New Yard - My first weekend

Flibble

Flibble

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Well I knew I would find the change difficult after all I had been at old yard 26 years.

Drifter has reverted to being a complete arse but each day I turn him out he is a little better. Yesterday I smacked him as I struggled up the muddy track to his paddock and it was just enough to tip him over the edge into a rear.

Luckily it was a small rear but he was at boiling point. I had lunged him first in the lungeing area which is quite small for a big horse but as he is somewhat excitable I cannot see the point in sitting on him.

This morning he was just like tigger. It is difficult getting the balance between control and stifling the inner horse!!

He did not appear to have much poo in his stable but then I think he wades around in the shavings stirring it up. If I knew I was going to worry about it I would have poo counted the week before we moved.

I seem to remember a friends horse who left the yard struggled for the first 2 weeks.

He is trashing his paddock as it is very wet at the moment but as far as I can see he is better off doing that and when he settles a bit more I can think about dividing it. He did not go ballistic this morning which is a relief.

God knows when I will feel brave enough to sit on him my nerves are currently on a knife edge. I am not really sure if he is out burning up nervous energy how often he needs exercise of the lungeing riding kind. I am torn between settling in time and the thought that if I don’t get on board I might never do it.

My Common sense knew it would be difficult but a big bit of me was hoping it would be a lot easier.
 
I moved this weekend too, we went back to a yard we had been at before and my horse has settled in well, but I still feel like new girl at school, I am sure as you say after a couple of weeks we will all have settled and feel at home :)
 
Toby was a nightmare for the first week or so at his new yard. It wasn't until he made a couple of new friends that he settled down and started to relax a bit.

I just spent a lot of time working with him in hand, so he got used to a new routine lunging, walking out in hand etc.
 
When I got my lad many years ago it took him several months to truly settle when I moved him. Try to be calm and relaxed around him though as he will pick up on you being anxious and this will make him worse too..
 
No point in admitting that my stress level over the whole thing is so high that I had a Dizzy turn yesterday then ??

Problem is he wasnt very settled week before we moved but then perhaps he picked up on my anxiety.

He's not had turnout since Nov 9th so I have been pondering wether to just chuck him out every day and leave him alone and then just bring him in and make a fuss at teatime?

His paddock is just over an acre.
 
Flibble said:
No point in admitting that my stress level over the whole thing is so high that I had a Dizzy turn yesterday then ??

Problem is he wasnt very settled week before we moved but then perhaps he picked up on my anxiety.

He's not had turnout since Nov 9th so I have been pondering wether to just chuck him out every day and leave him alone and then just bring him in and make a fuss at teatime?

His paddock is just over an acre.
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Bless you, you sound like you are on the edge of bursting yourself! Take a deep breath and chill. If I was in your situation I would just do as you said - take the pressure off a bit and turn him out to chill out and then when you bring him back in make a fuss of him then.

Really hope things improve for you.

How's everything else at the yard?
 
I think I'd try to stick to his normal routine as much as possible, so that even if his surroundings have changed he still has the normal things happening at the normal times... my big fella gets very upset by changes in his routine (like being turned out 24/7 after the winter!) even though he's still at home! I agree that he will pick up on stress from you so .... a glass of wine or something?!?
 
Give it some time. :)
When lace first came to us she was unsettled in her stable, she would weave and generally wasn't 100% happy in her stable. Luckily to ride she was good and was well behaved in her paddock.
Now she loves her stable, she is very chilled out, infact most of the time she is snoozing over the stable door!
 
I can totally identify! I had had problems sitting on my horse earlier this year - she was in too much over the Big Freeze and went totally do-lally as a result. I managed to sit on her for a few short hacks but couldn't school... and then we moved yards.

Log story short, she was so awful at the new yard the first week that I very seriously wanted to sell her. She was horrible to lead, bargey, she ran out of her stable - it was horrible. And I could see no way I could possibly ride her.

What sorted me out was getting help. I did some other things - changed feed, got her checked by a physio, but I decided when I got back on, I'd have a lesson. I even had someone in attendance the first time I lunged!

I was TERRIFIED at the start of that first lesson - but the horse was fine! I think the feed change has also helped, but having someone right there in case of emergencies was a big help. In my case the person helping me is also my yard owner, which is great!

I changed feed from a high-fibre chop and high fibre nuts to just a feed balancer. Literally, 500g a day, meaning she gets all her other calories from turnout (all day) and haynets (two, to last her all night). She might get a bit keen on the new grass but as least she's not having any sugar or starches on top, and as a resuly, I have a rideable horse. The balancer is by Pure Feed.

For me, it wasn't a risk to change yards AND feed as I did it slowly (the feed side) and my horse is very non-colicky and straightforward. So it could be worth having a look at your feed? Also, do groundwork with your horse. I had to do Kelly Marks exercises with mine to get her listening, she just wanted to tune me out totally and go mad in her new surroundings!

I'd give her a full month to settle, but I would get some guidance and lessons with a pro in the meantime. You'll be fine in no time!
 
Oh dear I really do feel for you mostly because I've had a very similar experience. If it makes you feel any better mine is only just settling after almost 6 months. Just when I thought I couldn't stand it anymore someone said to put him into a fixed routine and since then he seems to have settled. We still have issues but its no where near as bad. Good luck hope you get yours sorted soon x
 
Hiya !

Please don't worry, I guess it must be like a teenager changing schools mid term ! Everything is new, scary, exciting, but it'll gradually become the norm for you both, just take your time. Definitely stop working him, till he starts to chill - is it worth trying some calmer for the next month, as he will be confused by it all - and for you, I suggest a glass of wine on a regular basis !!

Don't worry, it will all settle down. sm xx
 
Thank you all very much.
I went down this afternoon while it was very quiet brought him in and he was a poppet. Lunged him very quietly for about 10 minutes and then groomed him loads.

Interestingly when the yard got very busy a 5.30 he started stressing so I left him to it he can get used to that without bumping in to me. I stayed until then so I could see how the yard worked and what effect it had on him.

I get the point of the routine bit I realise with the stress of the move I have stopped being me a bit

He is in the corner of a block of indoor stabling and initially whickered as each horse came in but then a beagle started baying and 4 horses came in and it was just too much so I left quickly.

This morning I worried a lot because he didnt seem to have much poo but to make up for it he dumped 3 times when he came in!!
 
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