teabiscuit
Well-Known Member
Green youngster /taking the Mick. .. get someone good to assess him in real life and take it from there .best of British and chin up x
How long do you allow for "settling in?"
- Thread starter Sologirl
- Start date
LouiseG
Well-Known Member
2 weeks is no time at all! I wouldn't expect any bad behaviour, but I would expect your new horse to take time to settle in! Hacking on your own requires a lot of confidence from you and if you were feeling nervous, especially after an initial spook it would have just snowballed leaving your horse feeling that there were actual monsters. They aren't machines, and the seller may have described him perfectly... for the seller! Horses behave differently depending on who is riding/handling them so dont give up. There are ALWAYS teething problems to begin with, it might be that you need to build trust in the school or on hacks with company before you venture out on your own. Not only are the surroundings new, but you are also new to your horse and the bond and trust in each other is what will take the time.
BayLady
Well-Known Member
2 weeks is no time at all.
I think it took my mare about 6 months to decide I was actually ok, and about 18 months to well and truly settle with me as her owner. To be fair I did move yards 3 times in that period, from a temporary stopgap yard to a rented field, to a yard for 3 months which I left due to no winter turnout. The last yard, still my current yard, was her home for 11 years, until I lost her to illness.
I now have a 4yr old 14.2hh gelding. He's been with me for about 3 months. He was angelic for the first couple of weeks, then started biting, which I nipped in the bud quickly. He then tried refusing to have his headcollar on, then refusing to come in (both now fixed), and then whilst hacking he had a couple of rear/buck sessions which did frighten me quite a lot so I've started having lessons on him, which has turned things around riding wise. Yesterday he hacked with one other horse and led for the entire ride, which is progress. He did try to kick me afterwards, which he got short shrift for and I doubt will try it again. His current ground work issue is stamping his front feet at YO when she goes to fetch him in, which he was doing with me but had stopped. All of this is just him pushing the boundaries and trying it on. It is a bit of a shock to my system after having had my mare for so long, who wasn't easy at first but after 12yrs you settle into a groove and it all just comes easily. Not so with a new horse, you have to work to get there. My boy is actually very sweet and loving, he's just also young, cheeky and a pony
)
Is there anyone who's braver than you who can hack out with/for you, just for a little while? That may be all he needs to learn that it's ok and settle back down?
I think it took my mare about 6 months to decide I was actually ok, and about 18 months to well and truly settle with me as her owner. To be fair I did move yards 3 times in that period, from a temporary stopgap yard to a rented field, to a yard for 3 months which I left due to no winter turnout. The last yard, still my current yard, was her home for 11 years, until I lost her to illness.
I now have a 4yr old 14.2hh gelding. He's been with me for about 3 months. He was angelic for the first couple of weeks, then started biting, which I nipped in the bud quickly. He then tried refusing to have his headcollar on, then refusing to come in (both now fixed), and then whilst hacking he had a couple of rear/buck sessions which did frighten me quite a lot so I've started having lessons on him, which has turned things around riding wise. Yesterday he hacked with one other horse and led for the entire ride, which is progress. He did try to kick me afterwards, which he got short shrift for and I doubt will try it again. His current ground work issue is stamping his front feet at YO when she goes to fetch him in, which he was doing with me but had stopped. All of this is just him pushing the boundaries and trying it on. It is a bit of a shock to my system after having had my mare for so long, who wasn't easy at first but after 12yrs you settle into a groove and it all just comes easily. Not so with a new horse, you have to work to get there. My boy is actually very sweet and loving, he's just also young, cheeky and a pony
)Is there anyone who's braver than you who can hack out with/for you, just for a little while? That may be all he needs to learn that it's ok and settle back down?
Merrymoles
Well-Known Member
There is a difference between bad behaviour and being unsettled but you might want to get someone more experienced/less nervous to hack him to establish which they think it is. My lad is a "worrier" and his behaviour slips when worried. We moved to a new yard at the same time as he went on to box rest for a minor injury and have only now been able to start hacking out. He is worried and "looky" at everything but, at the same time, is behaving because he now knows his boundaries. Yesterday I hacked him alone for the first time (after putting my brave pants on), he grew two hands taller, screamed his head off but, once told he was staying in walk, was well behaved. However, if my nerves had come into play and he had felt that, he would have been very capable of misbehaving and that may be what you are encountering here.
charli_
Well-Known Member
I've had a new one 3 weeks ago yesterday - Sunday 13th. He is purely for hacking and small jumping, so let him settle in until Tuesday before riding. He seemed fine, just a short hack. As for problems, he doesn't like waiting for other horse/rider whilst I'm on, but just needs a firm hand to tell him to behave. Think this is due to him never having to wait as he usually hacks alone or rides in a school, so I would say he is pretty settled by now! Good luck with your new one! 