Moving Yards - any advice?

[OrangeAndLemon]

I've recently moved house and have now found a lovely new yard for my boy to move to. I love the yard he's at now and I've been very happy there but it's now an 85 mile round trip to see him so I have to move him. Both yards are busy riding schools and both have lots of hacking but the new yard has mostly off road hacking on lovely sandy tracks.

At the moment I'm hacking him out 4 or 5 times a week and switching one of those hacks for a lesson when possible. He is on a straw bed now but will be on a shavings bed at the new yard. The main difference is going to be that on his current yard he only has one hour turnout in an all weather arena. In his new yard he'll be getting turnout every day with lots of lovely grass. In summer he was turned out in a large herd of geldings at his current yard, and it will be the same at the new yard. He is generally lower in the pecking order, despite his size.

My major concern is colic and switching him over to grass. I was planning on gently increasing the turnout time; start with an hour, then two the next day, then three the day after. Am I overthinking it? His food will also be slowly switched from what he has now at the current yard, to the supplier used by the new yard (full livery) and I'll speak to feed hotlines about the balancer.

I'd also like to think about removing his back shoes; he had to have them put on when he got footsore at his current yard on the rocky paths. Any advice about what to ask the farrier when I start looking into this?

Do you have any other advice for what to expect. I realise it'll take him a few weeks to settle in so there might be some naughty behaviour at first. He's generally a very chilled out character but has been a little annoying when his summer turnout ended so I'm looking forward to seeing him happily back being a horse in a field. Sorry for the essay, leftover Christmas choccies to anyone making it this far.

 

[sunshine100*]

I've recently moved house and have now found a lovely new yard for my boy to move to. I love the yard he's at now and I've been very happy there but it's now an 85 mile round trip to see him so I have to move him. Both yards are busy riding schools and both have lots of hacking but the new yard has mostly off road hacking on lovely sandy tracks.

At the moment I'm hacking him out 4 or 5 times a week and switching one of those hacks for a lesson when possible. He is on a straw bed now but will be on a shavings bed at the new yard. The main difference is going to be that on his current yard he only has one hour turnout in an all weather arena. In his new yard he'll be getting turnout every day with lots of lovely grass. In summer he was turned out in a large herd of geldings at his current yard, and it will be the same at the new yard. He is generally lower in the pecking order, despite his size.

My major concern is colic and switching him over to grass. I was planning on gently increasing the turnout time; start with an hour, then two the next day, then three the day after. Am I overthinking it? His food will also be slowly switched from what he has now at the current yard, to the supplier used by the new yard (full livery) and I'll speak to feed hotlines about the balancer.

I'd also like to think about removing his back shoes; he had to have them put on when he got footsore at his current yard on the rocky paths. Any advice about what to ask the farrier when I start looking into this?

Do you have any other advice for what to expect. I realise it'll take him a few weeks to settle in so there might be some naughty behaviour at first. He's generally a very chilled out character but has been a little annoying when his summer turnout ended so I'm looking forward to seeing him happily back being a horse in a field. Sorry for the essay, leftover Christmas choccies to anyone making it this far.

well done for finding a yard with daily turnout! re shoes if he is not going to kick out at the other horses most yards if group turnout ask for back shoes to be removed. Do the horses in your new yard have their back shoes removed too? Is the field on clay or sand? Is your horse a good weight another consideration if lammi might be a concern. Otherwise increase turnout as you were thinking an hour a day-as he will be in shock I guess if he has been turned out in an arena prev!

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Most horses at the new yard have only front shoes or are barefoot. They haven't requested I remove the back shoes first. They did ask how he was when being introduced to a new herd, I explained he's generally the one most likely to be bullied.

He is carrying a little fat on his shoulders but his fitness has come on really well in the last few months and his condition is great. He doesn't have any rugs and isn't clipped (he's only 7) but is a native so I'm hoping a bit of winter turnout will help.

The new yard is on well draining sand, on a bit of a slope, and the grass looks amazing. He's not the sort to run around if there's grass to be eaten.

 

[alainax]

While on notice and quarantine I'd be increasing grass intake with just grass feed and grass blocks. Not completely comparable to the real thing but might make it less of a shock to the system.

Edit, since you have said he is a slightly chubby native I'd scrap the above, and muzzle for a wee while whilst at the new yard till he gets used to the grass again.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

While on notice and quarantine I'd be increasing grass intake with just grass feed and grass blocks. Not completely comparable to the real thing but might make it less of a shock to the system.

Edit, since you have said he is a slightly chubby native I'd scrap the above, and muzzle for a wee while whilst at the new yard till he gets used to the grass again.

I have been letting him have 10mins grazing on our hacks for the last week or so. I will see if I can find a muzzle in his size (the measurement for his noseband is 35"); it's going to be easier than retrieving nearly a tonne of horse from a field with fresh grass and friends.