I recently adopted a new horse. It is the first time in a long time that I’ve added a horse to the herd that I didn’t first foster, and I was nearly vibrating with excitement while I wanted to get him home. I know that is how so many of our adopters feel. Adding a new horse to your herd is a big responsibility but it is also so very exciting.
We’ve got the Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge coming up on October 17. And while this Challenge will be different because we won’t have as many horses and we won’t be open to the public, there still will be hopeful adopters there who are excited to take home their next equine partner. I feel like that makes this post more timely than ever, because I so often see problems develop right from the start.
So let’s talk about how to make your horse’s transition to adopted life a bit easier on him – and you – so that you two can have an amazing relationship.
I think the most important thing is to do your homework ahead of time. Be realistic with yourself on your experience and skill level, what you hope to do with your next horse, and how much time and resources you can devote. If you want a young horse but don’t have time to train him or ride him frequently, can you afford to pay a trainer to get him going under saddle or pay someone to ride him and keep him going under saddle? If not, maybe you should look at a horse with more training who doesn’t need frequent riding to stay in the game mentally. On the other hand, if you plan on doing endurance, hard trail riding, or playdays, don’t look at the 20+ year old who is ready to slow down and would enjoy lots of time off between rides.
Once you know what you want and what you can handle, get your place ready. A stall or paddock where your new horse can hang out a few days to get used to the property. It is best if you have a paddock near your pasture where he can stretch his legs and get to know the other horses from a safe distance. Make sure you also know what he’s been eating so you can transition him over to your feed.
Once he’s home, resist the temptation to immediately put him to work. You could have him for 10, 20, or more years, so you have plenty of time to enjoy him and don’t need to rush into anything. For me, this meant I put my new guy in a stall with plenty of hay and clean water, a horse in the next stall to keep him company, and after spending a few minutes talking to him and making sure he was comfortable, I left him alone to settle in. I did check on him a few times throughout the day to make sure he was eating and drinking and settling in, but otherwise I left him alone.
This is especially true if you are adopting a young horse who hasn’t seen much of the world, a horse who has had to travel quiet some distance, or one who just spent the day competing in a trainers challenge or at an adoption event. These guys need a little extra time to decompress, relax, and recover from the stress of moving and/or the event they just attended.
After giving them a day or two to recover, you can start introducing your new horse to your herd. There’s many different ways to do that – I like putting them in a pen that borders the pasture and letting them meet their new family over the fence. That’s only good if you have a safe and sturdy fence they can’t get caught in. Another option is to introduce them to one horse, let them have a few days to buddy up, and then introduce them into the herd with their buddy. And sometimes for the right horse and the right herd, letting them out with the herd after breakfast one morning can work well. Just do not introduce a new horse and then immediately feed everyone: having food involved at introduction time can really exasperate dominance issues.
After they’ve really settled in, you can start working with them. Even if they’re riding horses, I like to start with just some grooming sessions then add in some ground work sessions. I really want to be communicating with my new horse well and making sure we understand each other before climbing on their back.
What happens when you rush this? It could go just fine, but it puts your horse through unnecessary stress. And it could go very badly. We had one person who adopted their horse at one of our events and the very next day hauled her to a playday. The mare was exhausted, cranky, and confused and her behavior reflected it. Not only did it start her and her adopter off on the wrong foot, but it was completely unfair to the horse who was already exhausted. Another adopter took their young horse home and that same day went out to the pasture to catch her and groom her. She was so overwhelmed that she charged them. They decided to give her a few days to decompress, and she’s never done that again.
On the other hand, don’t bring your new horse home, leave him sit in the pasture for weeks or months, and then expect to put him back to work. If he was with a trainer before you adopted him, he’s used to be being ridden several times a week and may act out when he’s first put back to work. If he was green under saddle when you adopted him, a lot of time off could dull his skills. We’ve had several adopters do just that, and when they attempted to ride the horse after weeks or even months off, the horse acted out under saddle and ultimately was returned to the rescue.
If you aren’t able to ride or work with your horse for a while after you adopt him or her, bring him back to work slowly. Start with some grooming sessions once you have time again, then proceed to ground work, and finally to under saddle work. Some horses can have weeks or months off and go right back to work without problem, but they really are the exception.
We love our horses, and we want them to work out. We adore our adopters and we want them to be happy. It can be hard to resist the urge to rush out and bombard your new horse with love and affection, but letting him settle in and then bringing him back to work can give you the best chance of success. And if life throws a wrench in your plans and you can’t ride for a while, spending time bonding with your horse before bringing him back to work slowly can help you cement a solid relationship.