Settling in New Horse - Advice Pleeeaaasssee!

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Loubiepoo

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Yeah! New Horsey passed vetting this morning, so I'm off to collect him early on Saturday morning, but I'd really like some advice as to whether to keep him in for the rest of saturday or put him out in the field with the other gelding he is going to be out with? (There will just be the two of them in the field together and they will be stabled next to each other).
Also should I leave it a bit before riding him, or shall i just go for it the next day?
I just can't remember what i did with my previous horse, I was probably too excited to even think about what I should or shouldn't have been doing!
 
It would depend on what he is used to, eg if he is used to living out he may not take to being in, etc, etc. I woulfd try to keep as closely as poss to his old routine.

If hhe has been licving out, or out during the day I think I would be inclined to put him out (unless he needs to be wormed), but I would separate from the other gelding for the first few days with electric fence.
 
Normally when I buy a new horse, They are stabled and wormed (depending obviously on how they where kept before ie stabling , turned out ), kept seperate from other horses , then a few days time they can be introduced over the fence to other horses and depending on how they react will depend on who they will share their field with .
 
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I would advise slowly slowly. Leave him in and worm him, let him get used you and your ways, you will get to know him quicker. I'd let your other horse come and let them get to know each other out of harms way in their stables and then turn out in a few days. I wouldn't ride for a couple of days myself. But I can be a soft touch. I usually let my horses settle in for at least a week before I do any riding with them. But I always work with horses from the ground up.

Congratulations on your new purchase and I hop you'll have lots of fun together.

Any pics yet?
 
When I've had new ones, I try to collect them late afternoon so they can go straight into their stable next to their future field mate. Then I'll just worm them and leave them for the night.

Next morning I would put them out in a field on their own next to the horse I want to put it in with eventually. They'd probably stay in their own field for a few days at least before I put them in with another.

And I would only put them in with another very quiet companiable horse that I know gets on with others.

As for riding, I'd just get straight on with it. I'd probably take them out for a nice, quiet hack with a friend (not alone!) or a bit of light schooling. I'd be desperate to crack on with it, don't see the point in waiting.

It's so exciting isn't it! Getting a new horse is the most exciting thing ever!
 
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He was wormed a fortnight ago - if I worm him again will I be overdosing him?

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Can you trust the previous owner? May be worth doing a worm count (£10) to be on the safe side??

If you use the new wormers like Equest and Equest Pramox then you only need to worm 4 time a year.
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Ive just bought a new horse and she arrived at night so had to go in the stable, all the horses on the yard were wormed the next day anyway, so that wasnt an issue. She was turned out the next morning (in the light) with her new field mates. If she had arrived in the daytime I would have put her straight out. There is always going to be some bickering and messing about when a new horse goes out with the 'herd' no matter how you do it, they soon settle and in my view its better for a naturally claustrophobic animal to be out in the field than shut in a small stable on its own when all the others are out, what a recipe for a distressed horse that is! As for riding, that depends on many things, what the horse is used to doing, what your roads/hacking is like and whether the horse is particularly stressy or fairly chilled out, I would play that one by ear. Loads of grooming and bonding and dont put up with any bad behaviour, they like to know their boundaries! Hope that helps.
 
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Normally when I buy a new horse, They are stabled and wormed (depending obviously on how they where kept before ie stabling , turned out ), kept seperate from other horses , then a few days time they can be introduced over the fence to other horses and depending on how they react will depend on who they will share their field with .

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I'd do the same
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