How long until ride new horse?

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Lizzie0682

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My lovely new horse is arriving on Friday evening. Just wandered what peoples opinion was as to when to begin to ride. He is currently ridden 3 - 4 times a week schooling and hacking. We have a school and fields here but I do want to get out and about on him as soon as possible.

I'm thinking maybe to ride for 30 mins in the school on Sat, and maybe lead him out for a little walk on Sunday? Too much too soon?? I might just be over excited!

Thanks x
 
Unless he is a baby that has not done much,get on with it, ride in the school or hack,it will help him settle in and keep him in a routine.
Just expect him to be a little different to when you tried him.
You will be excited ,new horse:D
 
I would aim to ride on Saturday or Sunday (depending if he is settled enough) and just go from there!

When my new one arrived he was a right pain! I had to leave him to settle for a couple of days before I got on :) And then he got scabby heels so he's had a week off.. Bloody horses!! Lol

Good Luck!! :D
 
Depends on his/her temp, fitness and how far they travelled. I live in Leeds and bought a mare recently from Leicestershire. She travelled very quietly and arrived at lunchtime, settled into her stable like she had always been here. I tacked her up and hacked her round woods for an hour with my friends horse which she really enjoyed. The next day I lunged her for 10min and hacked her out for 1.5h and turned her out in the arena to meet her field mates over the fence.
 
I would ride him out straight away with another laid back/calm horse and continue doing so each day for the first few weeks so that he gets in to a nice routine with a safe companion by his side.
 
Thanks everyone! He's pretty fit and only travelling a short distance over, so i'm hoping he'll be fine to ride at the weekend. He was also been VERY laid back when I tried him and we saw almost every type of obstacle possible(!), but if he is a little nervous, or doesn't seem to be settling very well then i'll obviously just take it easy with him.

Can't wait!!! x
 
My new pony arrived on Saturday and I rode on Sunday for a 45 minute hack... I think it can be reassuring for them to be worked a bit - it gets them to focus on something in particular, rather than just being hyper-aware of their surroundings and the newness of everything.

Good luck, enjoy!
 
I agree with the above. Last summer when my one arrived, I wanted to give him a couple of days to settle but my friend forced me to get on the day after he arrived (in my defence I was nervous having lost my nerve in an unrelated incident!). It helped settle him into a routine and meant we quickly got to know each other.
 
Ten years ago I got my present boy. He arrived one day turned out with herd of geldings. I rode him the next day, no problems.

If your new horse is used to going to competions I don't see a problem as they don't get a chance to acclimatise to new surroundings.
 
Ours travelled 3.5 hours home on sunday. Had a couple hours rest and was ridden same day for half hour. I bought him but friend wanted to share so I wanted her up on him straight away as she didn't come with me to try him. He settled straight away.
 
I would give him friday from when he arrives and saturday to settle into his new home, meet his new frieds, spend some time on the ground getting to know you and for him to realise that hes not going off back in that trailer.
Horses settle quicker when they get to know their surroundings, so i would hack him out on sunday for say 30mins for example somewhere i would call around the village. so not too far away from home but enough so that he gets use to the smell and then you can use this ride as his safety net as your relationship develops.
If he is a bit highly strung/young ride him in the school for 30mins first. It would also be great for his confidence if he could go out on his hack with one of his new friends :)
 
I would ride him straight away. If they are a bit tired I always think so much the better. They are less likely to try it on. The sooner you have ridden him at home, hopefully with no issues, the better.

We used to buy just backed 3 / 4 years old Clydesdale Xs from Doncaster. We would get them home after about 4 hours in lorry. We would all have a quick, rest, drink and bite to eat then out with the clippers!!! Off with feathers, beards, mane pulled. Horse was usually too tired to argue....then a quick 10 minute ride. May sound cruel to some, but my philosophy was I had done it and knew I could, they had been done and knew it too. Much better than waiting til they were rested, full of it and trying it on. Works for me!!
 
