Settling in new horse - advice please

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hanna1983

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So, my lovely boy finally arrived this morning just after 2am. He had a horrible journey across the channel, apparently the sea was very wild. Someone from the stable was there to help and let us onto the yard. They had prepared a temporary box for him, right in the middle of the stables, you know, one of those with metal bars all around the top on all 4 sides... He immediately had some hay. We went home to get some sleep and I came back at 9am to see how he was feeling. The yard was very busy with all the boxes being mucked out and tractors reversing and beeping. He was walking around in his box and was so nervous and restless. They wanted to muck him out, even though he had only arrived a few hours before. He hadnt done any poop or peepee either. They tied him up outside and I thought I should groom him a little and spend time with him. But he wouldnt stand still and didnt calm down. I think all the buzzing about on the yard didnt help. So they put him back in his box and told me to come back tonight when the yard is quieter.

I am very upset. He is my first horse and he doesnt know me well yet, I also felt so useless and didnt know how to help him. I love him so much and dont want him to be so scared and unhappy.

I have insisted that they put him into a proper box, with walls on 3 sides and away from the main entrance to give him some peace and quiet time with the other horses. They agreed to to that today.

How did you settle your new horses into their new home? What can I do to stop him being so scared? How can I bond with him if I cant cuddle him or groom him? :-(

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks everyone.
 
Moving him into a quieter box asap will help no end, but I would also turn him out asap too. Somewhere quiet, but where he has company next to him even if it's only for an hour.

Just spend time grooming him, talking soothingly to him, but don't crowd him and just let him find his feet, he's had a very stressful 24hrs.

And don't worry, he'll be fine! Good Luck
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Don't worry about bonding just yet, that will come as you spend more time with him and you get to know each other - hopefully you will have a long time together so no need to rush! Don't expect instant results.

If he is on a busy yard then there are plenty of people there to keep an eye on him and most horses I have known seem to be reassured by the presence of other horses who are just calmly going about their daily routine. Horses are very much creatures of routine and once he learns how the yard works (ie, when breakfast comes, when he goes out, when you go to see him etc) he will settle down. If he has come from abroad he has done a fair bit of travelling and is probably still a little confused by things.

Try and stay calm when you are with him and not get agitated or upset by his behaviour as he will pick up on it and may get more nervous. Hopefully the yard will have a nice peaceable horse they can turn him out with so that he makes a friend and eventually he will learn where his 'place' is in the yard.

Above all remember he is a horse, not a puppy or a kitten or a person and treat him like a horse.

Good luck! You have my sympathy as I brought my new lad home on Sunday and he is having to adapt to a new routine too.
 
turn him out for a few days (with a kind companion), and then start to bring him in once a day, at a set time, for a token handful of nice food, and a groom. don't crowd him. little things, like you being the person to walk away from him, instead of waiting for him to leave you in the field, will make him feel less threatened.

good luck! it'll take time for him to settle, he doesn't understand where he is, who you are, or what he's doing. soon he will, and you can start LOVING horse ownership!
 
Definately move him to a quiet box, and it probably would have helped to take him for a walk in hand to let him get away from the stressful environment...or let him graze in hand while they mucked out
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you need to stay nice and calm with him but letting him have some freedom with turnout will help as he wont be so confined which will make him upset!

hope he settles soon
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As others have said try to get him into a nice quiet corner of the yard but where he still can see other horses. Instead of trying to 'do' things with him maybe just go and sit quietly with him in his stable. Maybe grazing in hand if he is calm enough and turn him out with a quiet friendly horse once you can who can show him the ropes and tell him life is alright here! Hope he settles ok and remember if he has come from abroad then you are speaking a completely different language!
 
Oh I do feel for you as I've just been going through a similar thing with a youngster I've moved from a very small, quiet yard to a big busy one. I put him in a box out the way and he hated it because he could hear things, but couldn't see properly. We moved to a more central location, but he doesn't like it when its very hectic so we try and avoid peak hours. its just been impossible to do anything with him at these times.

I have found though that he has started to relax more as the weeks have gone by (we're a month and a half in now) and I've been introducing him to the hectic hours but not asking too much of him during them - just tying him up and chatting to people and grooming. Its getting much better - so have heart - hang on in there.

Also - I don't know what your turn out situation is. I've just convinced someone to let me turn mine out with their horse - everyone here turns out in individual fields! - I'd rather keep horses in groups and have found in the past, especially with highly strung horses, that they gain a lot of confidence from having even a few hours spent in contact with other horses and settle a lot quicker.

Good luck, just take your time, you've got years with him.
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He should quieten down, he'll be knackered after all the travelling - expect him to go through a quiet stage, and then a find his feet stage (where he may be a little naughty).
I'd also be wary of turning him out, he might not have been out since he was backed if he's come from a producer, and if he has been, he'll probably be ready to come in after an hour (every foreign horse we've had is like that, in fact my mums new horse is in livery as he has never settled to the idea of being out all day at home - plus she wanted help, so they turn him out twice a day) - just make sure your chap is booted up and has overreach boots on for the first time.
He'll settle, just takes time.
Also go armed with backs of carrots everytime you see him so he associates you with being nice, and yes get grooming him, rub his neck and find his tickle spots.
 
I notice you kept saying "they" did this and "they" did that with him (ie. they moved him, they tied him up etc.) - why aren't you doing all these things? I think you should be the only one to do things with him (if possible) so you can start forming a relationship with him straight away - it'll upset him more if different people keep messing with him.

Definately move him to a quiet stable, ideally next door to a horse who he'll be turned out with so he can begin forming a bond as soon as possible.

Otherwise, just spend lots of time with him and make sure he's got plenty of hay / toys etc. to keep him amused.
 
Thank you everyone for your advise. I have certainly taken alot of it in.

Magic_Magpie, I am on full livery, this is why the stable staff are turning him out and bring him in and feed him and muck him out every day. I am aware that it would be much better if I would do all these things with him. But if I wouldnt work, then I couldnt afford him and he would still be left to vegetate in a box all day like he has been for the past year before I bought him of his previous owner.

However I am very happy to say that it is now obvious that he has bonded with me already. Even if only a little. When he is in the field he immediately comes over to me for cuddles when I arrive. He follows me around whenever I am near him and everyone has commented on how "he knows his mummy". If I could, I would spend 24 hours a day with him, but someone has to work to pay for everything he needs. :-)
 
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