Bringing home first horse

Question

Ok, I just bought my first horse and she has been boarded for the last couple weeks. My barn is almost finished and we are putting up electric fencing. I have made a list of things I need to do and buy. She has been in a stall most of the time but when I bring her home she will have full turnout. Any suggestions or checklists would be most appreciated. Im a little crazed right now trying to get everything done with 2 kids around, lol. PLease!!! any response would do me wonders. Thanks

Answer 1

Relax. Your horse will be fine with fresh air, water, and room to roam.

Answer 2

congrads!!1Ok look over every little bit of land. Make sure there are no gate problems, broken boards ,nails or anything that can hurt her. Make sure her stall is good. Nails can give horses cuts and make sure you have the nails in all the way. check  her feed stuff make sure you have what grain etc you want and put at least two water buckets in. This helps so you can see how much she drank ..or a electric waterer is fine. Make sure her stall door latch ,latches all the way  and she has enough room in her stall. if she going to usually be turned out DO NOT leave a halter on her... those can get stuck and choke a horse so if you DO want to leave a halter on her then use a field safe halter.

-good luck!

Answer 3

OK first- I am very glad you're going to turn the horse out!  It's so much healthier than being in a stall!!  HOWEVER, you can't just take a stalled horse and set it free in a pasture full of grass- it could founder or colic.  If your pasture has grass, you will need to gradually introduce your horse onto the grass over a period of a couple weeks.  I had this same situation some yers ago.  There are several ways to do this.

The ideal would be to confine your horse to a small pen or round pen, something that is dirt or is small enough that it will get churned into dirt quickly.   Allow your horse out for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, 2 or 3 times a day for a couple days, then gradually increase the amount of time the horse spends on pasture each day.  I added 30 minutes a day (over 2 turnout sessions) until the horse was spending about 8 hours out there total, then just went to full turnout.  Ask your vet for specific advice- if your horse has any history of laminitis, colic, or metabolic issues, you will need to be extra careful!  If you don't have a small pen, a stall will work too.

Some other things to consider- do you have all the little things ready?  A salt brick?  Fly spray?  All necessary grooming and tack equipment?  Spare halter and lead ropes?

What about emergencies- do you have an established relationship with a vet?  If not, contact the vet you prefer to use and ask to get your horse set up as a client- they will send you some forms to fill out and then you will be a patient of record so that in an emergency they would come see you with no problem.  Some vets won't see horses for emergencies that aren't established clients.  If you already have a vet, make sure they know the horse is moving and when.  You should also ask your vet about a form to fill out to establish who has the authority to make major medical decisions about your horse in the event that you're unreachable.  If your horse were to become ill or injured and someone had to give permission to euthanize it while you were away, who would you trust to make that decision?  Your vet needs that, in wriitng.

You also need to go ahead and make your first farrier appointment- it can be tough to get a farrier to see only one horse- you need to find a farrier NOW and make your appointment NOW even if it's still 6 weeks before the horse's next trim is due.  And having only 1 horse, you'll have to be as good to that farrier as you can be to keep him coming to see your one horse.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Spend a lot of time with her as she adjusts to your place and you.  Not necessarily riding but just lots of brushing and just hanging out together tho it may be harder with 2 kids (not knowing their ages.)

Answer 5

You may want to keep her in the barn the first day she's at your place just so she can get familiar with her surroundings before you turn her out.

Check the field for any debris that could cause injury to your horse before you turn her out.

When you turn her out, you may want to walk her around the perimeter of the field so she can see where the fence is.  Be sure to tie some ribbon on the electric wire between each post to make it more visible to your horse.  You might also want to leave a leather halter (NOT NYLON) on her until you are sure she is easy to catch.

When you do turn her out on her own, stay close by for a few minutes to see how she adjusts.  When she touches the electric fence for the first time, she could bolt, so be close.  Once she has touched the fence, she won't do it again and she should be fine.

Be sure she has free access to fresh water and a salt block whether she is in the stall or in the field.

You can never have too many halters, lead ropes, brushes, hoof picks or buckets.  To help keep germs down in your barn, try getting a sprayer and mixing water and bleach and spraying it through your barn...one the wood, too.  

I hope this helps!  Congrats on your horse!  

Answer 6

this is a big day. just make sure you watch her b/c she might be a little scared.