I would ride the day of arrival, or next day if it doesn't come until late. Ideally it would be ridden out with another horse on the yard, perhaps one it will be turned out with, or near. I don't think a horse needs time to 'settle in' to a new home before it is ridden, unless you have obvious health or welfare issues to deal with. They're really incredibly adaptable animals. Enjoy him!
 
Depends if the horse is keen to work really. I know I waited a good few days for one of mine (surprisingly an arab!)
For my Westphalian mare who came from Surrey (I'm northeast!) it was the day after! She was raring to go. But she is an extremely excitable eventing horse, so she's used to it.
 
i just think give at least aweek for them to smell smells hear sounds an get a routine with you - why rush ? why not spend a week groooming and talking and just building that bond - why rush?
 
My newest horse I rode the day after I got him and he worked (nothing hard) then for three days in a row. As long as he isn't finding anything to hard to soon I think there isn't a problem with riding straight away. Enjoying your new horse! and good luck with him!
 
When Mazzie came home she arrived lunchtime and exercised that evening. Genie came home on the Monday evening and I hacked her out on the Tuesday. Both of them settled in happy as larry.
 
babymare said:
i just think give at least aweek for them to smell smells hear sounds an get a routine with you - why rush ? why not spend a week groooming and talking and just building that bond - why rush?
Click to expand...

I have to say I agree with you BM.
I also like to know that, if by some unfortunate mischance, horse and rider part company on the first hack, at least the horse knows where to head for home.
 
babymare said:
i just think give at least aweek for them to smell smells hear sounds an get a routine with you - why rush ? why not spend a week groooming and talking and just building that bond - why rush?
Click to expand...

I compete regularly at shows, my horses can arrive the night before and jump for three days, 'smelling the smells' doesn't affect them in any way. A week seems rather over the top in my view as not only will it will build it up in the riders mind the horse will also become fresh and then cause problems and cause it to act in ways it wouldn't normally do.
 
I'd give them the first day as having a good look about/think about where they are then crack on, unless they are local and no harm in getting on straight away. I think my latest one arrived on a Thursday night. She had been travelling from Scotland for quite a while so I gave her that night off, rode her in the menege on Friday, hacked her Saturday and then I had to go on a school residential til the next Wednesday so she was turned out in the field to chill for 3 days. That Wednesday night I hopped on, took her to a dressage test and won. :)
 
I find it unbelievable that people recommend giving horses time to settle in and get to know where they are before riding.....

How on earth do horses cope when they go to shows?

When I get a new horse, if it is in work, then it is likely to be ridden either the day it arrives or straight away the next day. What the horse will be looking for is an immediate indication about it's role in the scheme of things. As soon as you ride, handle and get on with owning this horse, it will be able to relax and settle.
 
babymare said:
i just think give at least aweek for them to smell smells hear sounds an get a routine with you - why rush ? why not spend a week groooming and talking and just building that bond - why rush?
Click to expand...

Shutting a fit horse up or just turning it away for a week is not a good idea - you are breaking their routine and probably going to end up with something on their toes

When I sold my homebred I advised riding straight away as he is used to competition and loves the routine of being worked.

Also if you are intending to get on with things you don't want them to drop fitness either.

Most horses thrive on a consistent routine and that helps them settle into a new home
 
I'm another in he get in ASAP camp. Suggest Saturday at the latest. Maybe lunging to take any edge off before you get on.
Someone I know bought a 4yr old from a well known
dressage dealer in Germany. She was told to get on him the day after he arrived from the continent.... And whilst he was still a bit tired to get him straight into his routine before he got his hooves under the table :-)
 
Thanks everyone, really interested to hear everyones opinions! He arrived tonight at 7 so was a bit too late tonight to ride, he appears to have settled in great, hasn't even reacted to all 3 mares in field prancing past him! I think i'm going to stick to the original plan of schooling tomorrow, hack on Sunday.

Thanks again xx
 
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