New horses - what do you do...?

[Dovorian]

I picked up a new horse last Saturday afternoon - since then he's been out every day (on his own but next to others) and in at night, I've not ridden him just let him settle as he had been out 24/7 for a few years with only a pony for company, so big lifestyle change! Several friends have said that I should have been on him and out immediately - but that just isn;t what I've ever done so I'm now wondering if I am the mad one here? By the way I will ride him for a short while this afternoon.

 

[Madam_max]

Well, I will prob get shouted down for this, but I don't think horses need non-ridden days to settle in. After all, if you compete, you don't take them to the venue and let them settle in. Although I can see your point as it is a complete lifestyle change.

 

[Nic]

I like to give them a day or 2 to settle in then get them out hacking with a steady friend.

 

[Nic]

I think if it was a case of just changing yards then you have a point but when it is a total change of routinte & handler/rider then it is good to give them a couple of days to deal with that.

 

[riotgirl]

I let them settle in for a couple of days first, but then I am a bit soft! My friend reckons that they should get into their new routine as quickly as possible so she will ride them quick quickly.

 

[kick_On]

i personnel would ride a new horse asap. Cos if they do something plan dangerous it's easier to send back ie same day. I also put them into to the routine i want. Normally you get a honeymoon period with horse, so my thinking is get them into my routine and then wait for them to test you. Lots of grooming and general fussing around aswell, just so they get to know me. You do have to bear in mind out fit horse is when it arrives and work accordling
How exciting new gg, lots of shopping for new gg fab

 

[Tia]

Depending on what time of day my new ones arrive, I generally ride them as soon as possible. Gets them into a good routine from the one "go" and they understand what is required of them.

 

[H-J]

When I brought Fitz I rode him that afternoon (he arrived am) And then I rode him twice daily for two weeks leading up to my 1st event on him at Eridge! I dont ride him twice a day now it was just to get to know him a bit more before the event.

 

[Kelly1982]

I try to ride them asap to but not generally on the same day that i get them. The first day i would let them settle in for a bit then turn them out with the others. The next day would be the day that i would ride.

I do believe that you should start getting them into a routine as quick as possible as horses thrive on routine and i find it helps them settle in better.

 

[yoho2]

it would depend completely on how regularly the horse is used to being worked in his old home, and what sort of work you are planning for him. If he's eventing fit and used to heavy work every day leaving him may be a mistake but if you're looking at just normal hacking and schooling I would always give them a few days to settle. If you moved house you'd probably have a few days to settle in before you started a new job wouldn't you?!
Good Luck with him!

 

[Tia]

Not the best analogy really - a slightly better one might be; when people move house they don't just move in and sit on their asses and eat constantly for 2 or 3 days - there are things to be done and settling in is as much what needs doing and what will need doing, therefore getting into the swing of things sooner rather than later helps.

Your analogy would work if the horse moved home and then was immediately asked to compete at a competition venue which they have never been to.

Whatever, I don't think it really matters what people do with a new horse and at the end of the day who really cares, LOL!

 

[Vicki1986]

When i got a full loan i got on her the day after i moved in to new yard and hacked her out alone (which now thinking about it wasnt very sensible but i have a bit of a get-on-with-it attitude)
and when i bought my pony she had her first day to settle - mainly bcos i had so much to sort out not any other reason and i hacked her out on her own the next day

 

[MagicMelon]

I think horses need time to settle in to without the added stress of riding them as well. I always leave new horses 3 or 4 days just getting used to the other horses / routine etc. without working them. In these days I try to get to know them by spending time grooming them etc.

 

[druid]

I usually ride within 1/2 dya sof a newbie arriving (and I've had over 20 horses in the past 6 years be it in for schooling, on loan or our own!). Infact our most recent but one addition was ridden straigth off the trailer then turned out. Seems no different to me to ride them straight away than riding them on arrival at a hunt/competition is.

 

[pottamus]

I rode my boy the next morning. He arrived in the afternoon but needed to settle as he came off the trailer dripping in sweat (not used to travelling and had 4 hours from Wales to Derbyshire) and was a bit wild due to the new experiences. But I tacked him up the next day and got on with it even though he was a spooky idiot! He soon got into a routine because he was familiar with hacking out (it was all he had done) and so enjoyed it really quickly.

 

[Helena88]

mine had three or four days without being ridden but thats cos he couldnt due to having had his wolf teeth out... he was worked (lunged) from the first full day he was there (he didnt arrive until 6pm ish)

he came all the way from belgium though

 

[henryhorn]

We have found it's best to ride a new horse immediately and set the way you want things to be from then on. We tend to keep a new one in as much isolation as possible or with one other until we are sure it has no bugs or reacts to any existing ones here.
I would start by lunging then a hack with a quiet horse, asking for work on it's own in an arena is often the best way for trouble!

 

[WishfulThinker]

When I got my 1st horse many moons ago we brought her in and tied her up to give her a groom. She all of a sudden realised that she was no longer in Kansas, reared up, the baler twine didnt break and she took the peice of fence she was tied to out of the wall then her headcollar snapped and she scarpered! When we found her 10 mins later in one of the other barns she was a quivering wreck and then needed about 2 weeks to fully calm down - so now I have given every horse ive had since then about 3days to a week - I get them on the Sat ideally, sort them out then as I was busy with school or work they got the 1st week off basically and in that time everything else got sorted and so the 2nd week it was into a routine.

Beau got 3 weeks as we didnt have a saddle for him, adn he was soooo fat that we just loose schooled him and he was on an emergency diet(he was over 300kg overweight!)

 

[Dovorian]

Please don't mention shopping! Nothing I had seemed to fit, so the tack shops have benefitted enormously this week! He was a good chap to hack last night and every 'nasty' seemed to appear from barking dogs to trail bikes up his tail virtually!

 

[kick_On]

brilliant -

what a fab test

 

[PoppyPony]

IMO they should have about 2 weeks to settle.

 

[Sooty]

I raised exactly this point some time ago, and it seems to be a very contentious issue! I believe in letting a horse settle in to its new surroundings before attempting to do anything with it other than try and get to know it, but some people say if you buy a horse to do a job of work then you should start as you mean to carry on. A lot depends on the horse, but I really cannot see how it can do any harm to let a horse get used to its new home and new owner before riding it.