[2DogsFarm]

MY new horse will be arriving from FL Monday.
He is not body-clipped, but has grown no undercoat to speak of -
he is show-slick.

Temps there have been in the 70-80 range.
Here we have 40-50s, going lower at night.
He will be wearing a sheet when he arrives & I have a midweight turnout that I will put on him right away.

Normally my horses were out 24/7/365, stall doors open for free access.
I intend to keep this guy stalled overnight, then let him explore during the day for a couple days before giving him "free rein".

Besides treating him to a warm mash at night, does anyone have any suggestions for making the transition easier on him?

I know horses are most comfortable when temps are in the 40s, but this guy has been in FL for some time and will need to re-acclimate.

Help me make my Beachboy happy in the Chilly Midwest

[cloudyandcallie]

He'll love not having to deal with all the bugs! Just make sure he gets lots of water, maybe give him beet shreds or soaked cubes.

My horse moved from Germany to FL with no problems.

Good luck with the australian. Get another horse to be his buddy. Keep checking the giveaways on here.

[2DogsFarm]

Good luck with the australian. Get another horse to be his buddy. Keep checking the giveaways on here.

C&C: you are reading my mind (get out...it's lonely in there!)
I've been scanning the Giveaways in case Sam doesn't adapt to being Horse Alone.
I'd gladly get him a pasturepuff companion if he needs one.

[cajunbelle]

2DogsFarm... good luck to you and your new critter, you both deserve to be Happy!

[2DogsFarm]

2DogsFarm... good luck to you and your new critter, you both deserve to be Happy!

Thanks - we're going to work on Happy before anything else

[caballus]

The first year I brought my guys up from being born and raised in FL it was the coldest spring of the century, I think. We had put up temporary shelter for them with FL-like stalls. The nights were consistently down in the teens and 20's. They had NO undercoats at all. I blanketed them and kept them blanketed until late May, I think it was! They HATED to cold; were afraid of rocks and hills (they came from SW FL with days in the mid 80's and 80%+ humidity) and absolutely REFUSED to leave their shelter in the snow! The following year, however, they grew in their winter coat and both of them didn't want to stay IN! They loved the snow. They loved the color air and my guy with heaves did better than he had in his entire life prior.

They'll get used to it. Make sure they have all the hay they want to eat and on the warmer days let them out nekkid but I would blanket them during the night time now if you're temps are falling below 45*.

[Chief2]

Since you will be stalling him at night for a bit, how about putting in one bucket of warm water, and one of regular? Then he can choose. Oh, and a salt block to encourage drinking.
Enjoy your new horse!

[alteringwego]

be sure he's drinking plenty of water. Add something like Equitea or a little molasses to the water so that he keeps drinking. Other than that just a warm blanket, plenty of hay, and he should be fine! Enjoy!

[Beenthere]

Buns is sleeping in his stall here in Florida and it is 50 degrees.....it is to be that cold until he leaves so thankfully he has had a few cold days to get used to. He was out leaping in the paddock this morning in the cold air....sleeping like a baby in his shavings in the stall tonight.......we are not sheeting him in hopes it helps him grow a coat....

[Thomas_1]

When I move new horses to me, what I do very much depends on what time of the year it is.

Your question very much reminds me of a time I bought a driving pair from furthest south of England and brought them up to the wilds of the Scottish borders and in September. Poor devils were miserable on their first day out when I'd gone out riding and it started to get quite windy and then rain! And they were native breeds!!! But no one told them that!!!

Right now in the south of England it's way up night temperatures about 11 degrees centigrade. Here we're down to -3 (26f). Day time here is creeping up to about 6 degrees centigrade. (42f)

But the temperature changes you're describing would incline me to:

When it's a nice bright dry day when the temperature has crept up and even though it might be cool, keep his rug off totally. Rug him daylight if its raining or wind chill or anything less than 35f.

If it's damp or freezing nights then keep him in overnight this year. I'd suggest different if he had a little longer to get acclimatised but close to winter now and this year his coat will be about as good as it will get. MIGHT thicken up a little if you manage to get him out unrugged during the cold light days.

Depending on your stables arrangement, best would be to have him unrugged - but if they're freezing or very drafty then a light rug would be best. My stables are in a long line arrangement with outward facing doors but even so they're quite warm enough and because there's a load of heat given off from the horses. Even though they're well ventilated they're totally sheltered from wind and rain.

Hard feed him late on before the night temperatures really drop and mix his feed with warm water (that's what I do before I turn mine out). It helps them to not have to turn their food to energy just to keep warm. Plenty of hay too.

[2DogsFarm]

Thanks all for the suggestions

And donkeyman - thanks for the update - I feel a bit more comfortable knowing Buns(Sam) is dealing with nighttime temps close to what we're having here.

Today was gorgeous - near 60 & sunny.
If only that would last until he gets here & gets settled in...

Now I can get back to worrying about how he'll handle being the Only Equine on the farm...
I've actually considered asking the neighbors for a loaner.
One family has an aged Arab who is low man in their herd and might appreciate a vacation.
Then there are the Pony People across the road - possibly they have a pensioner?
And I have a friend who covets the use of my indoor for one of her horses for the Winter - but then I'd feel guilty her 2nd horse will be alone...
See? Worry is what I do best at

[Beenthere]

Sam is on his way...left FT. Lauderdale at 4:00ish......Big box stall....he looked out wondering why we were leaving him....ohhh so sad...we all cried...alot. I know that tomorrow he will understand that he is going to a better home where he will be forever.......his one wish....have peppermints waiting please