# when a new horse arrives - into stable or out to field?



## princestar (10 March 2013)

Bringing my horse home after 7 weeks away being backed and brought on. Mega excited as he hasnt seen my best friends mare for about 9 weeks due to her moving a couple of weeks before I sent him away. He will be going to the same yard as her, so a new home for him and a new stable but back with his friend.

Im excited to bring him home and get him back with his little pal, but im not quite sure how to settle him in....

He sweats like a pig on the box, but when he comes off he is going to see new horses and a new yard - he will also see his friend and she is very vocal and calls him crazily when she sees him as shes excited and he gets all bouncy and excited too.

So dilemma for me is: do I put him into his stable and cool him off, do I take him off he box, rug and put out alone and leave his friend stabled or do I put him out with his friend?

Of course hes going to get excited but I dont want him to get over excited in the stable and hurt himself but I dont want him to get a chill when he goes out (will rug but he will be wet sweatty). We will be staying on the yard all day to sort stable and everything else out so they will be supervised.

He will be going out into a field with 6 foot (approx) fencing so he wont jump... his friend cant go in the next field as its out of bounds until it fully dries out. 

What would you do and any advice?


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## OscarandPenny (10 March 2013)

Rightly or wrongly in my experience they have been better going straight out. My tb sweats awfully when travelling and stresses badly and is much better with other horses straight out, if its cold I just pop a cooler on for a couple of hours and make sure all is ok. Works for us so a poss suggestion to consider 
Oh, good support boots for a bit of extra protection if they may be a tad over excited at seeing each other again


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## princestar (10 March 2013)

Thank u, yeah might just put a rug with some fill on before I bring him out the box, he does get excited as soon as he hesrs others calling and is such a worrying fart that the sweat drips from him! Not sure if putting him in will make him stress as he won't be ablr to see his friend. So would u put him out and let him calm for a half hour or so and then put his friend out or have her already out waiting for him outside? Dont wsnt him to panic or stress needlessly as he hasnt been to the yard before.... hmm, im so excited but want him to settle quickly and simply. 

Cant wait to set his stable up, settle him in and get him back with his girlfriend pony


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## Dancingaye (10 March 2013)

I have the opposite experience, with my two I've put them in the barn at first to let them chill and see the envt. and then pop them in a paddock by themselves for the first day. Unfortunately, I had a bad experience where I put mine out with a horse he was with before, assuming it would be as before and they would be fine, but they were awful and mine ended up nearly breaking his shoulder. So I tend to be cautious and just do the paddock approach first now. If the horse gets real anxious in the barn just try the paddock first


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## Alec Swan (10 March 2013)

For me it would be entirely dependent upon how the horse unloads.  If he's travelled well, and if he puts his head down,  looking for grass,  then he'd go out.  If he's in any way stressed,  he'd go in,  he'd have a tiny feed,  he'd have hay and he'd have time to get his head together.

That's what I'd do.

Alec.


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## Pinkvboots (11 March 2013)

What Alec swan said if stressed put in the stable with a haynet until his calmer, if his really calm put him out, if you put a stressed horse out in a strange field they are likely to turn themselves inside out.


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## princestar (11 March 2013)

Yeah he walks of the box like a darling though, stands quietly etc but he wont be stressed off the box hell be over excited so I dont want him launchingbround the stable.... hmm will have to see how he goes. Going to keep the other mares in til he settles then theyre going in their own fields... only gelding kn a yard of 5 mares!


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## OscarandPenny (11 March 2013)

I would disagree re putting a stressed horse into a stable with net, purely because mine would be made worse to the point he would break the door down if he was left. I think it all depends on the horse how they travel and what they react to. Some settle more in a smaller space and chill, others, like mine, would become v dangerous to handle. I would suggest op just plays by ear and does what suits the horse on the day


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## putasocinit (12 March 2013)

Either turn out or leave in but if friend is going to call i would whatever you decide let friend do it as well, as it might cause your horse to either jump out of the field, or box walking !!!


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## Goldenstar (12 March 2013)

I always keep in with at least one friend , the type of horse I buy is used to being stabled if they arrived in the morning I might turn out in the afternoon but alone and under supervision ..


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## MerrySherryRider (12 March 2013)

My horse was away for 5 weeks and I moved yard in the meantime with my other two horses.
On her return, chucked her straight out in the field and she and the other two had the most tremendous hooley around the field, much to the amazement of the other horses who stood and watched the spectacle.
All good, three very happy horses.


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## wench (13 March 2013)

I would put straight into a stable, can assess behaviour then.


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## princestar (30 March 2013)

Thanks everyone, hes back  travelled much better with another horse and a better journey. He didnt sweat half as much as usual. I put him into the stable for 20 mins then to his field and his friend was out with him within half hour after that! As if they were never apart  settled in straight away, no messing about in the field,  just straight Into his routine


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