How to Adjust a Horse to a New Home
Adjusting to a new home can be stressful for a horse and potentially detrimental to its health. Just like humans, horses can experience stress in new situations, and as with humans, this stress can cause immune suppression, digestive difficulties and even neurological problems. Taking a preventive approach can reduce your horse's stress as it transitions to a new environment. There are a number of ways to help limit the stress of a move and restore your horse to balance.
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Things You'll Need
- Hay
- Feed
- Supplements
- Toys
- Buckets
- Blankets or sheets
- Bedding
- Safe stall and/or paddock
- First aid kit
Instructions
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Do a thorough inspection of your horse's new surroundings. Remove any protruding objects and debris, and repair broken fencing. Horses are naturally inquisitive animals, and they tend to seek out anything unusual or different, so take the time to horse-proof the new environment before the horse arrives.
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Introduce your new horse to its new surroundings gently. Walk around with it, and let it sniff out its new home. If there are other horses in the area, keep them separate from the new horse for at least 24 hours. Giving the horse a chance to settle into its new environment will reduce its stress and help minimize aggression.
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Keep the horse on its accustomed feed and feeding schedule, since sudden changes in feeding can cause digestive problems. Consistency in feeding includes measuring and weighing the grain so it is precisely the same as before. During the first week, provide the horse with hay from its former home, then gradually mix in your hay.
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Fill your horse's stall with the same type of bedding it used before. A depth of 6 to 8 inches is best. If your horse is used to a sheet or blanket, continue using one, weather permitting. A horse blanket or sheet can help make the animal feel more secure.
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Place your new horse's toys where it can reach them.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure your horse gets the same food and supplements it did in its former home, at least while it is transitioning. This includes hay, which can vary in sugar content and nutrients from field to field.
Try using toys to make the horse feel more at home. These might include Jolly Balls, hanging apples, Likits and the Nose-It! Feeder, which dispenses treats.
Be sure to give your horse plenty of personal attention. Grooming and petting the horse will help ease its anxiety and keep it calm.
Only change feed gradually, and only after the horse has been in its new home at least two or three weeks.
Keep a close watch on your horse for at least a few weeks after introducing it to the rest of the herd. Remove it immediately if it is attacked by the other horses. Treat minor injuries immediately using an equine first aid kit.
References
Resources
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