Horses For Life

When the trailer bearing your horse finally rumbles up the road, it's both a relief and thrill. For your horse, a challenging time of excitement and uncertainty lies ahead. Once he comes off the trailer, you ma be suprised at his behavior. Horses will react differently to new surroundings, depending on several variables.

Temperment And Breed Type. High-stung and hot-blooded horses like Thoroughbreds and Arabians may be nervous and upset for the first few days. Due to their sensitive nature, they generally need longer to trust their new enviroment and handlers. Of course, personality plays a part in their reaction. Horses with a generally calm disposition, such as Quarter Horses, Morgans, Warmbloods, and Draft breeds, usually except the change with a few outward sighns of fear. However, they still require quiet handling and consideration. Undoubtedly, they feel insecure and out of place in their new surroundings.

Age. The older the horse, the more times he has probably been relocated, so he may accept being move quite well. Young horses are sensitive and impressionable, and they may react with more fear. They need extra patience and care during handling. For horses of any age though,the first experiance are crucial because they will leave a lasting effect. You want your horse to feel safe and welcomed. He needs to feel that this is a good place to be. You can compare the gentleness required with a kindagarten teacher's approach to children on the first day of school. Think about those eager, scared children clutching their lunch boxes, grimly leaving mom and dad, and walking through the front day of the school. Remember this scenario as you envision your horsecoming into a strange barn and having to cope with a new stall, a new pasture, new people, and the new horses.

Past Experience. What happened to the horse the last time he moved plays a part in what he expects to deal with this time. If it was a negative experiance, then the bad memories will prompt him to act more threatened and distrustful. Take the getting-to-know-you phase very slowly and allow more physical space between you and your horse until he starts to feel more comptorable. All these variables play their part in motivating your horse's initial behavior. With this in mind, do not condemn your horse for being standoffish, or difficult to handle during the first week or two. Reserve your judgement for at least three weeks until he has had a chance to settle in and reveal his true personality.

  During the first stimulating day, let your horse rest for a while once he is settled into his new stall, or paddock. He will feel disorientated and need some time alone to calm down. Handle him as little as possible; leave grooming for the following day. If this is a new horse, wait a day or two before inviting friends and family over, but only a few at a time. Later in the day or next morning, he will probabl be feeling lonely and be glad for someone for some company. This is a oportune time to visit. If this is a horse you've had at another location, he will be very happy to see your familiar face. A strong bond of friendship with a new horse can grow and develop from spending a lot of quiet hours together for the first few days; in fact, the more time, the better. Sit outside the stall or paddock and just be there so y our horse can see you. Let the horse become curious about you. Your manner will convey, "Relax. You are safe with me." You can foster good feelings by telling the horse how much you appreciate him being here with you. Since most horses appreciate a compliment, it's a good idea to offer words of praise about his apparance. Speak softly because your horse is highly sensitive to sound. His whole body is designed like a giant motion-and-sound detector to keep a step ahead of predators. Notice how any sudden or unusaul sound or movement will cause him to instantly bring up his head, prick up his ears, and look in the direction of the noise. A horse's ears are very mobile. They can rotate like a satellite dish to pick up sound waves from many directions. This is a survival technique,  for if a horse can detect a moutain lion's paw crackling a leaf in the bushes behind him, he has a chance to escape before the pounce. Hooves can also pick up sound vibrations through the ground. They serve as an early warning system for distant stampedes on the prairies or the approach of a dangerous storms.