Advice sought: How long to give a new horse to settle in?

[sophiebailey]

Hi all! Long time no post, hope everyone is doing well!

I have just taken on loan a lovely 14yo 15.3hh grey TBxID mare. However being part TB and a mare, she's a lot more stroppy horse than I'm used to!

She only arrived with us 24 hours or so ago. I led her into the field and left her to acquaint herself with my elderly cob gelding overnight. All is well this morning, not a mark on either of them an both happily grazing side by side. I brought each horse into the field shelter in turn to groom today but the new mare was testing; dancing and swinging around and barging her way out of the shelter, pulling back and trying to rear when I attempted to tie her up. Managed to groom her and change rug with a friend holding her but it's now made me question what her routine should be in her first couple of weeks, and how much I should ask of her in that time?

I thought a few days of grooming and fussing would be a good idea for us to get to know each other but she was having none of it. Should I try again tomorrow or leave her at pasture for a few more days?

Any advice welcome. It's been so long since I've had a new horse to settle into the yard and bring into ridden work that I'm a little lost for what to ask of her and when! She's a been there done that eventer/hunter who is fine with being stabled etc, which is why I think her reaction to being brought in today has made me question my timescales for progression!

Any advice/previous stories welcomed

 

[Tobiano]

I am not the world's greatest expert by any means but I would suggest spending some time with her to establish your relationship - i.e. doing some in hand work on the ground so that you can move her feet and get her to recognise you as her leader. You can desensitise her to your presence around her touching / grooming her etc whilst holding her lead rope rather than when she is tied up when she may feel more vulnerable. I am sure with a bit of time and some work she will turn out brilliantly for you.

 

[Tash88]

To be honest I think that you start as you intend to go on, especially since she is used to being handled, ridden and competing. Was she in full work up until you bought her or has she had a bit of time off? I don't think bringing her in for a groom is a big ask to be honest and you need to be able to handle her so you can pick her feet out etc. if she is out 24/7; I also think that she might become more difficult if you let her get away with testing you. I'm not one for being overly tough with horses so they don't get away with it, but she needs to respect the boundaries that you set, and that will make her feel more secure and happy in her new home.

Do you have a school to do some groundwork in before you ride her?

Congratulations on your new purchase btw - piccies would be nice!

 

[be positive]

I like to get them straight into a routine, more so if older as they will be used to going places and should be expected to behave in new situations, maybe not perfect but reasonable and mannerly. It may be that she felt alone in the shelter, it is not the same as being taken out of a field into a yard and tied up so it could simply be that she was confused and worried if she could not see her new friend, I would find somewhere that you can do what you want, meet her halfway by tying up within the field rather than in the shelter or bring her out completely and expect her to do as you want, at her age she really should be able to do so.
If she has been in work I would get going with that also before she decides that she is not willing to leave her field or friend, 2 horses can become extremely attached to each other and it can be hard to separate them if there is no other company.

 

[sophiebailey]

Thanks everyone.

She has been out of work for a good few months before she arrived with me, turned out in a herd.

I was also thinking I needed to be firm and just tell her to get on with it but then worried I wasn't giving her chance to find her feet! So hard to judge if you're being too tough or too soft! :-(

 

[Auslander]

She's 14 years old, and it sounds like she was being a complete tool. There's no excuse for her behaving like that, and I would be making damn sure she came in every day and learned that she was to shut up and do as she was told. I would ignore the bad behaviour, and just do what i needed to do, although a few words might be had if she barged me.

 

[Fides]

I find with a 'difficult' horse it is better to not give them time to find their feet. If you get handling her whilst she is still unsure she will turn to you to give her confidence and support, and you can establish yourself as someone she can trust. Then when she is settled, and starts testing the waters you already have a bond to be able to put her back on track. Leaving her to settle could mean that she starts testing you before you have a bond established which could lead to problems that could have been avoided.

I tend to give them a day to settle then crack on the next day :}

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I almost always find that coming in to food at the same time every day helps a horse to settle to a new home. I agree that an established horse should be quite capable of coming in to be groomed without making a fuss but you do have to give them a reason to want to, especially as she has been turned away as part of a herd for a few months, then separated from the herd and turned out with a new friend. She will be feeling very unconfident and wondering what on earth will happen next.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Both my trainer and I have done this: horse arrives, straight off the wagon.......... so then immediately without any messing around tack it up and go round the block (doesn't have to be miles, ten minutes will do fine), then come back into yard, unsaddle, and then either put in the stable or turn out. Trainer says that this is what normal herd behaviour would be, i.e. arrive in new location, horse needs to suss out surroundings, then has the reassurance of knowing where it is in the universe and can therefore settle much more easily into the routine of the yard.

Had a new horse/youngster come to the yard last autumn and this is exactly what we did; took youngster out with experienced mare for a quick flip round the block (best to use a "round" ride not out and back the same way); and then brought him back and settled him in his new field. Works for us!

Reading "Fides" above..... this is exactly the idea, expressed very well.