and tips on horse manners, and settling in

[axe1312]

you probably know me, if not, hi, i have a 16hh 14yr ish. looking for tips to help him settle, and also to teach him some manners and to respect me. and groundwork exercises, habits, routine, feeds, any advice or tips are appreciated. thank you.

 

[black and brown]

Would your YO be able to help you or maybe an instructor? Without knowing your horse it is very difficult and sometimes not advisable for remote people on a forum to give help. It's great that you are seeking help but maybe someone working with you at the yard may be more beneficial

 

[HeyMich]

Kelly Marks has a good book called Perfect Manners or something along those lines. It's worth a read, it's got loads of exercises etc. Usually available 2nd hand on eBay.

Perfect Manners: How You Should Behave So Your Horse Does Too,Kelly Marks 9780091882709 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Perfect Manners: How You Should Behave So Your Horse Does Too,Kelly Marks at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Jenko109]

Hard to advise really on such brief information.

With riding horses, I do not allow a period of settling in before riding. I ride the day they get there, preferably ride them to the yard if it's an option.

A well worked horse is more likely to settle faster IMO

 

[Red-1]

I would feed as little hard feed as possible, whilst maintaining weight. I would make sure the feed is high fibre/low starch and sugar. If the horse is not overweight, ad lib hay can be useful as a buffer against ulcers, especially when the horse has just had a traumatic move. I would turn out as much as possible.

For the other stuff, I would get a trainer in to help you. That way, they can give tailored advice and demo stuff for you.

 

[sakura]

As others have said, impossible to advise on this over the internet. You would do well from having experienced people around you to watch and assist.

Cutting out hard feed unless necessary is a good starting point.

 

[axe1312]

thank you, my yo said to spend time just sitting with him, but his previous owner said leave him alone, my instructor said if i want to groom him, then do it, his previous owner said groom once a week, the yo said groom every few days. instructor said pick out feet at least once a day, yo said every few days, old owner said once a week. old owner said give him lots of food to bond, then told us to stop feeding him, yo said up his food, instructor said keep it the same. yo said 2 haynets, old owner said 1. its so so confusing. google said boredom toys, friend said salt lick, yo said no toys or licks, old owner said no likit, shop owner said use a likit and salt lik. i just dont know what to do??? he is doing light in hand work walk and trot, and is having 1/2 lunges a week, w,t,c, poles. he gets turnout all day, stable of a night. he loves to be ridden, but has no saddle. hates being tied up, unless he has hay. loves his walks, i try to take him for a little walk every other day to see new things.

 

[Goldenstar]

How long is it until the saddle comes .

 

[Barton Bounty]

I would spend as much time as possible with him, grooming, hand walking , chatting. Also let him be a horse and see his field mates whether over fence or beside them.
It comes down to how long is a piece of string. Some horses settle quickly and some take a bit longer. Being together gives you both the best chance to get to know one another. Be kind and remember it is a lot of upheaval to be taken from somewhere you have known to somewhere brand new

 

[Timelyattraction]

I think the main thing is making a routine and sticking with it. Say you turn out in the morning, bring him up in the evening, tie him up ,groom him, pick feet out, work him ,put him in the stable and leave him be for the night.
No hard feed as hes not in any real work at the moment and i wouldnt hang a lick it up as they are full of sugar. Theres no harm in hanging a salt lick up so if you want to do that then do so. I would also stop asking so many people for their opinions as its making it more confusing for you. Stick to one person’s judgement you trust the most in real life and go with that for now.ignore the old owner, she had him 5 weeks so realistically she knows not much more about him than you do.

 

[Surbie]

That's a lot of conflicting advice. No wonder you're feeling a bit confused.

My horse came to me on loan to begin with (5 years ago yesterday), but had a 9-month abcess in his previous RDA home where I volunteered. I ended up taking over sole day to day care and had a long time to get to know him and the other way around. I totally understand feeling a bit lost and hearing many different opinions to begin with.

From what you've said, to me your instructor makes the most sense. I think consistency is important, and expecting good manners and obedience. Your horse is 14, so the framework should be all there - if you are concerned about manners and respect, as in you are being barged over or struggling, I would be involving your instructor/someone you trust and looking at groundwork as a priority.

Spending time with them helps you learn their preferences. Mine loves massage, his pasterns, ears and elbows being rubbed but hates his tail being brushed so I rarely bother.

 

[sassandbells]

Welcome to the world of owning horses, you can ask 10 different people how to do something and get 10 different answers!

I would agree with Surby & Timelyattractions posts above though. The best thing you can do right now is get JJ used to a routine & consistency, he’s likely feeling a bit unsure of what’s going on having had two owners in a short space of time so familiarity of knowing what’s coming next will help.

