# How can I help my new horse settle into a new barn/surroundings?



## fkonidaris (Jan 26, 2012)

When I first got my mare in December, she was stabled in a garage with no bedding and no hay and a small turnout area by herself. There were no other horses there. We brought her home and she had some trouble adjusting. There are 20+ horses at the barn, all turned out daily in an 85 acre field. She wouldn't eat at first and would panic in the field. She was turned out by herself in a small field first and then after about a week, she was turned out with the herd. She didn't start to settle until about after a month and a half. I spend a lot of time just walking her around the field trying to help her adjust. I also have her on a calming supplement, "SmartCalm Ultra Pellets." This has helped tremendously as she's a very spooky, flighty, nervous horse. If she's been at that barn since she was born, she's going to need some time to adjust. I would turn her out by herself for a while or with her gelding friend to just let her get used to her surroundings and then slowly introduce other horses to her. *Have patience, it's only been a couple days.*


----------



## Newatthis (Mar 13, 2012)

I don't have a real answer for you I just wanted to say I know how frustrating it is. I bought my horse a few weeks ago. Although it's not the same situation here is what happened. We bought a 14 year old horse who was used for lessons and shows. He was being kept outside at this point but after spending time with him we decided to take him home. We got back late so we put him in the barn overnight alone. Now the horse HATES going in the barn he instantly starts pawing. He was very nervous for days of everything.

3 weeks later he has settled down alot. Still hates the barn but we keep bringing him in there and now all we have to do is say hey! And he stops pawing. He is friends with all the horses and is relaxed. 

He has now decided to be buddy sour and don't want to leave them and is really testing me!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## DressageDreamer (Feb 29, 2012)

Don't know if this will help, but this is what I do. When I bring in a new horse, I put them in our round pen for the first week. The other horses can visit them but can't hurt them. There is plenty of room to run around and burn off the anxiety they feel ( I have a large round pen). I have never had one hurt themself and by the end of the week when I turn them out with the rest of the herd, they are familiar with each other and the transition goes pretty smoothly. I also spend a lot of time with the new horse grooming them, feeding them and letting them get to know me. 
Your horse needs to find her place in her new herd. Like the other person said, it has only been a few days. This is a huge change for her. She will need time.


----------



## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

I brought home a horse on trial (which didn't work out) in December and had a similar problem. I bought the horse from the breeder, who had always kept her in a small 4-stall barn with a couple of younger fillies and the stallion. There were also broodmares on the property, but they were kept elsewhere.

My barn was a complete change. There are 75 stalls there, and only a couple were empty at the time. I thought I was doing her a favor by getting the double size stall for her, but it turned out the horse next to it was really aggressive towards her and kept trying to lunge over the wall. I knew that horse was aggressive around feeding time, but there had been a horse there for a while and the stall was only free because he died of colic a few week ago. We moved her to a different stall, where she calmed down a little, but was still very agitated. I ended up returning her after about 3 weeks- not because she wasn't able to settle in, because she /was/ noticeably happier after about 2 weeks, but because the seller had grossly misrepresented her ground manners and she was going to need at least a month of full-time training to be safe for me to handle! She objected so strongly to being touched and having her feet lifted that my vet couldn't even complete a vet check! I'm still kind of sad the owner wasn't willing to re-negotiate the price, because I think she would have made a great horse with some better training...

But, yeah, if you've only had her for a couple days, don't give up yet! Some horses settle in faster than others, and I don't think a couple of weeks (or even months) is unreasonable if they're going through a big change like leaving the only home they've ever known!


----------



## missmeg (Mar 20, 2012)

Thank you all for the encouragement! I went out to see her this evening and there was already a noticeable change. She was stalled all day (which is what she is used to) and was quiet and calm. Then we got about 20yards from the barn and she started breathing hard and was anxious again. We made a few large circles(getting close to the barn and then back away) and eventually brought out her gelding friend. Eventually we turned them out together and it was great! after about 30min of them being out, we let the other 2 go too. It was unbelievable how calm everyone was when out together! She has made a day and night progress in the last 24hrs....still has a long way to go but I didn't get her with the intent to send her back

Again thank you all!!!


----------



## DressageDreamer (Feb 29, 2012)

That is great!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Chessie (Mar 13, 2012)

I'm glad she seems to be finding her feet. Poor thing, I hate moving too.


----------



## missmeg (Mar 20, 2012)

Just a quick update: after about 5 days at the new barn, she was pretty much completely her old self; the horse I thought I purchased I've decided to give her a solid 2 weeks at the new barn before I ride. I have been lunging her daily and I really think she enjoys her new life and new friends! She even gets along amazingly with the mare she at first had issues with I cannot wait to spend a lifetime together!!!!


----------



## Cowgirls Boots (Apr 6, 2011)

In a stall for two weeks?!? :shock: yikes!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## missmeg (Mar 20, 2012)

Yeah:-/ The place where she was boarded before I bought her doesn't turn the horses out so they only get out if they are ridden. Not to mention she was on a high sugar diet so I'm sure a lot of her problem was that she had a lot of energy built up and toss in being in heat and a new environment= recipe for a disastrous few days. I have spoken with my vet and have adjusted (safely) her diet and she is turned out all day/night with access to her stall. She is also only brought in for morning and night feeding. She has been just wonderful the past few days and I couldn't be happier that she can actually be a horse now!


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Stall confinement, especially in a new barn can be very stressful. If you can't visit her it's best if you can arrange for her to be turned out most of the day. She sees the stall as a trap, a cage that she can't escape from. She will be more relaxed with the turnout and she will settle in better.


----------



## missmeg (Mar 20, 2012)

At my barn she is turned out 24/7 with exception of meals 2x a day and if the weather is bad. Much better!


----------



## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

In case a newbie is reading this thread I thought I'd point out that I have always put a new horse over the fence from my existing herd. You don't know if the herd leader will be brutal with YOUR new horse and give you a nice, hefty Vet bill. I would routinely keep them separated for a few months, work them and trailer them together before turning them out together.
I'm very glad that she's found a buddy.


----------



## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

Big transitions like these can be pretty tough on a horse, but they'll usually settle in over time... and it's so rewarding to see them blossom into a content and relaxed horse in their new surroundings.

My mustang colt has really had a time of it too. First he's taken off the range where he was born and lived his whole life and kept in the holding pens for 3 months, then hauled 8 hours to the trainer's facility where she could help me gentle him for another 3 months... and finally moved to the boarding facility where I keep him 2 months ago. There were some real rough patches along the way, but he's been a champ about it overall.


----------



## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

my new mare has been here since friday. she came from 3 years in a huge feild with cows and now she's being brought into the barn, she's having a tough time getting aclimatized. We bought a gelding last year who spent 6 weeks being a totall knot head before reverting back to his sweet self.


----------

