Activities with my new horse for the first week

[Heccyd]

I’m collecting my first horse in two weeks time and am looking for advice on a sort of programmer of what I should do for the first week! My instructor has suggested:
Day 1: settling in, introducing to the stables, other horses and the paddocks
Day 2: lots of brushing, walking around the yard
Day 3: riding in the ménage
Day 4: walking in hand outside of the yard along the lane (accompanied by another human)
Day 5: ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL - today, ride him outside of the yard (accompanied by another horse and rider)
The livery is in a super quiet area surrounded by forest with hardly any traffic. He is 9 years old, has been very calm every time I’ve viewed him and (of course) has glowing reports on his temperament from his current owner.
So - any advice please???!!! Thank you in advance.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

If he s in work now I would start day one with work. If you treat things matter of factly then hopefully new horse will too. If you are tentative and hesitant in the first few days or weeks your new horse may not get confidence in you from the start. Just crack on ..don’t look for problems and enjoy.

 

[luckyoldme]

Just a thought but maybe don't set out a rigid plan? I'm sure he will settle no problem but some horses get very unsettled with change and behave differently for a while
Maybe just see how he settles then decide from there how to go on. I'm sure you will have years together so there no rush !

 

[Ambers Echo]

I agree don't have a rigid plan.

I tend always work from day 1 if the horse is fit and in work. Especially as on our yard there is a period of isolation before they can be turned out in herds. Work keeps them busy and mentally occuppied.

If you are buying a horse and hire a venue with trial facilities you expect to be able to get on a new horse in a new place and put it through its paces. I sometimes think spending too long 'settling them in' just means they build up excess energy!

I do expect them to take time to settle but they can find their feet while in work imo.

 

[Ambers Echo]

ETA just to add some sellers don't work horses after they are sold - or even turn them out. They are wrapped in cotton wool! But 2 weeks is a long time to be stood in and not worked so find out how he is being managed in the next 2 weeks. And then take it from there.

Oh and welcome to the forum! And tell us about hour new horse x

PS we like pics....

 

[hopscotch bandit]

When I've ever had a new horse I'm usually riding the next day, hacking or schooling. After a week I go out and compete. You don't need to plan, just crack on with things. Giving him time to 'relax' might be counter productive. Start as you mean to go on and just ride, compete and enjoy. Go for a short hack but take a mobile phone instead of a friend and let someone know where you intend to go and don't deviate from that route. He needs to know that you intend to hack out on your own at times in the future so you may as well start doing it straight away. Make sure you make it a round hack or where you have turned around for home might be the place he will nap next time.

Just remember that the best thing about a new horse is that they are a blank canvas in terms of what you know about them. I've always found this gives me super confidence as you don't know their quirks, you don't know that they will shy at a cyclist, or rear when coming in from the field or play up when you ask for canter so there is no nervousness. Not that mine's done any of those things thank goodness but just examples.

Remember nearly all horses that are in a new partnership will try it on at some time or another so keep strong, if you run into difficulties ask a knowledgeable friend or get an instructor.

I hope you and your new partner have many exciting adventures in the future, good luck x

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I assume that your RI knows you and the horse, so I suggest that you aim to follow the plan but be aware that you might need to be flexible, dependant on all kinds of things; the weather, other things happening on the yard, how the horse settles.

I usually don't hack until a new horse has been here a week, so that in the unfortunate case that we part company, the horse knows where to head for.

 

[milliepops]

I assume that your RI knows you and the horse, so I suggest that you aim to follow the plan but be aware that you might need to be flexible, dependant on all kinds of things; the weather, other things happening on the yard, how the horse settles.

This.

I agree that it's good to be flexible in your planning, and we will all do things differently.
but since you have already asked your instructor and they have given you a suggested programme I think you should try and stick with their advice since they know you, your strengths, weaknesses and so on... did they go to see the horse as well?

 

[Cortez]

I always ride them right away, often the day they arrive (unless it's been a very long journey: mine usually arrive from Spain ). Just wandering around on a lead rope won't be enough to properly exercise your horse, so after a week of doing nothing he might be full of beans and a bit too bouncy for your liking.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I normally would ride or lunge the following day of arrival I wouldnt wait 5 days with a 9 year old.

