'm telling my husband. Any time we dive Clementine, Major has a major freak out. Guess we need another one too...
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I know this story. I got mini number 3 so I could drive and leave one home as a companion. My situation wasn't with the one that was left except when he would whinny to the one I was driving... my driving horse wanted to come home real fast... Then when I would line drive the other mini, my driving horse would go NUTS and run the fence and get sweaty and upset... On the downside once I got to three minis I found that with the care of 3 I no longer had time to drive. go figure. I went back to 2 minis but got some goats and that helped quite a bit with whoever was left home. They shared the fence with the goats, not together in same pasture..

Its a tough call. If I did it again I would go for an well broke older mini for my 3rd companion. I bought a young weanling colt and the training involved for basic manners and daily exercise sucked up my driving time. Three can be very rewarding...

but... three sets of hooves... three for the vet and dentals... three for food and hay etc... For me it was too much.

For me I do not like to use something like Ace. I don't think that would be good on a regular basis. For a quick emergency I know injectable ace can be used orally, but I just don't like using tranquilizer unless we are doing dentals or something with a vet near by. just my opinion.
 
Ace shouldn't be the answer....Your little gal is herd bound to the gelding. Getting a 3rd mini MAY solve it, but she also may not

bond to that new horse like she has to your gelding.

Here are two options......1. This is more time consuming, but get them used to being apart for short periods of time and slowly lengthen the times.....OR....

2. When ever you take the gelding to the clinics or shows, trailer the mare WITH him! Let them live in the trailer or a show stall TOGETHER.
 
Thanks for the responses. The mini mare was stabled with a full sized gelding for almost a year and when he left, she was perfectly happy to be with my mini gelding instead. She used to rear in her stall, now we have a board out so they can see each other at night.

I've thought about taking her along, but I wouldn't be able to take him out for the competition, she's be hollering like crazy which might upset others. I could take her to my friend's farm, it's just a hassle to have to.

Another mini would probably solve the problem, but more expensive and not sure hubbie is up for that as he does most of the grunt work with the minis.
 

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