You get your new horse home......

Popped in a stable and left to chill while I celebrated with wine, pizza and fellow liveries whilst admiring new ponies :D Following day (weekend) he had a bath and a tidy up and lunge, then cracked on as much as poss :)
 
Couldn't ride for the first couple of weeks as he had no saddle so chucked him out in the quarantine paddock, watched him explore and then left him to it. Turns out that was the right thing to do because at that stage, he was much more comfortable in the paddock than stable, although he has since learned to love his bed.
 
My current horse got thrown in at the deep end I'm afraid!!

I bought him from a hunt kennels - he had been cubbing in the morning, and I tried him later that day. Bought him on the spot and travelled him home that night (got home about midnight!).

Stabled him that night and then 9am the next morning took him straight from the stable, back onto the lorry and off on a hunt fun ride. He then had a 'normal' day ie turnout and a short hack, then took him hunting the following day.

We haven't looked back - and he was only a 5yr old!
 
Tacked him up and rode him, previous owners brought him to ours so we could see what he was like away from his home. Daughter rode him for about half an hour, had a fab time. As the builders where around he had to walk past skips, scaffolding and cement mixers. Didn't put a hoof wrong. Vet came, he passed a 5 stage. Couldn't give them the money fast enough. 5 YO Irish draught. He's a saint of a horse
 
Depends. Last horse was stuck on the M25 behind an accident and a 3 hour journey turned into a 6 hour one. He came off nervous and stressed so was left in his stable alone with water and hay for an hour and then fully booted up and turned out under supervision to stretch his legs. Came back that evening and walked him out in hand around the yard. Next day, hopped on and hacked around the yard (training centre ) with the calmest horse we had. Took him about 3 weeks to relax and he is still quite a nervy horse, though exceptionally kind. When we moved yards a couple of months ago, he settled in immediately as he had me!
 
With a previous mare, got her home Saturday afternoon, took her to a show the next morning! Wanted to know exactly where I stood with her. She was one in a million..... I miss her. :(

Current horsey is also marvellous though! Perfectly behaved at shows, no messing in the lorry.....wonderful. :)
 
stormox said:
Just wondering....... after many months searching, vettings, fruitless trips...you finally find 'the one' and bring him/her home, you are really excited....What is the first thing you do? Try him out? Examine him for faults you might have missed? Ring your friends to come and see him? What DID you do?
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I got my mare 6 months ago and the first thing I did was turn her out and gave her a week off to settle in and get used to her surroundings.
 
She came off the trailer, walked her round the yard a bit, took some photos and turned her out. Then unpacked and cleaned the trailer. Think i stood around watching her for about an hour, went inside and left her to settle but i could still watch her outside the window. Mostly it was disbelief she was finally here, after many long years of wanting and waiting, there was a horse that was all mine.
 
Both of mine were just chucked in the field. One was separated from the mare for a night because she's bitchy. But the mare was put straight in with her old friend.
 
Thought "what the **** have I bought?" as I watched him do canter pirouettes around his stable screaming his head off!

the pirouettes stopped but the yelling didn't for three months - the first time I rode him, I had to get my sister to lead him as I was so freaked at the constant neighing, she thought it was hilarious and kept letting go of him to wind me up even more.

He did eventually settle.

When we moved yards a year later, I was so worried he would behave this way again - he came straight down the ramp, into his box and tucked into his hay - absolutely no problem at all. The YO said "Well, he's settled because he has his mummy with him, you weren't his mummy when you first got him, so he had no one to trust".

He ended up being the most perfect horse - I miss him so much.
 
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Mine was tacked up at the trailer as though he'd gone out to a competition, then taken for a good hack before going out in the field, but I had had him on part-loan before I bought him, so I knew him pretty well already, and he had already visited our farm to hack out before. He still went potty when he realised he wasn't going back...
 
I like to turn new horses out if possible, as soon as they arrive. I think that is the least stressful option for them, they can have a look around the area and see their new neighbours, while doing what comes most naturally to them - eating grass! They go in with a companion as soon as the screaming at each other over the wall/fence stops.
 
Stuck him in the field and left him to check out his new surroundings. I didn't want to be handling him too much for the first day as he was more likely to be spooky/excitable (as any horse would be in a new place) so letting him settle first seemed the safest and most fair way.
I feel like some people can expect too much of a horse when they first arrive and end up seeing unexpected behaviour, which is then misinterpreted as the horse being missold. A few days of proper settling is necessary before you see the horse's true nature, in most cases.
 
I had to herd him out of the kitchen! Dam and my boy arrived and he was travelled loose - as soon as he was off the box he went 'exploring'.
 
Last 1 arrived at 11.30pm & this was earlier than she was due!!

I had everything ready so checked her over, stabled her, give her a big hug & blackmailed with some carrots!!

Think it worked :D
 
Last one drove up M5 , got stuck in traffic, blues and twos ...expected fireworks.. None! Rugged and out out with 22 year old uncle ! She's now 5 a highland and an angel!
 
Last one- Put him in the stable while I sorted out the stuff he came with, then turned him out until evening.
One before arrived at 3am (from abroad) so he just went into the stable till the morning!
 
With all of mine I put them in their stable and let them settle for a bit while people came for a look-see.

I've always been lucky with mine in that they all settled in really quickly so I started riding the following day, except my first who was an unbroken two/rising three year old when I bought her.

Of course, usually the next thing I'd do would be to go out and spend loads of money on shiny new stuff for my shiny new horse LOL.
 
I had a heart attack waiting for her to arrive, a further heart attack when she did, looking like a terrified muddy sweaty thing- turned her out and nearly passed out watching her gallop flat out around the field. . Suffice to say I didn't get on for about a week, love her to bits now but was very much OMG what have I DONE!
 
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