Welcoming your new horse!

[Hug]

Hi all any clever tips when welcoming your new horse!!!
Intention is to keep him stabled during the night and turned out during the evening...
For horse that was used to being stabled 24h per day, best to introduce him to the turnout gradually right?

Also advice when in comes to gradually introducing him to his new feed..

And lastly, how to best ask for his respect initially while at the same time gaining his trust...

Many thanks

 

[Birker2020]

Hi all any clever tips when welcoming your new horse!!!
Intention is to keep him stabled during the night and turned out during the evening...
For horse that was used to being stabled 24h per day, best to introduce him to the turnout gradually right?

Also advice when in comes to gradually introducing him to his new feed..

And lastly, how to best ask for his respect initially while at the same time gaining his trust...

Many thanks

Be careful if he is a WB and imported as I've known a few now that have gone down with colic after been introduced to a new yard and turned out, especially during the spring/summer with the flush of grass. Again with his feed, find what he's been on and buy the same, then when you have about ten days worth of feed left buy your own chosen feed and then gradually wean him onto it whilst still feeding the same old feed. Same goes with hay onto haylage, or haylage onto hay too.

If he's been stabled a lot in the past I would steer clear of concentrates anyway, just in case he has gastric ulcers as this type of feed can cause problems. I don't expect you will be doing a huge amount with him when you first have him so he will only need a maintenance diet to start with.

As for trust you need to be fair but consistent also. Consistency is the biggest thing to be aware of and where you will win the most brownie points. Spend time grooming him and just messing with him in the stable and do some ground work to build up the partnership. Try going on some long quiet hacks on your own if he is good, if not with a trusty companion - always take a phone and deck yourself out in fluorescent so you stand a chance of being seen on a dark winters day/bright sunny day.