We all know that horses are "herd" animals.  No rocket scientist needed here.  So we, as the more intelligent species, are to convince them that they should behave when left alone, which goes against the laws of their nature.  Horses need companionship. We as humans cannot sleep in the frigging barn, hang out in the corral or pasture with them 24/7.  So to think that "we" are it's #1 herd buddy doesn't fly with me. It's what it has had to settle for.  It's better than being alone.  I own 6 horses.  They trust and respect me.  That's as far as their loyality goes. And that's all I expect of them. 

From what I can tell, we have 2 distinct points of view on this subject and don't necessarily disagree with either one.

First of all, I think everyone has brought some REALLY good points to the thread.

Second, I kind of agree with everyone in one way or another and I really like Ardly's take on this as well as windwalker2.

Last, but not least, I'd like to share a short story about one of my horses. The first horse I ever bought and paid money for is my 12 yr. old mare. Sorrel arab/paint cross with too much brain.  One of the reasons I bought her was she was not in a good place, needed a home and begged me to take her with me. I know, I know, how can a horse beg? She does, believe me. This is Marylynn Monroe in fur with hooves. She's a flirt, an emotional and sensitive red head. My dad warned me about red heads, but did I listen? Noooooooooooooooooo.

I purchased her, brought her home and a friend of mine is a trainer and wanted to go from amateur to pro and use my horse as stepping stone to get it done. The first few weeks, this mare was perfect. Do anything you asked her to do, when you asked her as long as she could understand what you wanted. Then something changed. She decided that she was going to be pasture queen and took that position very seriously. The trainer says, "I don't have time for this," and moved her into a separate barn with a box stall. The stall was lined with 2" thick rough sawn oak boards and a VERY heavy sliding door. This completely wigged my mare out and me too I might add. I think it hurt me more than it bothered my mare. After 4 weeks of being turned out at night, boxed stalled all day, except for 2 hours when she was being trained during the day, she was as right as rain! Complient, agreeable, easy to handle, flex at the pole, collected, no head tossing, no tail swishing and a really nice horse to be around. Did I learn something from this experience? I think so and I think I learned more than my mare did? Did I think it was cruel and unusual punishment in the beginning? You bet I did!  Would I do it again? You bet I would, once I saw the results. I truly went through a paradym shift in my thinking on training horses. I asked the trainer the first couple of days after my mare had been in the box stall what she was doing? The trainer replied, "I'm hitting between the eyes with a big 2x4 without the 2x4!" I didn't understand at the time, but I understand what she meant, why she did it, the purpose behind it and the results that came from it. Showed my mare in Hunter/Pleasure and she placed in the ribbons her first season on the circuit. No, I didn't ride her in the ring, trainer did. 

Just my thoughts on the matter. Happy trails.

monsterhorse,

No, for the first couple of weeks she didn't have any contact with horses when she was turned out at night. The next paddock over had a burro in there 24/7 and my mare did the best she could to be satisfied with the burro.  After a couple of weeks, the trainer put an older little arab gelding in with her for a paddock buddy and I subsequently purchased the gelding. *do you think the trainer thought about that ahead of time?*

Anyway, the isolation was what "got her mind right." Like I said before, my mare is; very sensitive, very proud, very opinionated, very pretty, very talented and a red head.  I love her, but there are times when she can be just too darned complicated and I don't feel like dealing with her and find another horse to ride.  Eventually my wife and I are going to move, I'll build the barn I've always wanted, fence it the way I want to and if it's not too far in the future, I'll have it set up so that I can use "separation" as a training tool.

Happy trails.

Yikes.  Let her just come undone and "work it out"????? 

Here's the bottom line: horses are herd animals.  It is perfectly natural for her not to want to be alone.  

Please be aware that if you just let her freak out she could tear a tendon or ligament, colic, bleed an ulcer, or dozens of other options I don't even want to contemplate.

When she is alone, can she see other horses or is she completely alone?

Is she just like this when she's the one left?

Can you take her away and work her alone?

Yes horses are herd animals and it is natural to not want to be alone.  but there are times when a horse is alone and they need to learn to "self pacify".  They are just like a child that is throwing a fit and crying because they don't want to go to bed.  Leave them to throw their fit, make their enviornment as safe as possible and let them have at it.  They arent' going to learn and will just become spoiled if you keep trying to pacify them.   If they never learn to opperate on their own they will be a danger to their rider if they ever find themselves alone on a trail.

She could tear a tendon or ligament, colic, bleed an ulcer, or dozens of other options you don't even want to contemplate while you are on her if you don't teach her to be alone. 

Thanks for all the info.I had no idea this would be such a subject!

The thing with total isolation would really worry me.Like I had said when I first starteded this thread ....I had my mare in the stall overnite ...she was so persistant and did not eat or drink all night long.Is it worth colic? Or further injury?

The reason she was in the stall was a tendon injury ,and she was in so she wouldn't move around much.She was worse in than out.For my situation I decided that It was not worth her colicing over, and if it would take longer for the injury to heal by being in a very small lot(where she couldn't run much)then that is what I would have to do.

Total iso may work for some,but it scares me to no end thinking she may colic or injure herself worse.I would be upset if I lost her to colic knowing there were other options.

...she was so persistant and did not eat or drink all night long.Is it worth colic? Or further injury?

How long was all night long?  My horses eat dinner and then don't eat or drink much overnight.  They generally use that time to relax and sleep.    Personally, I would give her more than one night alone.  If you don't like the total isolation, start slow.   Maybe keep her up during the day when its light so she can see that the boogy man isn't sneaking up on her, and turn her out at night.   Then pen her away from the others where she can see them.  Then start giving her more time alone.  She will adapt and it will make her safer to be able to function with out her herd.

She was in from early afternoon until about 7am.She has a big picture window in her stall that she can hang her head out.She could also see the other 2 horses in the field,but was still persistant.

Before I had them at my house she was at another barn ,and needed to be in for a period of time.I left her in (I think )for 2 days and she never got any better.She could not see the horses at all at that farm...from her stall.In fact she was so worked up...when I opened her stall door she busted through ,and took of galloping down to the field jumping a 3ft gate at 10 months preg!

My horses are in at night and out during the day in the winter.They all get 1(or so)bales split between the 3 for all night,and a bucket(or 2)of water in thier stalls.In the morning all the hay is gone.I do find that my gals eat a good bit while in.Now in the summer when they are full of grass I do find they eat less hay and drink less.

Yeah, in 3 days you'll have a different horse. A horse w/serious and maybe permanent neck issues and probably others.

How do you come to that conclusion?  The horse needs to learn manners.  Stall manners and ground manners.  She is having problems in the stall, so she needs to be in the stall to work on it.  If she can't stand tied out of site of others, she needs to be tied out of site of the others.  Otherwise she will learn that if she misbehaves she will get what she wants.

This mares behavior is dangerous.   I would have a serious problem if one of my horses almost ran me over to get out of their stall.  That is unacceptable behavior.

You posted above, ...when I opened her stall door she busted through ,and took of galloping down to the field jumping a 3ft gate at 10 months preg!

That makes her behavior dangerous.