# Moved horse to new barn, need help asap!



## erikaharmony (May 25, 2009)

I moved my horse to a new barn and shes kind of going crazy. Shes lived at the other barn all her life and she is now 7. She was in a mixed herd all the time and now at the new barn its geldings on one side and mares on the other and she seems to be liking the geldings alot more then the mares and the geldings are liking her alot. Actually just yesterday one of the geldings that i could tell had a huge interest in her jumped the fence to protect her from the mares and was bucking and biting at any mare that went near her and they said they have never had any of this happen before. After they took him away and he was in a single out door stall sweating and pacing and calling out to her another gelding would rear at the other geldings if they came near her at the fence. Most of the mares are starting to like her and go beside her but there are still a few that dont like that and go after her but she responds by running and then bucking out at them. Shes been there for 3 days now. Second day i went to get her it took but over 30 mins to get her out of the paddock, today it took me a little less but once i get close to the gate she does not want to move and i have to get other people to help me get her out to groom her. Today they brought a horse to stand beside her while i groomed her but once they moved him into his paddock and he went out to the pasture she started freaking out. Our relationship when we were at the other barn was awesome and we grew a bond pretty fast but now i feel like that bond is completely gone and shes worse then when i first got her. I just want to know if it will get better and it will be easier to have her out there because i read she would probably go to me for security and to feel better but thats not the case. I just want to know that it will get better and she will become her normal self soon and usually how long that takes because this is really frustrating for me and i feel like she wants nothing to do with me. i know its a new place with new smells and new everything but i didnt expect for her to be this bad.

Plase help! Thanks.


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## rosie9r (Dec 1, 2008)

You may just want to let her get adjusted for a little while before you work with her at her new place. I would give her time to get used to her new herd and find her place in the hierarchy. I would guess she feels really insecure being in a new place and just needs time. You might find you will have some anxiety issues to work through in the future. If that happens, a lot of give and take is what worked for me, taking away from the herd in small amounts and gradually building time up away from them. 

I would really just be patient and give her time without work. Once she and the rest of the herd calms down, start working with her again.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

erikaharmony said:


> Our relationship when we were at the other barn was awesome and we grew a bond pretty fast but now i feel like that bond is completely gone and shes worse then when i first got her. I just want to know if it will get better and it will be easier to have her out there because i read she would probably go to me for security and to feel better but thats not the case. I just want to know that it will get better and she will become her normal self soon and usually how long that takes because this is really frustrating for me and i feel like she wants nothing to do with me.


Remember that this is really 2 traumatic changes for your horse, a change in environment and a change in herd.

As far as going to you for security, don't feel bad and keep in mind that as much as we work on getting and fostering trust from our horses, in the end, this is still a _relatively infrequent_ relationship between a horse and a person and will never replace the comfort and security of their herd that they are part of every minute of everyday.

Time and patience....it often takes MONTHS before the dust settles.


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## erikaharmony (May 25, 2009)

Alright thanks
I go up to her everyday and just take her out and groom her and check for any cuts, then i let her back in, i'm not going to ride her untill she does settle in more for sure.

I know its going to take some time for her to adjust, its just frustraing because shes really stubborn and tests me like every two seconds again.


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## HalfPass (Jun 12, 2009)

Hi there....
Okay...I have almost the exact same story. My gelding OTTB is 8. He was foaled at another ranch brought to my parents and grew up there. Hi mother is 20 somthing now and was always on the property but he was weaned and later put into training for the track. Well I begged my Dad to bring him home and give him to me. He came back to my parents but I actually lived in a nearby neighbor state and I had injured myself and couldnot ride...
long storyy short. My dad had a woman work with him for a while when I was injured but he was there at my parents ranch for 5 yrs waiting for me to get better. When I would visit them He was easy to handle and always very mild manored. I rode him a few ties although not for long due to my arm injury.
I was then in an auto accident which further extended him not coming to live with me...
Finally at the end of this May he came up. I swear he stepped off the trailer just fine and then the next day was a completely different horse...
He started rearing and being a big brat....
There was mostly mares on my dads breeding farm. Some foals and yearlinngs , no stallions. A gelding or two maybe...

So since he had his head on all wrong I needed to get that under control and also he came to me with very long feet and low heals...so we have ...Painful feet, new home, and change in diet...EEK!
I have to say that it is now July and he arrived at the end of may...His feet are shod and better then they were. I have made sure to go there every day almost and I sort of had to start over so that he would see me as his afe leader....
I am sure you horse is going to have to go through some herd issues and that is something all the mares will figure out and she will find her spot in the pecking order. But if she is disrespectful to you like not wanting to come to you in the pasture I would spend as much time with her as you can doing the things you always do and some extra special time like hand grazing or whatever so she knows and recognizes you as her buddy and leader....
it is frustrating for sure...but after working har every day my horse no longer is rearing....he can now be safely walked again without a chain....and...he is doing light ground work and aking wonderful progress to the point that I have had compliments so I know he is begining to adjust.
I really tried to take him all over the ranch to see as much as he possibly could see in the begining....
PM me is you need more support but do know your not alone on this one....
Half Pass


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## Ahsisi (Apr 13, 2009)

Yeah, just give her some time to settle in. It will probably take a month or so for her to act like things are no big deal and go back to her usual ways with you. I know it can be frustrating but just be patient and keep using the positive reinforcement (like treats when she comes to you/you catch her, etc.) She will figure out where she falls in the herd and things will settle with the geldings. It is an adjustment for all of them. Just take it one day at a time! Good luck!


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## erikaharmony (May 25, 2009)

Yeah thanks!
I've started lunging her.
Shes sort of better but still a big brat. She doesnt know her space anymore and stepped on my foot so bad. It's all bruise. 

