Settling in a new horse

[Sonia]

Hi
If all goes to plan and the vetting is ok (Friday), then I'll be the owner of a horse!! He will be my first and I will be keeping him at livery where there are stables and fields.

Could anyone give me some pointers as to how to settle him into his new home?
Thanks
Sonia

[Mossy]

Congratulations and I hope all goes well. However back to the move. There are all sorts of books and articles on settling horses in. If you tried to follow all the advice you would never succeed unless you had your own yard, and worry yourself into a nervous wreck in the process.

Discuss it with the existing owner and the owner of the yard he is moving to and see how their routines can mesh so he is disrupted as little as possible, take their advice, take it slowly and play it by ear. The major no no is to turn him straight out into the field with an established herd with no chance for introductions, but that is stating the obvious.

Spend some days with him on the ground before you try taking him out for his first ride. He has to get used to you as well as to his new home. As with most matters horse RELAX AND ENJOY


[Edited by Mossy on 27th Jun 2000 at 05:49 PM]

[Laya]

When I moved my baby to the new stable, the instructor turned him out in a small pasture by himself so he could get aquainted with the others gradually. After a few days, we turned him out in the pasture after walking the fence line with him and he settled in wonderfully, hardly any bickering amongst the other three horses. If Justin had tried being more dominant it would of been another story. Also, if he was turned out with the dozen or so Polo ponies.

I also worked him lightly the next few days on lunge work and I finally rode him in a paddock and not out into the open at first. The first day, I spent handling him and grooming him to make him feel loved and to let him know that I wasn't going to leave him all alone.

Since this horse will be your first (Congrats!!!) and it will be the first time you two will be really together, then just groom him to let him know that you are his owner and you are the one who will be handling him daily. Also, ask the stabel manager if for the first few days if you can feed him. Horses seem to repect more the people who feed them. Or just ask if you can feed him his evening feed.

Good luck and enjoy him!!