 

[sportsmansB]

Unless there is a very clear reason why not to, I would echo the above. Crack on and ride (maybe with a quick lunge first, in case he has been wrapped in cotton wool since sale, this definitely does happen!). Book your instructor for this first ride if it gives you more confidence.
I can't tell you the amount of times a friend who sells horses has calls from new owners saying the horse is sharper than they expected, and when he asks they tell him that they just got on that day after giving them a week to 'settle in' - and these are competition horses who are used to walker and riding every day. Compound this with a potential change in diet (and certain change in hay) and possibly less confident handling from a new owner desperate to do everything correctly and forgetting to continue their manners, and its a recipe for disaster.
Walking around on a rope is definitely not exercise
Remember horses have to go to stay away shows, and they don't have a week to settle in there, and they certainly get worked when they get there (usually twice a day!) to keep their minds busy and reduce their energy levels and excitement.

 

[dogatemysalad]

I prefer to crack on and ride straight away, unless the horse has had a long journey or needs immediate farriery, etc.
Introducing a routine from the start helps them to understand what to expect and know that you are dependable.
Hacking out with a babysitter field mate helps them to bond and have an ally in the field whilst getting to be accepted by the herd.

 

[Auslander]

Hop on and crack on! I've never seen the appeal of wandering round with my horse on a lead like a large dog!
Too much hand holding can make them think "Eek- there be dragons!". I have a livery at the moment who is prone to frantic patting and squawking "GOOD GIRL. GOOD GIRL" every time they walk past something that could be perceived as scary, or when a cyclist/dog/person walks past. The mare couldn't care less - it's the owner who's spooky! Mare now spooks more often because her owner has freaked her out, and convinced her that she should be scared of something that she couldn't care less about!

 

[oldie48]

I've always cracked on and ridden, mainly because I want to know if there are going to be any issues. The only thing I don't do is hack out solo. I hate hacking on my own and I like to get to know the horse first and build up a bit of a relationship so if we encounter anything scary I feel confident to deal with it and the horse has some confidence in me as his rider (hopefully)! I also get the horse out to different places as much as possible and get it loading and unloading. I do spend quite a lot of time, generally messing around with it as well but only as an adjunct to the actual riding. good luck with your horse, I hope he is everything you want from a horse but be prepared for a few hiccups along the way.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

If a ridden one, they come off the transport and I tack up and ride. Depending on the distance they have come, it might be a short ride or a longer one.
Then I ride daily thereafter for a week or so.

 

[splashgirl45]

my loan horse arrived at 4,30pm was walked round the yard and then straight into her stable. next morning went for a hack with my friend who has the horse she was going to be in the field with, and carried on from there. unless there is a reason not to ride i would ride a s a p, but your trainer knows you and hopefully knows the horse and has advised to wait so you are best doing what they have said...

 

[Fiona]

my loan horse arrived at 4,30pm was walked round the yard and then straight into her stable. next morning went for a hack with my friend who has the horse she was going to be in the field with, and carried on from there. unless there is a reason not to ride i would ride a s a p, but your trainer knows you and hopefully knows the horse and has advised to wait so you are best doing what they have said...

This is what I did with my connie when I bought him.... It worked well, and he was then turned out in adjoining paddock for a couple of days before going out with his new friend.

Fiona

 

[Summit]

I’m collecting my first horse in two weeks time and am looking for advice on a sort of programmer of what I should do for the first week! My instructor has suggested:
Day 1: settling in, introducing to the stables, other horses and the paddocks
Day 2: lots of brushing, walking around the yard
Day 3: riding in the ménage
Day 4: walking in hand outside of the yard along the lane (accompanied by another human)
Day 5: ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL - today, ride him outside of the yard (accompanied by another horse and rider)

Would throw that list out of the window. Sorry but never seen anything so regimented

 

[Heccyd]

Would throw that list out of the window. Sorry but never seen anything so regimented

OK, understood!! How would you suggest I handle my first few days?

 

[Heccyd]

This is what I did with my connie when I bought him.... It worked well, and he was then turned out in adjoining paddock for a couple of days before going out with his new friend.

Fiona

Thanks for this

 

[Heccyd]

Thanks everyone for your advice - so, to avoid a potential Tigger moment followed swiftly by Buyers Regret, I’m going to start as I mean to go on - no mollycoddling! Will keep you posted!

 

[Red-1]

I usually bring them home the day of the vetting or the next morning, so they are well exercised. I have the old owner ride for the vet, in case they have been 'box rested' since sale agreed (ye-ha) and also so I can speak privately with the vet while the owner rides.

When they get home I usually give a leg-stretch quick lunge round before bed so they can have a nosy at the local area. Next morning crack on, maybe start with saddle fitting, a quick lunge round and hop aboard for a ride.

If that all goes well then walk off down the lane and take it from there.

 

[Summit]

OK, understood!! How would you suggest I handle my first few days?