The most annoying part is if there is another horse tied up near her to shes fine but once that horse leaves she goes crazy and i cant do anything with her! Thats probably the biggest problem. But im happy that i still have some of her trust because after i lunged her she would follow me around like she did at the other barn!


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## ILoveGeorgieMyPony (Apr 19, 2009)

Hi,
Please look at my post.
You need to establish your personal space.Just like the people on my post told me.I find the best way to do it is to ask your horse to go back and when they do reward them with a bit of carrot or a pat or something, and she should soon learn in a while that you have your personal space whether she likes it or not.
Best of luck .
x


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## ILoveGeorgieMyPony (Apr 19, 2009)

My horse also has just settled in a bit after 12 days.It depends on the horse.And the size of the herd.Make sure you can bond with her as much as possible.Don't smack her unless it is absolulty necessary.I have learnt that is just causes more fear and pain for both horse and owner.Just keep on persevering and trying. Good luck and you can do it


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## luvs2ride1979 (Nov 9, 2007)

Sounds like she's in heat and just terribly nervous. Make sure she not on ANY grain (grain will give her too much extra energy) and just give her time to settle in. If she's still acting this way after 4-5 days, then have your vet out to make sure she's okay, and possibly prescribe some tranquilizers for a week or so. After 2-3 weeks, she should settle in just fine.


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## HalfPass (Jun 12, 2009)

Hey You...
Hows it going???
I noticed that in the begining when my horse arrived to his new home he needed a bit of a diet change to help with his...hot head...if you will. If this is the case I would say just as the other poster to cut out the hot stuff for few weeks while your horse settles into the new surroundings.
One thing I did in the begining....was hand walk (feet were bad so no riding yet) but I supose you could ride her if she is not to bad but I suggest hand walking her everywhere...all over evey square inch of the new place...
Yes I had a few incidences where Tniy acted up and embarrased me...Yes you better believe I let go of the rope...I was shocked at his behavior but eventually I just got those feet moving...forwards backwards left and right...now that we are working onthose things he is much better....
I have taken him to places where he gets nervous and then worked him near the things he does not like....at first he acts silly and then within 10 mins he settles into what he is supposed to be doing....
I just can not say enough about going back to the basics of groudwork 101 and that personal space....a horse that has been crowding into someones personal space for years could and will probably get really irritated when asked to get out of that space...
I hope by now you have created some excersises to fit the both of you and gained some ground ....
Half Pass


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## erikaharmony (May 25, 2009)

Well its been a week now and she was a little better today, but there was alot going on today too. There was a wood chipper going and the tractor going around with hay. 

She is still difficult to get out of the paddock once i get close to the gate so once she starts refusing i put the chain around her nose becuase thats the only way i can get her moving and probably the only way she'll learn that coming out willingly wont be so bad then refusing and getting the chain. i dont like using the chain very much though unless i really have to. when i first put it on she raises her head high and pulls back trying to test me and see if ill get scared and give in but i havnt and she finally gives in and comes out of the paddock with me. 
After working with her i walk her around and by the paddock gates and inside and out of the paddock to get her use to coming out and once she is goodi reward her by letting her go out and see her buddies.
I dont know if this sounds like im on the right track with some of this stuff or what im doing is a good idea but please let me know!

I rode her finaly yesterday and she is actually completely the same as she was at the other barn when i ride her. Apart from being a little ore alert shes completely fine and actually does alot more. I wish she was still the same on the ground! But i am glad that something still stuck. Just before i left the barn i was teaching her side passing and she was doing it kind of crappy but now i did it esterday and she was doing it so well! I have no idea why shes so good when im riding her and now when we are on ground but im glad one thinkg stuck.


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## erikaharmony (May 25, 2009)

p.s i dont give her grain she only has hay and grass when shes out in the pasture!


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## HalfPass (Jun 12, 2009)

Hey You!!
That sound as if it is some slight improements...I cannot ride my gelding right now due to his foot issues, but there was this respect thing that had to get established in order for it to be safe for me...
When the rearing thing happened for the first time I went the next day and got a stud chain. I do not like ot have to use them either but they are just necessary sometimes...
Now finally after a bit over a month we are weaning off hte chain. When My horse arrived at his new home I was and still am recovering from a knee surgery so i could not move that fast..I still can not run but for sure can move faster now then upon his arrival. SO the chain was a tool that was necessary.
Not sure if you have access to a round pen, but doing some excersises in any pen for that matter that have to do with sensitizeing and desensitizing are a great way to get your horse using the thinking side of their brain.
Your horse just moved to a new place where everything is differeent...I think when we move them like that they automatically revert back to using the reacting side of their brain because everything is soooo unfamiliar that they are scared and want to get away from the things they are unfamiliar with....
I know that with Tiny it has taken consistency, patience and a lot of devoted time to get him thinking before just reacting.
Different from your horse mine was alos not handled a lot while out to pasture for those years i was injured with an arm and then a neck and knee injury (long story) none of which were horse injuries, but at least he was with family and taken care of until I could have him come live with me. But the less handling he had the more I had to work on the leadership and respect issues....
I don't give Tny any grain either but that is because he is not really working that hard at the moment.
That is something you could discuss with your vet or someone who you work closley with. Not sure how much your going to be working your horse so i can not comment onthat one...
The way I figured it was to expose my horse to as much as I could and also to make sure that I went out and "visited him, and spent Time with him' so that it was not all work work work.
We have made tons of progress in all areas...I suspect that you will too...Sounds good to me...
I think excersises on the ground of yielding the hind and forequarters are good excersises, as well as working on backing up and doing some halting....
Good luck....hope this has helped you some..
Half Pass


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Yet another reason we quarantine new horses when they come to board with us. Yes for health reasons but to also get them used to us and the new environment and give them a chance to settle in without defending their spot in the herd.


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