Tomorrow is the big day ! Any advice ?

[niagaraduval]

Hi all,

So, The companion horse is coming tomorrow. He is said to be very skinny and in need of food. I will not be there tomorrow (working..) but my parents will to welcome the new boy. The stable next to his has a 'window' going between the two stables for horses to sniff themselves or whatever they like to do.

My boy is very nice with other horses, he has always been at the bottom of the pecking order, so when a new horse comes he likes to take on the role of the Alpha horse. I'm not sure how the new gelding will react.

Any tips ? I won't be there until around 6pm, he is coming around 4pm. My loanee will also be there (she loans my current boy).

I was very excited to fill haynets and new water buckets and fill the stable full of straw Everything is ready (including the salt lick !) for the new horse. I think my ned knows now as he was watching me go back and forth with haynets and bales of straw (which weren't coming in his stable!). Hopefully he will be a very happy boy, and the new horse will have a lovely life with us Poor boy, to think he was going for meat..

 

[CatStew]

Ah, that's really lovely, it is quite exciting getting the stable and everything ready isn't it?

No advice really, but good luck with everything, hope it all goes to plan!!

 

[blueblonde123]

Good on you for taking a horse that's had a hard time.
As for advice, I would say that horses that are very underweight can get possesive about their feeds (in my experience) so if he can see the other horse while he's eating he might lunge at it or kick out - even if there is a wall in the way.
This is the only thing that no-one mentioned to me the first time I worked with a VERY skinny horse, everything else was spoken about.

 

[niagaraduval]

will have to be careful about feeding then, don't want to get caught in the middle of a fight LOL

Thanks for the good vibes

I am just doubting myself now if I can handle a 2nd horse (although have had ned for 6 years and bought him as a 4y/o ex racer.. Eek !)

I just hope everything goes smoothly, although I doubt I'll be getting much work done at work tomorrow