There is another side to the discussion.....if you search there are posts which contradict the “start as you mean to go on” approach

 

[Cortez]

There is another side to the discussion.....if you search there are posts which contradict the “start as you mean to go on” approach

There is always another side, and horses are all different (as are owners), but I think you'll find that most people with a lot of experience are in favour of just getting on with it and not faffing about.

 

[BOWS28]

I have to agree. Unless you plan to treat him like a china tea cup forever, don't begin like that! Give him a lunge before putting him to bed and then crack on riding the next day. If your usual routine will be riding in the evening after work, do the same for the first time! You'll be surprised how much easier everything will seem when you get rid of the 'new place' beans! Good luck with your new buddy!!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

My theory is 'set yourself (and the horse) up to succeed'.

If the horse is stressed out of its tiny mind by the move, give it time to settle. Do things that you know will go well. If you need to keep it small and simple to start with, then fine.

If the horse comes off the lorry like it's lived at the new yard its whole life then you should be able to succeed doing bigger things.

I have always turned horses straight out, but their companion is carefully selected.

 

[Ambers Echo]

I think this is a really interesting question - how best to settle a horse?

No-one is suggesting riding a snorting dragon who is on his toes and has grown 2 hands. But if that is how your horse is behaving - is leaving it alone in a stable or field or just grooming it going to help?

I personally always work - but what work I do depends on how the horse is. 'Work' to me means the horse has a job to do and direction to follow. That 'job' can be groundwork, lunging, long reining, whatever. Personally I think work settles horse more than leaving them be. It provides structure, directs energy, keeps the mind occupied on the task and not on horse eating monsters etc. If my horse starts getting stressed when I am riding I immediately give her a job to do. Preferably one that take up quite a lot of brain power like lateral movements or complex shapes or tight serpentines. But I would be interested to hear what other people do.

With a new horse I always start with groundwork too. Even if only for 20 minutes before getting on. But I want to check out that they are engaged and listening to me from the ground before I hop aboard.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

I’m collecting my first horse in two weeks time and am looking for advice on a sort of programmer of what I should do for the first week! My instructor has suggested:
Day 1: settling in, introducing to the stables, other horses and the paddocks
Day 2: lots of brushing, walking around the yard
Day 3: riding in the ménage
Day 4: walking in hand outside of the yard along the lane (accompanied by another human)
Day 5: ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL - today, ride him outside of the yard (accompanied by another horse and rider)
The livery is in a super quiet area surrounded by forest with hardly any traffic. He is 9 years old, has been very calm every time I’ve viewed him and (of course) has glowing reports on his temperament from his current owner.
So - any advice please???!!! Thank you in advance.

This sounds very much like my first week at work (not that I was brushed or walked around).But I basically spent my first three days starting at bespoke software system and wanting to cry from boredom. I'd gone through it by the end of day one, but was asked to look at it on day two and three so I 'really understood it' Zzzzzzzzzz. I don't cope with boredom very well, I am always busy and on the go and it drove me mad. I expect that must be what a new horse must feel like, it would much prefer a refreshing hack down the lane to being walked around the yard and 'introduced' to the stables, horses and paddocks.

I'm not taking the mickey by the way as I think its really good that you have put so much effort and thought into getting it right. But horses don't think like us and really couldn't care less as long as their main needs are being addressed.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Well I found they settle best turned out with a nice, calm companion that knows the ropes of how the yard operates.

I think that it is always wise to state that riding a snorting dragon is not a good idea. Novices don't always know the things that go without saying to more experienced horse (or dragon ) owners and you never know who is reading the thread. I have seen first time owners do some pretty silly stuff because they were following advice to the letter and didn't have the experience to be flexible and aren't confident in their decisions/thoughts/doubts.

The one that springs to mind (at a friends livery yard) is the new owner who bought a horse from the RDA and left it in its stable for two weeks (it wasn't brought out at all) because they were told that she was happy in her stable. The horse got more wound up, they got more frightened but they didn't want to bring her out because logically if she was happy in a stable, she was unhappy in a field or on the yard. I told friend that I would have just turned the poor mare out myself, but that would apparently have been 'interfering'. Horse went back to the seller thankfully.

 

[Denbob]

I was too soft with myself when I bought Denzel down to his last yard and gave him too much time to settle, not in terms of days just in terms of thinking room. I was also over praising at tiny things and wasn't until my friends came down to see me a week or two later and told me I wasn't doing either of us any favours and to jolly well get on with it that I started to expect more from him. He relaxed very quickly after that.