How long do you give your new horse to get settled in to its new home ??

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As title,there seem to be an extremely wide range of views on this.
I am aiming this more at the new to you horse [or pony] bought as a ridden horse, tried out properly before purchase,not bought on spec. from a sale or wild and unhandled youngsters.
Do you get them home and start the way you plan to go on,building up as time goes on or do you give them a week or two to get used to their new home and then start with ground work.
Whichever you choose what is your reason for doing so how long has it taken for you to feel that the horse is settled and how do you know when it has.
 
It depends on the horse. It also depends on what you mean by settle. The last pony I bought we feel is now happy and settled in his new home. I think I bought him about five months ago. However, in the space of a few hours he'd met his new home, his new companions, his new rider, her cousins who'd also all had a go, he'd been ridden bareback,with a saddle, on the lunge and off and brushed by everyone from the two year old up and he took it all in his stride. For him to actually relax and be confident took him far far longer though.
 
I'd probably work it the day after it came as I think you need to start as you mean to go on. I think giving a fit horse a week or two off when you don't 'know' it is only going to cause issues when you do get on it. Saying that, it really depends on the horse!
 
Depends on the horse and how he seems. I've moved yards in the past and tacked up for a ride pretty well as they come of the trailer before. I've not bought a broken pony in over a decade so haven't thought about it. But if the horse is relaxed in his environment and is broken / confident under saddle, I don't see the harm in riding the same day or the following day. I might lunge before I rode or not, really depends on the horse. They normally give you some warning if they aren't happy...
 
I will work it the next day. (Taking it that it is a ridden horse) I will give it a chance if it is fretting being in a new stable but nothing else.

I look at it this way, I want to find out if anything is wrong with it ASAP and, if I were to take it to a show then I wouldn't give it days to settle!
 
It was taken out of my hands! Hugo arrived, was rugged up and put into his field to meet his new friends and that night the snow arrived! So he was stranded in there for a fortnight! We couldn't get to him (YO could, to deliver hay etc) so he had 2 weeks to sort himself out!

He was always very nervous after that and did not want to leave his field mates and I don't know if that was anything to do with it??

But after about 6 months he had really settled in and become more confident. Now, 10 months on, he is a star! :D
 
With an established horse we would put them into work as soon as possible - either same day as arrival or the following day.

As an example, we picked up a horse for OH on Monday - we gave him half an hour in the field to chill when he arrived then he went straight out for a short hack in company. Tuesday was a longer hack in company, Wednesday day off, Thursday boxed out to a gridwork lesson, Friday hack alone, today a longer hack in company and tomorrow brings a sponsored ride. I think the busier the better in general. They are more likely to get into mischief if they are bored and full of energy!
 
Mine came from a very regimented dressage yard where he was worked daily and use to a strict routine.I picked him up late mon night, gave him tues to settle and schooled him on the Thursday. Tbh, he would have been more stressed if I hadn't started riding him as it would have put his whole routine out. X
 
I usually give a day or 2 for them to get used to being loosed out into new surroundings.

My current horse went a bit mental when we brought her home as she had about 3 times the room to move in. Cantered round continuously for about a half hour! 2 days later, when she she'd stopped charging around at the slightest thing, I got her in groomed, tacked up & went for a hack down the road.

Something that was much calmer in the field/being caught I would probably leave overnight/for a day before riding.
 
So far most would ,like I do, just get on with them.I feel that a horse used to being worked will settle more quickly if kept on with.
The one reply so far that has had some problems adjusting to its new life was,for reasons out of the owners hands, not worked for 2 weeks ,it could well be because it was not ridden.The childs pony is a rather different situation.
There have been a few threads recently about horses not adjusting and taking months to become settled, is this therefore because the environment does not suit the individual horse or are there other reasons.
People are often advised to wait ,not to ride but to spend time doing groundwork and getting to know the horse but I feel this is possibly only adding to the riders lack of trust and the average horse will, unless the handler is very competent, become more unsure and less confident.
I think that an inexperienced owner especially the first timer buyer needs to try and have more support in place to help at this time so that ,hopefully ,they can enjoy their horse from the very start.
 
Glad someone asked this my new mare just arrived today! She has settled well so far and is out in the field on her own in view of some other horses, she has not run about much the only mad moment was when she got a zap of the electric fence, so far I’m very pleased with her! I have been up rugged up and fed this evening, I was planning on getting on her tomorrow for a short hack so we will see how it goes if she seems stressed at all when I go up in the morning to groom and take rugs off I will leave it and try again Monday evening but might take her for a walk in hand (in her bridle) to get her used to the environment if I cant ride. :)
 
3Beasties said:
I'd probably work it the day after it came as I think you need to start as you mean to go on. I think giving a fit horse a week or two off when you don't 'know' it is only going to cause issues when you do get on it. Saying that, it really depends on the horse!
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Echo this


HingeFarm said:
Glad someone asked this my new mare just arrived today! She has settled well so far and is out in the field on her own in view of some other horses, she has not run about much the only mad moment was when she got a zap of the electric fence, so far I’m very pleased with her! I have been up rugged up and fed this evening, I was planning on getting on her tomorrow for a short hack so we will see how it goes if she seems stressed at all when I go up in the morning to groom and take rugs off I will leave it and try again Monday evening but might take her for a walk in hand (in her bridle) to get her used to the environment if I cant ride. :)
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If she is stressed I would lunge her. I honestly think that sometimes they stress because they don't know what is happening. If you work them then they feel its the same as the old routine, if you don't they don't know what is happening

Not quite the same but I'm sure you will see the comparison. Took a horse to a venue, it was dark, he gets off the lorry all stressed and worrying, I put his SJ boots on and suddenly he completely chills..........He knew why he was there then :D
 
With Basil our friends at the yard advised to just ride him straight away in the school for about 5-10 mins so my daughter did that.

With our mare (our first horse) my daughter did sit on her because she had a saddle fitting appt booked prior to collecting her, but her condition was quite poor so the saddle fitter advised to give her a few weeks off to build up some condition which we did. She was very full of herself when she came back in to work :D
 
soulfull said:
If she is stressed I would lunge her. I honestly think that sometimes they stress because they don't know what is happening. If you work them then they feel its the same as the old routine, if you don't they don't know what is happening

Not quite the same but I'm sure you will see the comparison. Took a horse to a venue, it was dark, he gets off the lorry all stressed and worrying, I put his SJ boots on and suddenly he completely chills..........He knew why he was there then :D
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Thanks will keep you updated :D
 
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