Settling in a new horse

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Kittykins

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So, we're off to get the new mare on Saturday.

I've been thinking about what to do with her when she arrives; as this is our first one so I have no precident to go on. Obviously I'm going to play it slightly by ear depending on what sort of mood she's in, how quickly she settles and so on, but I was wondering: how quickly would you expect to get on and ride, and would you do that in or out? We have at our disposal an indoor school, (an outdoor jumping school - a no no as I don't really jump YET), a lunging pen, some fields used for cross country (and fishing!), and offroad hacking.

I was thinking:
- Saturday she'll have travelled from Leicester to near Brighton, so will just be going straight into the stable for a bit of a rest.
- Sunday, use the lunging pen to do a bit of join up, play with her a bit (grooming, that sort of thing). Turn her out overnight to get her into the routine (she's in 24 hours at the mo!).
- Monday, short hack out, possibly with my mum walking alongside to give us both a bit of moral support.

On Thursday we have an hours lesson. I've not ridden properly for a few years now - just hacks across the downs on hired horses for the last couple of years so I'm very unfit and have probably forgotten how to school. As a result, I'm a bit loathe to take her in the school until I have someone giving us pointers. However, she can be quite nervous, and the yard she's on at the moment said she wasn't too keen on hacking out (alone) without quite a lot of encouragement.

This is making me sound very nervous of riding her. I'm not, I just don't want to upset her by giving her too much to think about all at once.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks!
 
sounds like a good plan to me. is there anyone who can ride out with you if your mum can't walk with you?

I wouldn't worry too much about when you first ride her, just play it by ear. I rode Ron the same day he arrived, but he'd only travelled 20 minutes!
 
Congratulations on getting your new horse! You sound as if you have really thought out what you are going to do with her so that's a good start. I do think you have to play it by ear according to your horse. Some horses are calm and relaxed enough to be ridden and back in a routine soon after moving. Others, depending on their lifestyle before, will take more time to adjust. Don't feel under pressure to get on board, get to know her on the ground and in turn she can get to know you and the routine of your yard. Enjoy!!
 
How exciting!
IME the most important thing for the horse in a new home is equine company. This doesn't mean putting them in with a new herd immediately but that they should have other horses within sight/touching distance, which reassures them. I certainly wouldn't put her in a stable on her own when she arrives.
Get her into your routine from day 1 and don't feel pressured into riding her before you, and she, are ready. Having an instructor there for the first ride sounds like a good idea.
Good luck!
 
Thanks everyone.

She's going to be kept at a fairly large livery yard where everyone seems very nice and friendly, which was important to me as I want to be able to ask questions / for advice. Thus, her stable is in a block of eight in a sort of American barn style set up, so there will be other horses around who she can talk to. I've also asked for her to have a grazing companion, as she's been jumping out of her field to get in with her friend at her current yard (hence 24 hour stabling). It also means that there should be people to hack out with until we get to know the area.

As you say, I'll take my cue from her. Very exciting! :)
 
Sounds good to me, but i would put her out for an hour or two when you first get her back otehr wise she will have been stood all that time travelling, then go straight into a stable to stand again :) Id put her in the feild for an hour so she can move around a bit :) Otherwise sounds good :) have fun x
 
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