Tips to Help Your New Horse Settle In

Bringing home a new horse can be a traumatic experience for everyone involved. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Introducing your newcomer to the home crowd can be an easy process. With a little preparation beforehand, your new prospect can make a seamless transition into life on your farm.

One of the first considerations to think about is how to get your horse home. Should you haul him in a horse trailer yourself or hire a commercial shipper? That all depends on how far he currently lives from his soon-to-be new home and whether you feel comfortable trucking him yourself. The shipping process can be nerve-wracking for your horse. If you think you’ll be a bundle of nerves trucking him yourself, maybe you’d be better off hiring a pro.

If existing residents will welcome your new horse, be sure that they’re all up-to-date on vaccinations and receive regular de-worming. Moving into new digs can be stressful, which can weaken the newbie’s immune system. Therefore, it’s important that nothing infectious is harboring in the new home. For this same reason, you should also be sure that your new horse is current on shots and Coggins, too.

You’ll also want to have the proper feed on hand as well. If you plan on changing your horse’s feed, you’ll want to do it in small increments over a period of ten days or so. Make sure you have enough of your horse’s current feed so you can wean him appropriately. Rapid feed changes can sometimes lead to colic. In addition, you may need to wean him off the hay he’s accustomed to. For instance, if he’s used to eating alfalfa and you’re feeding timothy, plan on picking up a few bales of alfalfa to transition him over.

Where will your new horse be housed? Whether you’re boarding or it’s your own farm, make a point to inspect the premises for anything dangerous or unsafe. Likewise, inspect turnout fencing as well. And if your horse is unfamiliar with a certain type of fencing, for instance, electric fencing, plan to take time to introduce him thoroughly to it.

Another important point regarding turnout concerns whether you’ll be turning your horse out alone or in a group. Group turnout situations require more thought and planning, especially if it involves several horses.

It’s always wise to introduce a new guy slowly, ideally by first letting him observe the others from a distance and then becoming acquainted over a fence. Once the novelty of the newcomer has worn off, you can try turning him out with the others.

These are just a few tips to help you transition your new horse smoothly into his new lifestyle. With a little advance preparation, he should settle in nicely at his new home.

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