Also, your instructor sounds like they’re making a lot of sense and presumably they’ll be the ones giving you riding lessons so I’d be inclined to take their advice first!

The more you do together the more you’ll understand his preferences and you’ll start to build a better relationship where you can really enjoy eachother. good luck

 

[Above the snowline]

Poor you having so many conflicting opinions thrown at you, it must be very confusing and you obviously want to do the right thing. But there is no 100% right way to do things. You need to build up a partnership with your horse which will take time. You will make mistakes and will never stop learning. Don’t set yourself up to fail by attempting things that are too difficult for both of you. Livery yards can be great but always having lots of people watching you can be unnerving. One kind patient understanding teacher that you like and trust is all you need. Sadly there are always going to be interfering and sometimes not very kind people who will sap your confidence and make you tense. Progress slowly, one step at a time. Keep a diary of your progress and most importantly be happy and have fun. Your horse doesn’t care two hoots about winning Badminton or being an Olympic champion.

 

[ycbm]

I would find out if he likes being groomed by grooming him loose and free to walk away from you around the box. Then if he likes it, groom him as much as you want and if he doesn't, do the least you can do that fits with tack not rubbing.

I've owned several horses who didn't like being groomed at all.
.

 

[Palindrome]

thank you, my yo said to spend time just sitting with him, but his previous owner said leave him alone, my instructor said if i want to groom him, then do it, his previous owner said groom once a week, the yo said groom every few days. instructor said pick out feet at least once a day, yo said every few days, old owner said once a week. old owner said give him lots of food to bond, then told us to stop feeding him, yo said up his food, instructor said keep it the same. yo said 2 haynets, old owner said 1. its so so confusing. google said boredom toys, friend said salt lick, yo said no toys or licks, old owner said no likit, shop owner said use a likit and salt lik. i just dont know what to do??? he is doing light in hand work walk and trot, and is having 1/2 lunges a week, w,t,c, poles. he gets turnout all day, stable of a night. he loves to be ridden, but has no saddle. hates being tied up, unless he has hay. loves his walks, i try to take him for a little walk every other day to see new things.

Just my opinion, but this is what I would do :

- Grooming+feet : at least once a week, more if wanted (if horse is shod, probably best to pick feet everyday),
- Feed, hay : keep it the same, add more if horse looses weight, reduce if horse puts on weight, with a preference for hay over hard feed as much as possible (particularly to keep horse busy while stabled),
- toy, licks : salt lick in stable, sugary type lick only when/if you want to give some but not adlib, stable toy up to you to choose if you want to have one.

Sounds like you are doing well with him

 

[Boulty]

Ok can understand why you’re feeling confused with all that conflicting advice. I’d maybe pick one person to go to for now for most of your advice to try for a bit of consistency. From what you’ve put here your instructor sounds fairly sensible and I’m guessing is the one who’s going to help you get going ridden again once you’ve sorted a saddle?

Re grooming when he’s in ridden work as a bare minimum he should be getting groomed where your tack goes at least before every ride to prevent rubbing and you should be checking him daily for injuries. What you do over and above that is up to you and how much you enjoy grooming & the horse enjoys being groomed. If he rugged and not fully clipped I’d personally want to be grooming him at least every few days whilst he’s shedding his coat as the build up of dead hair under his rug will be quite itchy for him. If he’s unrugged & you’re not riding then it doesn’t really matter as much but most horses at this time of year will be a bit itchy and will appreciate a rubber curry comb or shedding blade / grooming in general more than they normally would which could be helpful for bonding with him.

If he’s shod I’d pick his feet out daily so you can check his shoes are on securely & not becoming loose or twisted. Get your farrier to talk you through how to look for signs of infection like thrush & for other issues that might be concerning. This also gets him used to you handling his legs on a regular basis. If he’s fidgety I’d get someone to hold him for you or tie him up whilst you do this so he can’t wander off. Get help from your yard owner if you’re struggling.


Hay wise the weight of what you’re giving is more relevant than no of haynets as obviously they come in all kinds of sizes. Roughly 2% of body weight per day including grazing time is generally seen as a good estimate for horses who are at their ideal weight. (This is for hay, haylage would be more as it weighs more due to moisture content) Tricklenet do a good calculator for estimating this but in all honesty if you’re not concerned about his weight then would aim to give enough so that he’s got a little left in the morning (ie he hasn’t ran out and been stood with nothing) but not enough that you’re wasting loads of hay. This may take a bit of experimenting to find what works for him.

Stable toys etc are up to you. Some horses love them & some ignore them. Mine quite likes his hay ball & the treat balls can be quite good for giving stressy horses something to do. Would personally avoid the lickit type licks as full of sugar but salt licks are enjoyed by some horses.

 

[Mrs C]

Look for a natural horsemanship trainer and get some lessons booked in