My client had recently agreed to take in another horse to keep her mare company. Her mare had lived with her as a single horse for several months. Though I generally strongly recommend that horses need to live as part of a herd, this particular horse needed focused 1:1 time with her new human to overcome  a few human-related scars.

Over the last several months, much healing had occurred and a wonderful bond has been forged.
My client felt it was time to provide equine companionship to the mare, if and when the right horse and owner came along.
They did … and my client jumped on the opportunity.

Yet, when the new companion horse entered the picture, her mare revealed a lot of hidden scars. Herd dynamics caused this issue to come to the surface. Suddenly her mare became worried about her food. She felt she needed to defend her food, the way she had in prior homes. She was standoffish to the new neighbor, kicked the fence and pinned her ears. Her old fear of being bullied was back. The mare does not feel like socializing with the new horse. So much so she avoids her run-in stall when the other horse hangs out in the neighboring stall. Matter of fact, most every time the new horse tries to connect, my client’s mare backs off and gives the other horse the evil eye … or hoof.

On one hand, my client felt awful for bringing this new horse into their lives. It seemed to create such misery for her mare. Yet, she also felt that her decision was overall a good decision. Her mare would have another horse to watch over her, so she could rest once in a while. They could keep one another company while my client is at work. However, it quickly became clear that she needed to provide her horse support during this transition.

I was reminded of Jesse our 34 year old Percheron. I had a similar situation with him when we saved Mellow and Isaac, our goat & sheep combo, as they headed to the auction. When Jesse first laid eyes on Mellow and Isaac (see him in the background of the photo?) he freaked out and immediately lost his hip alignment. He started to gimp around as badly as the day he arrived.
I suspected that he must have had a bad experience with goats or sheep, which was later confirmed. A few years earlier, Jesse had been terrorized by a bunch of goats at his prior home. They had robbed his feed bucket and occupied his barn like squatters. 

I felt terrible, just like my client.  I had taken on the responsibility to care for Jesse, and help him heal, and now my big hearted “save the ruminants from auction!” move had triggered his old trauma. What a disaster!  However, I caused it … and therefore I needed to fix it. I was clear, Mellow and Isaac were not going off to the auction, and Jesse was not going anywhere either. I had to be responsible for their collective well-being and figure out what to do.

Eventually I realized that, of course, everything had happened for a reason. Because of Mellow and Isaac’s presence, Jesse was able to work through the old trauma. With my help, they were kept away from him when he ate, and they were not allowed to occupy his resting spots. A few weeks later the picture had changed. Jesse was telling the ruminants to ‘back off’ when he needed his space. And if one of them happened to come too close to his feed bucket … he nudged them and shooed them away. He had found his power again.
But … until I saw him change, it was my responsibility to watch out for Jesse. And let me be clear, I did not know how long it would take. How long would he need me to be his offensive tackle and protect him from the ruminant pass rush? What mattered was that Jesse knew he could rely on me. That allowed him to eventually gain enough confidence to take on his own defense.

So I asked my client how she could support her mare during this transitional time. We came up with two things. My client would make sure that the wall between the two horse stalls would be high enough that the other horse could not hang her head into the mare’s stall. Her mare would also be guaranteed privacy during feeding time. Her hay would not be placed by the fence, near the new horse. And, if and when the horses are turned out together, the mare would always have a few hours to herself so she could enjoy some meals in solitude.

The above, and any subsequent ideas we come up with, will help the mare to work though some of her food fears and space issues. As my client is mindfully observing her, she will know when her horse is ready to be turned out with the new neighbor. She will know when her mares' wounds will be truly healed. At that point her mare will enjoy fellow horses for what they are, natural companions.