Getting your horse back from a trainer, or bringing a new horse home for the first time is an incredibly important transition. If you listened to episode 064 you heard Laura and myself talk about bonding with your horse. This episode touches on very practical applications of that bonding. There are ways to set your horse up for success by being attentive during the training and afterwards as well.

Key Takeaways

The best way to set your horse up for homecoming success is to spend as much time as possible with the horse in the previous environment. Go see what the trainer is doing, know exactly how your horse is being handled. Being in the environment so the horse is comfortable with your presence will help when they’re introduced to their new home.  

Now, don’t go and absolutely copy what the trainer or previous owner did. If you are getting your horse home from me, go and do Van-like things as you transition into doing more you-like things.

One of the mistakes I see people make all the time in this process is being honest with themselves. Yeah, you may’ve hurt your back the week before and decided to send your horse away to a trainer – but the reality is you’re sending them off to someone who can train them better than you. Someone who knows how to do it a little bit better. We have to own up to what we don’t know so that we can ask and learn. Being a know-it-all gets you and your horse nowhere.

Be respectful of your trainers and where your horse is coming back from. Trainers are not babysitters watching your horse while you go off and do your “real” job. They are professionals who have spent years of their lives studying and working with these animals.

Horses don’t understand time. I can’t pull a magic number out of the air and tell you how long it will take for your horse to acclimate to their new environment. The point here is to be consistent with your interactions and training, and work on building confidence and trust with your horse.