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New horse: settling in and the first 30 days
In the first month with a new horse you sort the paperwork, change as little as possible and learn what is normal for him.
The paperwork
Per market, as of 21 September 2026.
| What | UK and Ireland | US | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Passport transferred into your name with the passport-issuing organisation within 30 days (Equine Identification Regulations 2018); the passport travels with the horse | No passport; a bill of sale and, for travel, a Coggins test and health certificate; registration papers with the breed registry if any | A Property Identification Code (PIC) for the property where the horse lives; breed and society registrations if any |
| Food-chain status | In the passport, travels with the horse, cannot be reversed | Not applicable | Horse Vendor Declaration only at sale for slaughter |
| What to ask the seller for | Vaccination dates (in the passport), last worm count and product, farrier cycle and whether shod, the feed chart, health particulars, the previous vet | Vaccination records, last fecal egg count, farrier cycle, feed chart, health particulars, the previous vet | Same, plus Hendra vaccination status where relevant |
Sources: Business Companion (horse passports, May 2026), Equestrian Australia (PIC). The purchase contract and the pre-purchase exam are a different subject; lawyers and vets are the source for those.
The first thirty days
Day 1: arrival
A quiet place, water, the new yard’s hay mixed with some hay from the old one if you can, not straight out on the field. Walk the fence line with him once.
Weeks 1–2: apart
Two to three weeks away from the other horses (separate paddock or stable, own buckets and tools): what he brings in the way of bugs only shows after a week. Take the temperature daily in these weeks: that gives you his normal straight away.
Feed: the same, then slowly different
The same hard feed and the same amounts as with the previous owner; change only after two weeks, in quarter steps over seven to fourteen days. Build up grass as in spring.
Week 1: record the normal
Temperature on three quiet evenings, pulse and breathing at rest, weight with the tape, photos from the side and of the hooves. This is the yardstick for everything that is “different” later.
Weeks 2–3: the professionals
A worm egg count (before he joins the others in the field), the farrier (meet, agree the cycle), the dentist if it is more than a year ago, the vet for an introduction if anything is going on.
Weeks 3–4: together and out
Meet the other horses over the fence, then a quiet companion alongside, then the group. The first ride short and on familiar ground.
Month 1: insurance, stable card, people
Insurance or not (decide, don’t postpone), the stable card with your number and the vet, and the yard owner and liveries know what he does and doesn’t get.
How long does settling take?
Days to months, and honestly that can’t be predicted. A horse from a busy yard is sometimes home in a week; a horse that has lost its herd can call and eat poorly for weeks. What helps: fixed times, the same people, few new things at once, and patience with what he shows. What doesn’t: wanting everything in the first weeks: new field, new feed, new saddle, the first show.
Write down what you see: eating, droppings, drinking, how he stands when you arrive. In a month you read back how it went, and you have the answer to the question you will ask yourself then: is this normal for him?
Frequently asked
Should I worm straight away?
No: worm egg count first, and worm only if needed. Do the count in the quarantine weeks, before he joins the other horses in the field.
Can he keep his old rug and kit?
Please do: familiar smells help. Wash rugs and clean kit if anything contagious was going round at the old yard.
When can I start riding?
When he eats calmly, has normal droppings and his temperature is normal, usually after a week. Short and familiar, and check the saddle fit first.
What if he won’t eat?
A day of eating less after a move happens. Longer than a day, or together with a temperature, few droppings or a quiet horse: call.
In Halster
Keep a record of the first few weeks
Note how your new horse eats, behaves and settles into the yard in Halster.
Install the test version through TestFlight.
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Sources