Spanish Boy arriving next week - EEKK!

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Pi Cob

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Hi all!
I have a lovely Spanish boy arriving from Spain in a week or so.
I have had a Spanish before, but never a freshly imported one.
Just after a bit of advice really, and I know it is mostly common horse sense, but it is nice to see what others have done etc.

How do people manage the turnout situation. As far as I know he has only ever been turned out in a small paddock. Obviously, I am keen to get him turned out in a field at some point. We don't have particularly good grazing at our yard, which will be ideal for him and our paddocks are smallish, probably and acre or so each.
I am going to turn him out in the school with hay to start with, just for an hour or so and then start him in the paddocks. How has others Spanish coped with this, I am thinking maybe an hour or so at 1st and then slowly build it up over a few weeks?
How have others coped with actually grazing, years ago I looked after horses that came from Holland and they had no idea what grass was, let alone how to eat it!! Am i best letting him hand graze for a bit?
He was gelded 3 months ago and hasn't been used for breeding, have people managed to eventually turn their Spanish gelded horses out with other geldings? What sort of timeframe after gelding do you think is acceptable to try this?
Also, how do you cope with the language barrier, do they respond more to the tone of the voice or do I need to learn basic spanish words, like walk on, stand up? Am i over thinking this!!
Sorry for all the questions, I am a bit excited and my brain has turned to mush!!
Thanks in advance 😁
 
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It's so exciting, I've had a few over from Spain and waiting for that lorry to arrive is agony! Which part of Spain is he coming from?

On your questions:
- Mine have all been fine turned out, none have gone particularly mad except one who was still a stallion. I was always more concerned about the grass than the excitement of being in a field!
- The first one I brought over, Pocholo, was rising 5 and gelded a couple of weeks before coming over so he went out in a small paddock, building up from an hour a day, but it was introducing friends that really threw him. We put a couple of quieter geldings in the paddock with him and he didn't know what to do - he tried to follow me out! I hid behind a tree 🤣, he went off to play with them and pretty much hasn't stopped playing since (he's now 21 and herd boss...he's been out with herds from 2 to 15 in that time with no issues). My second had been gelded a few years earlier so went straight out with a gelding herd with no issues. I have friends in Spain who have had older stallions gelded and they've been able to go out with geldings
- Definitely overthinking the Spanish language thing 🤣. Spanish trainers tend to use clicks and whistles instead of words anyway! And 'tonto' or 'cabrón' for a horse that isn't standing still, which is a bit rude 😝

Good luck with it all! As you say it's mostly common horse sense. I would make sure you get farrier, vet, dentist and chiropractor/ physio out quickly as they don't tend to keep up to date with those things in many parts of Spain.

ETA - I have found that my PREs have preferred to get on with a 'job' soon after arriving rather than spending too much time adjusting to routine. I think work is familiar to them and helps settle them (as long as they're not sore from the journey etc of course - keep it easy and gentle!).
 
I worked on a yard in Northern Spain and we often got horses from further south on their holidays. Most were fine, one loved being out so much he refused to be caught so he had to be in the small paddock to start.

I can't whistle to save my life, but I do still enjoy a good 'tranquilo' as it rolls off the tongue like a good woahh.
 
j1ffy said:
It's so exciting, I've had a few over from Spain and waiting for that lorry to arrive is agony! Which part of Spain is he coming from?

On your questions:
- Mine have all been fine turned out, none have gone particularly mad except one who was still a stallion. I was always more concerned about the grass than the excitement of being in a field!
- The first one I brought over, Pocholo, was rising 5 and gelded a couple of weeks before coming over so he went out in a small paddock, building up from an hour a day, but it was introducing friends that really threw him. We put a couple of quieter geldings in the paddock with him and he didn't know what to do - he tried to follow me out! I hid behind a tree 🤣, he went off to play with them and pretty much hasn't stopped playing since (he's now 21 and herd boss...he's been out with herds from 2 to 15 in that time with no issues). My second had been gelded a few years earlier so went straight out with a gelding herd with no issues. I have friends in Spain who have had older stallions gelded and they've been able to go out with geldings
- Definitely overthinking the Spanish language thing 🤣. Spanish trainers tend to use clicks and whistles instead of words anyway! And 'tonto' or 'cabrón' for a horse that isn't standing still, which is a bit rude 😝

Good luck with it all! As you say it's mostly common horse sense. I would make sure you get farrier, vet, dentist and chiropractor/ physio out quickly as they don't tend to keep up to date with those things in many parts of Spain.

