It’s exciting getting a new horse, but there’s a limit to just how much excitement you want when they arrive at your place for the first time…

This may be the only horse you will have on your property, or you may be introducing the new horse to one or two others or maybe to a herd.  There are a number of factors worth considering as you do this and some things that you can do to help the process go more smoothly.

It may seem like an obvious thing, but if at all possible have your new horse arrive during the daytime.  This way it is easier for the horse to see where fences and other obstacles are and where water and feed is.  It is also easier for you to keep an eye on your horse as it explores its new home.  If this is the only horse on your property, be aware that if it has come from a home where it had company it may well call out and be quite unsettled as it attempts to work out where its friends are.  If at all possible, allow your new horse several days to settle in before doing much with it, or expecting much from it.

When introducing a new horse to one or two others, paddock your new horse next to the other horses but not in the same paddock.   This way they can get acquainted but the new horse can move away from the others if it needs to escape harassment.  Once they seem to be interacting well over the fence (usually after 2 or 3 days) you can move them in together.  When you do this, bring the other horses into the new horses paddock rather than the other way around.  This way the others come into the new horses ‘territory’ and the experience is much less stressful for the new horse.  The exception to this would be if you are introducing a new horse with a dominant personality to another horse who is much quieter and less dominant in personality.  In this case take the dominant horse into the paddock of the less dominant one.

In a situation where you are introducing a new horse to a herd, again begin by paddocking the new horse next to the herd, but in a separate paddock so that the new horse is able to move away from the herd.  It can be helpful after a day or two to bring one or two horses from the herd and introduce just them into the new horse’s paddock.  In this instance it can help to choose horses from your herd with calm, kind natures that are less likely to fight.  It can also help if they are horses that are further up the pecking order in the herd, as having gained their acceptance it can make it easier for a new horse when introduced to the whole herd.  Once the new horse has settled in with the first one or two, you may then want to bring them into the main herd.  Again rather than taking the new horse and its companions to the herd, it is better to bring the herd into the new horses ‘territory’.  Make sure you introduce them in a paddock where there is sufficient room to run safely.  When you introduce them hopefully this will be a smooth process – but remember they need to work out where they fit in the pecking order of the herd and this may involve a bit of fighting.  Keep an eye on them as they mix together, but leave them to it.  Watch to see that the new horse is able to access feed and water.   If you have introduced them over a period of days the herd will usually settle again very quickly and your new horse will have found its place in its new home.