How long do you leave it before riding a new horse.,

Depends on horse. new sights new smells new sounds. and new owner. alot to take in for any animal. personally i would allow some time to adjust. yes work on floor. as a human you start new job with new faces new names new procdures. head can go in overload on first day. relevamt? I dont know but we are allowed time to adjust. Why not horses?
 
We try to have new arrivals here in the morning. They are stabled with company close by and then ridden lightly in the school that day if poss if only for 10 mins and then the next few days they are ridden in the school and kept to a strict routine for a week or so. Depending on horse we will hack in company day 3 onwards but never on the first day. Always use the school.
 
I hope the poor girl heals quickly - what a sad start to a new partnership when it should be full of joy and excitement. :(

I didn't ride my then 5 year old for over a week as I had no saddle for him. I lunged him a couple of times and just spent time getting to know him. The day the saddler came, I lunged him for a little before riding him in the field for the first time. A little scary, but he was fine. I'd only ridden him for about 10 minutes when I tried him, and hadn't ridden much for about 8 years, so looking back on it, I must have had my big brave pants on! :) x
 
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I always try to give them a week to settle in. With lots of changes going on, i think that's fair & increases the chance of a nice relaxed first working experience. Seems like i'm in the minority, but it's always worked for me, although perhaps the fact that i tend to take on "problem" horses has a bearing.
 
That's a weird rule! I leave it a few days if not a week, just because... Why shouldn't I? My horse was much more nervous when I first got her. Obviously it was already my horse that I had moved to a new yard I might have less issue with it, but I wouldn't like it to be enforced upon me that I had to ride at any time.
 
Just to clarify this was the 4th day not the 1st and also suggested by YO and I agreed wholeheartedly, totry to help new horse bond with my wimpy horse who had borne the brunt of new horse aggression.7

New horse still seeking my horse out in huge field for attack but presently no biting as my boy finally kicked out yesterday.

Interesting thread... thank you.
 
Hopefully someone can exercise the new horse for your friend while she's out of action, she'll be naturally nervous when she gets back on and if they've both had 6/8 weeks off that would be a good recipie for another accident!
 
Yes lots of lunging. I have suggested her parents, both riders, ride him meanwhile but they are going to do ground work for 6 weeks. I have my concerns but after Wednesday am very sheepish & silent!
 
Just my opinion, but you dont take a horse to a show overnight and tell it not to worry you are not going to compete it for a few days as the smells etc are different, and by then the show would be finished so it didnt matter anyway, moving yards is no different than going to a show, just get on and go for it.
 
It does very much depend on the horse. I've got two at present who really don't handle change very well (one is 15, one is 4). Taking the older one to a show gets show behavior, full of it but expecting to work and doing so. Moving home results in a good couple of months of hysterics. She definitely knows the difference and why wouldn't she? We take different things with us, the routine is different, etc. I can and do work her in a new home, but I usually give her a day or three to settle in first, lunge the first time, then ride, and I still expect her to be a royal handful for at least a few weeks! The youngster won't be so bad next time, I don't think; she's only moved once in her life and is generally more laid-back as a character anyway. My previous girl also never cared where we were, so I don't think it's anything I do.

Either way, OP, if my older mare had decked me the first time I took her on (and moved yards), I'd say it was my fault. In the end, it has to be the rider/owner's call on what to do with their beast, not whoever agreed to or even suggested hacking out. You weren't to know what would happen.
 
TChamp said:
Yes lots of lunging. I have suggested her parents, both riders, ride him meanwhile but they are going to do ground work for 6 weeks. I have my concerns but after Wednesday am very sheepish & silent!
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Hmmmm so in six weeks time you'll have a very nervous girl/ lady (sorry no idea on age but anyone who's fallen off broken something and hence can't get back on soon will be nervous) and a horse that hasn't been sat on for six weeks and the last time it was sat on had a tantrum and got out of doing what ever it was that she didn't want to do, oh and it's a brand new horse that hasn't ever been tried hacking so might do the tantrum thing everytime - not ideal.

When the dust has settled maybe suggests quietly to your friend that someone hacks the horse out before she gets back on.
 
I rode Larry the day after I got him h was 11 at the time, and Claudy I rode her the day after I got her and she is 6yo both where taken out on there own and where good.. I like to get them out on there own so they dont get clingy with each other and the other horse's on are yard.. :)
 
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