Need advice

M

maxigirl

New Member
Jul 25, 2009
31
0
0
Huddersfield
Hi all,

decided to subscribe as need some advice. hope you kind soles can help me:wink:

I have owned my first horse since September last year and she is stabled at the livery yard where i purchased her on working livery anyway I have made a massive decision to move yards to a smaller DIY yard just up the road from me.. so i can pop in daily.. the yard at the minute as 70 ish horses stabled there and the new yard has about 18 what i need to know though is about the move:unsure: it's dead scarey..

the new yard are willing to collect her for me but dont know how she will load. should i put a haynet in the back of the box for her?

we are moving on a evening, should i put her in her new stable and leave her there over night for the first night?

the next day should I turn her out with the new herd?

how long should i wait until i ride her?

I have heard some people saying not to try and ride for a few weeks and then my friend said she left her horse 2 weeks and he bucked her off ad no-one could get near him:frown:

Im sure i will have loads of other questions before we move at the end of the month.. please bear with me

thanks
 
Hi and welcome!

A haynet might be a welcome addition to the box, but your horse might not bother with it if she's a bit wound up. Could you try and load her into a borrowed trailer or box before the big day?

Regarding stabling, your new yard will probably have their own rules about the first few days. My yard, for example, has them wormed then in for the first night, a couple of hours alone in one of the small paddocks then into a field adjoining the new herd, and they stay here for up to a week depending on how they get on with their neighbours, then they go out full time with the herd.

Regarding riding, you know your horse, so go with how you feel. There are no hard and fast rules - some people just get on with it, and others let them settle down before they get on board. Personally I'd take her for walks in hand for a few days so she can get a feel for the new place and let her have a good look round.

Good luck!
 
Hiya MG :wavespin:.
I can imagine the nervous excitement you have at doing this! I'd ask your future yard owner for her advice on what she usually has happen with horses joining the yard and go from there with regards to stabling/ socialising.
As for riding, I echo diamonddogs suggestion of walking out in hand to get used to the area a wee bit if you're unsure how she'll react to a new place. Was she at her current yard for a while before you bought her?
This is a lovely new adventure for the two of you and I'm sure you'll do fab. Lots of people have issues loading, but if you're surrounded by professionals then you've got help on hand and patience will win out. You never know, she might walk straight on the trailer, but if you're at all nervous, I'd maybe try and get someone else to do it so your horse doesn't read this as a sign not to go in.
 
Hi,:wavespin:
thanks for the quick replies.

She was at the yard about 6mths before i bought her, she was imported in from Ireland and from what I gather she hasn't had a easy time of it, and had shocking stable manners before i bought her, she reguarly chased people out of her box and tried it with me a few times when i first bought her anyway she hasn't done that for a long time and today when i went to get her out of the field and called her name is the first time she came to the gate:wink:

I'm kinda hoping that when we move a quiter yard and it's just me and her that she will be a lot better. the bigger yard has pony club and the kids think its funny to shout at her or mess about because she runs at them to chase them away:furious: poor girl I desperatly need to get her away from that. she may surprise me and not bother but everything is slightly scarey for her and she's a bit of a diva:wink:
 
Hope it all goes really well for you both. If I were to move again I would let mine settle for a few days - in hand walks as already suggested and then just have short rides. Play it by ear really! Perhaps you can lunge before getting on board if you suspect she might be a bit of a handful? I think once they settle in their new herd things get better ridden wise. Keep us posted on how you get on - look forward to reading about your progress.
 
I would say a slow introduction will be safer. I really regret allowing my first horse to just have been thrown in with the herd. :(
It was so tough for him to arrive and get chased and beaten up right away.
Later when I kept them at my own place we introduced Minnie by having her in an adjacent paddock. Much less stressful as they could work things out without actually being able to get to her. Much safer.
 
think you'll have to go with what Y/O wants as to whether to keep her in overnight or to turn her out,they'll also tell you whether you have to turn her out with the other straight away ( hopefully they'll have an intro paddock next door to the field your horse will eventually be in)
As to riding I always go with what the horse is used to,mine's ridden daily so if I move him I ride him the next day.
 
