Yard move - don't know who is more stressed - any tips?

arwenplusone

arwenplusone

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Moved yards last Sat and this week has been so stressful.

I have moved two mares and a foal and my mate moved her gelding with us. Gelding has fallen in love with one of my mares and they are both v clingy to each other and get upset when they are apart. Gelding is on full livery - mine are on diy so they come in/go out at different times. We don't want them attached as it makes things v hard at shows.

So far, I have 'lost' (forced to let go of) Mare and foal twice, and my other mare reared at me so I lost her too. (will be using a chifney this week) THis mare has also run her teeth across new stables and is chewing the door (she's never done this before - It is now covered in cribox!)

Tonight was really wild and windy but the foal got lose and managed to cause mayhem.

So horses are stressed and I am very stressed - feeling a bit like new YO must think we are totally incompetent.

I know this move is the right thing to do but right now it is horrible!
I'm hoping time and routine will help things get better but if anyone has any tips or experiences that might help - please divulge!
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Time.

They'll settle down eventually.

For some horses a move is like water off a ducks back, for others it takes a little longer.

Personally, I would keep a strict routine for the time being until they have settled in.
 
They'll settle eventually I'd put the Chifney in the bin as you could end causing more problems than you solve. It all takes time and a week isn't enough. If your horse is problematical why don't you run the lead rope over the nose first? Another idea could be some of the potions from Crossgate Biogenics. I used their stuff for a while and it really did the trick...good luck
 
Time, grass and, most important of all, ROUTINE! Me and my friend moved yards in April last year and we were both total wrecks. Our horses went in together for a couple of weeks to settle in and they did get a bit clingy but that's to be expected. Our new YO has enormous experience and was hugely reassuring and underlined the need for routine to settle the boys. Sure enough, within about 3 weeks tops it was as if they had been there all their lives. The other liveries took me (little Miss Wimpo) out on a hack to show me around and tho my boy needed to keep checking his pal was still with us at the beginning, about halfway round the ride he confidently marched to the front (ex riding school horse so he thinks leading the ride is in his job description) and led everyone round, even tho he didn't have a clue where we were going! Stay calm, stay reassuring and give them a settled routine asap. Good luck!
 
When I moved B for the first time she was v stressed so I kept her occupied with stable toys and hard work. She was previously very easy going and relaxed so nutso behaviour was a total shock. She did settle down after a few days tho - about the same time that I relaxed oddly
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It's all about routine as eveybody has already said. They will settle as long as everything is predictable every day.

I've just moved my boy back to his competition yard after his hols (yesterday), and I'm leading him around in his bridle at the moment because it's all a bit woohoo. But this evening he was a perfect gent being caught and coming in with the rest of the boys - and I'm sure that the routine will mean his overall behaviour with everything will be just fine by the end of the week.
 
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