>>The question for me, however, is am I creating a monster by encouraging this bonding between them? Will I have trouble when I need to separate them for whatever reason?
Hi Nancy, After Wizard died last year, I got a little mini mare for Huginn. I didn't want him to be all alone, and felt his life would be improved with a pasture buddy. Huginn had lived with my other horses, but he never really was attached to any of them. As I sold some off and other died, I notice, he still was off to himself. I really debated if he needed another horse after Wizard died. But...for the next 4 days, after Wizard's death, he did not eat or drink. And I knew that he was lonely. So Dixie came to live with Huginn. <;] Boy...was I surprised at how attached they got!! The first few times I took Huginn riding, away from Dixie, he had a fit! Huginn reared, he would spin, and he screamed for Dixie. It was so bad, that I decided that I needed to walk Dixie every day, away from Huginn and the barn. This helped his separation stress. When we started our spring camping, Huginn again stressed out when leaving Dixie back at camp. But, after a few trips he figured out, that no matter how long we were out on the trail, he always came back to the trailer and Dixie. Now, he is fine with leaving her. I would suggest to you, that you take your horses for a walk so they learn that it's okay to be left behind. You never know, they just might be okay with the separation. Have fun. Raven Raven Lucy & Molly, the Girl Doggies Huginn, the American Ice Pony Dixie Chick, the Mini Barn Goddess Western WI, USA, Planet Earth
