A one person horse / very depressed horse?

So how's the army? Are you at Ft. Meade or Aberdeen?

How is he when your trainer rides him? If he's better for her than your mom, then it could just be your mom's style or lack of experience.

If you're pretty sure the reason is because he only wants to deal with you, and since there's only a couple of months before you ship him to Illinois, it's probably best to just turn him out. Have your mom come give him some attention, and have your trainer ride him once or twice a week. It won't take you too long to get him back in shape once you have him with you, and he probably won't get any worse if they don't demand too much of him.

There's really nothing anyone can do. The only way to bring him back to life and be the same happy horse he's always been, is to be with you. If he's not losing weight then he's doing better than you think. Sometimes when horses are longing to see someone they can work themselves up into quite a stressful state and end up losing weight regardless of what they're fed. Just like us, stress can have a massive impact on their body. So he's doing better than what he could be.

I don't know if it's a good idea having other people ride him since that is probably reminding him that they're not you, which could be why he's acting out. I think letting him spell is the best thing you could do for him now. Let him be a horse and bring him back into work in Illinois once he's comfortable, stable, and trusting of you. I'd be aware that he'd be expecting you to leave again and it may take a little while for to him to trust you not to.

It's going to be hard until you move him to Illinois, but there's really nothing anyone else can do about it. As hard it will be, you'll need to just wait it out for the next couple of months.

All the best.

I'm guessing that he'll be happier out with the other horses than stalled. At least he'll have the herd dynamics and activity to think about instead of moping and missing you while he's bored in the stall all day.

I always make a point to find some outdoor boarding situation for my horses, even if it's no more than a small run, like 10x20 I think one place was. At that one, she shared one 20' side with another horse and they could reach across for mutual grooming, etc. I think stalling is one of the worst practices of modern horsekeeping, in terms of the ill effects on the horse.

Sorry to digress from your concern. Peanut will be much better off in the pasture in many ways, and I think it will alleviate some of the "missing Mom blues" too. Ask your Mom or trainer to go check on him, bring him in and see how his attitude is after some time out with the herd.

Horses are tough in so many ways. He'll bounce back and forgive you when you both live in the same place again and you can be there for him.

The only thing that comes to my mind is to try to find someone who is willing to spend A LOT of time with him. I would think if they see him for a hour or two every day he would start to bond with them or at least enjoy the attention. Have the same one person give him a complete grooming and then ride him. Also make sure they just spend time with him...maybe walk him around and let him graze and give him treats. Sounds like he is just bored and has a hard time trusting people that don't spend much time with him? Sounds like a difficult situation. I hope he goes back to his old self when he is shipped to you.

I have 2 yes old gelding J J I've had him since he wss 3 months old. If I do not see him for more than 2 days he looks sad and if he could cry. He has also taken to nipping my wife which I put down to him asserting himself. However bad behaviour is being nippid in the bud. If I am present he even checks I am not looking when he nips my wife on thearm

Well, i really don't know if a horse can get attached to a person as to get depressed. I have had them be a one man horse as to where no one else could ride them without some bucking involved. Maybe get him a companion of some kind.

Like a goat or, or a calf, I don't know. But I will tell a story. I took my horse over to a friends place once. He had a horse and 29 acres. Plenty of grass and water. I thought she'd be fine so I didn't check on her for almost a week. My friend lived there and I figured if something was wrong he'd call me.

Went one saturday to see her and I saw his horse but not her. I stopped and as I looked I saw something laying on the ground. Hopped the fence and as I got closer she raised her head and sat up. As I got up to her she slowly got to her feet.

She look like she had died but just didn't know it yet. Her eyes were sunk in her head kinda and had lost a lot of weight and couldn't hardly walk. The friends barn where the water and stalls were was about 1000 feet from where I found her.

Took me close to two hours to get her there. Got on the phone to my vet. Long story but i ain't got him no more. Called another vet he said it'd be the next day before he could see her and for me to put her in a stall with just water.

He said her kidneys could have quit working, foundered, all kinds of crap. I called home and told my wife I wasn't coming home that night and I stay with Bell. Well the next morning when I got up bell was up. Looked like she felt better.

I know what the vet said but I gave her a half scoop feed. Turned her out in the paddock behind her stall. Stayed there all day. Vet came, said he couldn't find anything wrong except maybe dehydration. When the vet left I turned her out. Stayed all day with her just to make sure she was fine. Eating grass and feeling good.

A one person horse. I don't know but just to say, she has never done that before or since. I had never been away from her before this happened, and never had since. I have moved Bell since then to another friends place and had never missed a day checking on her. I feed her myself.

This is why I don't trust anyone to care for my horse.

I did have to go and see my mom after her stroke but I called everyday to check on her. One man horse. Something happened.

The only thing that i think will help, would be you visiting him more often, even if it's just a couple days or a week.

I'm very sorry to here about him feeling down :(

He misses you. I think you should visit him more often.