New Horse - Question for grooms/helpers, general stable slaves!!

Fools Motto

Fools Motto

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So, when you turn up at work and there is a new horse, what do you do?
You know nothing about 'it', not even a name. You have to look underneath to find if 'its' a mare or gelding (or other!). You don't know any feed regimes for (for the sake of this 'her'). You have to find a rug of your choice to fit her, and work out who she should, (if any) go out in the field with too.

And before anyone questions this, I had a new mare at work today, and apart from a note saying 'the chestnut', I fiddled through!

PS, is this normal?
 
I treat them with moderate caution from a few bad experiences. ;)

I don't put them out anywhere until I'm 100% certain and been told. Not worth it if turns out to be a chronic kicker with a 'sole turnout only' warning label with it.

I'll see to them as normal, mucking out etc and a 'plain' feed made for them unless no 'new' feed appeared anywhere. Sort a rug to fit them, unless again 'new' ones have appeared. And leave with plenty of hay.

Ring up boss or owner, whichever fits scenario best, and then await instruction with it to whether to just put it into the 'normal' routine I'd have with the normal work ones, or if not, find out anything 'special needs' about him/her.


ETA - quite a 'regular' thing for me.
 
Shouldn't be, sounds like pretty poor proceedures.

Surely there should be records somewhere for all the horses and set proceedures for new ones.

Seems a nightmare with so much potential for disaster. What about quarantine proceedures? What about personal safty if no one has any way of knowing whether it has any "quirks"? What about the horse's safety if there is no information regarding feed/health/turnout etc?

I don't know what your set up is but surely a "new horse form" would overcome a lot of these problems.
 
This happened too me once, I had a day off and as i drove past the field on my way back thought ummm that horse has shrunk and ohhh theres a black one as well. After going to investigate discovered there were 2 new horses and a pony.
Rang my boss to find out who they were and why they were there.... apparently her friend need someone to look after her horses for a couple of weeks so she just told her to fetch them round. There was a long list of their many many requirements pinned in the feed room.

Wouldn't have minded so much except that they were all rude and bolshy and discovered the hard way it was far safer to catch the pony over the stable door and then enter haha
 
Happened a few times, but before the horses were all living out, nice summer sunny weather and everyone was 'chilled'. I also had more instructions with them too!!
Today didn't help with the local hunt riding past... lesson 1, gets excited by hunt!! (lesson 2, gets possessive of food, and lesson 3, dislikes getting feet wet in puddle on route to field!!)

It is far from correct, and nope, no quarantine, no worming, which I would have hoped would be left for me to give her, and to keep her stabled for 24 hrs.. All I had was a note saying 'put the chestnut out in X paddock with or without B - your choice!' :eek:
 
Happened quite often when i was a hunt groom! Newbies went out alone in paddock to start with but otherwise straight into same routine as others as could be hunting in a few days. Dealers horses I would generally lead off another horse to start with, ex pointers just get straight on. Horses generally pretty sharp the first day or 2 ridden out from hunt kennels. Had to assess fitness and suitable tack for hunting.
 
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