Big step for you but it sounds like a good one:smile:

Take YO's advice about introducing to new herd, I expect they already have arrangements for this.

Regards riding, see how your horse settles, if she/he has been there before it will most likely be fine to ride straight away.
 
Last edited:
If you are nervous about loading her ask someone else to do it or she may pick up on your nerves, I don't load my horse anymore because of this! Tie the net at the back safely, a bucket of pony nuts too often helps with a nervous loader.

For my horse I would turn him out right away, but he's a box walking ex-racehorse that can pick up canter in a stable! (He now lives out btw!)

In regards to riding it depends, at some yards I have jumped on him the next day, some a few days later, he's not the sort of horse that needs riding every day but I wouldn't want to leave it two weeks. What I tend to do is hop on and just walk round the school, plan to walk and there is no pressure.

It really does depend on your horse, I made lots of mistakes when I first bought mine, despite having had him on loan for 6 months, BUT that was a few years ago and we've learnt from those mistakes!
 
Hi MG :biggrin:

God this brings back memories from last July...I was you moving my Girl (Scarlet) from the place I had bought her 5 months previous. I had all these scary worries wizzing about in my mind and none of the horrible things happened..it went as well as expected and despite the settling in period at a new yard for both of us we survived and you guys will too!!! I did however get the new YO to load her for me as I had never loaded a horse before and didn't want my nerves to transfer onto her.

Turnout as other have said will probably be dictated by new yard, Riding wise I had thought weeks, new yo persuaded me to pop on with her there the first week and pony was good as gold.
 
When I moved Ben he had to stay in for 10 days until we got the all clear from strangles tests. When he was allowed out he had to go into an ajoining field for a few days to meet the other horses over the fence. He was then turned out with one other horse at a time until he met the whole herd.

I rode him the day after I got him home. This was the best thing to do for me but everyone is different. I think that it is good to get him into a routine as soon as you can.

I can't advise on the loading - if you are unsure, get someone else you trust to do it for you.
 
Think the other thing to bear in mind is that she has been on working livery so you may temporarily see a slight change in temperament with a move to a new yard and a decrease in her workload, so be prepared for that........she may of course settle down very quickly, one of those things that you never know until you do it:wink:
 
Thanks everyone for the replies:biggrin:

I went to see the new YO last night and he's very laid back, got her field ready plenty of lush green grass :eek:

he has suggested that i leave her in the first night and also for the first full day I have to worm her when we arrive or before she leaves old yard.

then on the Sat morning turn her out into her paddock, she will be on her own but other horses are over the fence either side of her. just till she is settled and used to the new horses.

got quite excited walking round and met two other owners who showed me where I can put my tack etc.. seemed very freindly i was a little worried it could be a bit clicky! but first impressions are good cant wait now to move her.

although she's on working livery she on avaerage has been used about 4-5 hours a week one of those been my weekly lesson.. some weeks only been used twice.

thanks again will keep you all updated.
 
We have made the bigmove, :biggrin: she loaded well, just walked right in.

I moved her on Thursday evening and she is so chilled out, cant quite believe how relaxed she is, total change to her usual highly strung skitty self..

the new yard is a lot smalle and quieter thats the only thing I can think is different for her.. just hope it continues

I rode her on friday and she was very calm, just gave everything a good look, but didnt jump or spook at anything.

I turned her out today for a few hours with grazing muzzle on, due to the lush grass.. but have brought her back in for tonight, breaking her in gently.



one very happy mummy!:spin:
 
That is such great news! It's bizarre as i have found that when the horses are on a yard they like they settle really quickly! For 6 months I kept them on a farm on their own, they never really settled there as they were on edge all the time, from the day I moved to my current yard they have been settled, they are happiest on a yard where horses are visible in paddocks all around.
 
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back