ETA - I have found that my PREs have preferred to get on with a 'job' soon after arriving rather than spending too much time adjusting to routine. I think work is familiar to them and helps settle them (as long as they're not sore from the journey etc of course - keep it easy and gentle!).
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Thank you, great advice 😁
He was shod yesterday and wormed about 2 months ago, but will need to start his vaccs as soon as he arrives.
The lady I bought from said to give him a day of rest and then crack on with work, as you said, unless he struggled with the journey, the knee jerk reaction is to give them some time off, but that sounds like a no no!!
So my plan on turn out is a sound one, just need to be brave and try him with another horse once he is settled...
That's good to know ref the language barrier :p
Be prepared for many more silly questions, as my 40 years of horse sense seems to have turned to mush!!
 
j1ffy said:
It's so exciting, I've had a few over from Spain and waiting for that lorry to arrive is agony! Which part of Spain is he coming from?

On your questions:
- Mine have all been fine turned out, none have gone particularly mad except one who was still a stallion. I was always more concerned about the grass than the excitement of being in a field!
- The first one I brought over, Pocholo, was rising 5 and gelded a couple of weeks before coming over so he went out in a small paddock, building up from an hour a day, but it was introducing friends that really threw him. We put a couple of quieter geldings in the paddock with him and he didn't know what to do - he tried to follow me out! I hid behind a tree 🤣, he went off to play with them and pretty much hasn't stopped playing since (he's now 21 and herd boss...he's been out with herds from 2 to 15 in that time with no issues). My second had been gelded a few years earlier so went straight out with a gelding herd with no issues. I have friends in Spain who have had older stallions gelded and they've been able to go out with geldings
- Definitely overthinking the Spanish language thing 🤣. Spanish trainers tend to use clicks and whistles instead of words anyway! And 'tonto' or 'cabrón' for a horse that isn't standing still, which is a bit rude 😝

Good luck with it all! As you say it's mostly common horse sense. I would make sure you get farrier, vet, dentist and chiropractor/ physio out quickly as they don't tend to keep up to date with those things in many parts of Spain.

ETA - I have found that my PREs have preferred to get on with a 'job' soon after arriving rather than spending too much time adjusting to routine. I think work is familiar to them and helps settle them (as long as they're not sore from the journey etc of course - keep it easy and gentle!).
Click to expand...
Sorry missed your 1st question, he is coming from Mijas, bloody long way in a lorry! I wish he would just hurry up and arrive, the wait in unbearable and my brain keeps conjuring up all of these awful situations, wrong horse sent, lame horse, ihes a donkey, he's only 14.2, still entire, 25 years old...blah blah blah!!
I am certain it will be fine, can't find any bad stuff about his seller, so fingers crossed!!
 
My imported one has respected the electric fence. The one who i had "by mistake"! (A whole other story) did not and ran through all of our fencing. So do ask what he has been used to. That was a total nightmare and something he did when he went to his proper home. I always give my imported ones a few days rest so they get used to me and the yard. Some have great sea legs, other not os and some have horrendously long journeys so welcome a bit of love and respite. Enjoy :)
 
My pre got very itchy in the summer so that might be something to keep an eye on. She was also an extremely good doer which I wasn't expecting but was manageable. Hope it all goes well xxx
 
My friend has imported two. Both took to working quickly and as has been said they do like a job. The true nature of them took a bit longer. One is quite shy around other horses and did get beaten up initially but he’s great now. The other was boss in the field from the start but she’s a mare! They respond well to ‘English’ I exaggerate putting my weight back a little to slow sometimes. Works very well. Little whistle always works to stop! They’re very special horses.
 
Dam1 said:
My pre got very itchy in the summer so that might be something to keep an eye on. She was also an extremely good doer which I wasn't expecting but was manageable. Hope it all goes well xxx
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Ah that's good to know. Did you always keep a fly rug on her? Did that help?
We already have an old mare with EMS, so I am the weight police, he won't have a chance to get chubby!!
Thank you :)
 
Pi Cob said:
Ah that's good to know. Did you always keep a fly rug on her? Did that help?
We already have an old mare with EMS, so I am the weight police, he won't have a chance to get chubby!!
Thank you :)
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She wasn't that bad. It was mainly her midline and top of tail (bizarrely she rubbed all of the hair off from just one ear overnight (twice) so I just used a lot of benzl benzoate and fly spray and didn't take her anywhere with the one ear thing as she looked like a neglect case lol. X
 
Dam1 said:
My pre got very itchy in the summer so that might be something to keep an eye on. She was also an extremely good doer which I wasn't expecting but was manageable. Hope it all goes well xxx
Click to expand...

My PRE gets itchy in the summer, and she's from Barrhead. She seems okay if she is never out of a fly rug.

Don't talk to me about bloody EMS. I was in agony today, sticking my hands into freezing cold buckets of water and manhandling sopping wet haynets. Oh, and the amount of riding I do to try to keep her trim. I spend more hours at the barn than I do at home.

And I'd still get another one.
 
A hay cube is a complete game changer!
Fill with hay, soak, drain water, wheel into stable, job done. Expensive but makes hay soaking SOOOOOO much easier 😁
 
Don’t do a Matt Harnacke (YouTuber) I.e take 3yo PRE stallion, who’d been with him for a day (?) to a paddock and watch as stallion charges through a (regular) fence. Oops 😕
 
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