4th April, 2012 Catastrophic Bonding

Catastrophic bonding is something that can occur when people are involved in a terrible crisis such as an aircraft accident and survive together before being rescued. I wonder whether this is what happens when a horse experiences what he perceives to be a catastrophic event, such as being separated from his long term companions, changing owners and yards and then seemingly falls hopelessly in love with the very next horse that he meets? It could account for many of those geldings I have met with so called separation anxiety where they fret about being apart from their new found rock. In these circumstances, it is really helpful to set up your leadership really early on so that you can be an alternative rock for them.

It seems that this post struck an immediate chord with people, for example,

"I've just been reading about 'catastrophic bonding'.  I've been feeling for a while that Z has major separation issues going on. We had to move from our last place, where he'd been for six years and had a really good chum there. The owner of the yard shut down liveries and that was when we went to (our present) Farm.  The first summer he was absolutely fine though, but I've often felt that his eagerness to get home is more about being sure that he is going home and not being taken to somewhere new.  In that first summer he had a field friend, who subsequently left - and maybe its all been a bit too much for him.

Id love him to have a permanent friend, but I cant afford two and the nature of (the) farm is to have one field per owner/horse, so Zig has no-one in with him, though he has neighbours.  I've been thinking for a while that this isnt suitable, but to move him again seems to me the worst option at the moment.  Plus I have people to ride out with and as Zig is at the moment I wouldnt dare ride out alone with him, much as I'd love to."

I do feel sorry for horse owners when the shortage of land and good places to ride means that are at the mercy of yard owners whose regime is against the nature of the horse. I know that land is precious, I know that they have to diversify and maximise their income but it's the horses that always seem to pay. Electric fencing of tiny paddocks with no field companion and the inability to touch another horse, has an impact on the mental health of some (most) horses. In the meantime, other owners may be struggling with awkward gates, poor fencing and restrictions on turnout and feel that they can say or do nothing without being told to leave. Others have to contend with intimidating field mates, lush dairy grass, or rules about 'outside instructors'. There seems to be so little flexibility to encompass the needs of horses at risk from laminitis, colic, bullying, or separation anxiety. I am sure that yard owners would have an equally long list of complaints about horse owners!!

In an IDEAL world (and I accept that it never is), horses would have more than one field compatible companion and a decent amount of space in which to move about.