A new horse

[bantamamba]

With our rescue, we had him on a good grass mix for a few weeks, then slowly added a ration of Equine Senior (which is a pelleted feed that can be good for putting weight on). You can also use beet pulp or rice bran, but these might be unnecessary. Depending on the state of skinnyness, good hay may be all he needs to get back to weight...but of course, your vet should be able to help you make this determination.

This has some excellent advice:
http://www.bluebonnetequine.org/education/refeeding.htm

Do everything slooooooowly!!

 

[geepy]

Easy keepers (low maitence) are the best. Lots of hay and a good farrier are the best things you could do for him/her. Horses are prey driven. Flight instint. And also bossy. Always remember you are the boss. They are also herd animals. If this is the only horse remember you are it's herd. With my horses I have found the best way to make friends is with brushng. Grooming is a big thing with them, it's bonding with them.

 

[Souperchicken]

Thank you all for that good advice! That's exactly the type of stuff I'm looking for. I going to be doing ALOT of internet research the next couple days! My husband knows more than me about horses, so that will help.
As for my experience.... My neighbor used to own a couple horses and would let me and my older sisters ride and take care of them when she was out of town. I was about 9 years old. We would brush them, comb their tails, clean their hooves. My oldest sister did all the tack type stuff and I would watch her. I remember I galloped one time on the horse and it was such a exhilerating experience! That's about it in a nutshell. That was more than 20 years ago.....

Right now we have him in about 1/2 acre grass pasture. We have someone worming him tomorrow. I am going to take some pictures tomorrow morning and can post them.
Thanks for the help!

 

[bantamamba]

Excellent.

Is he alone? If so, you might want to look into eventually getting him some sort of companion. It is true that humans become part of their herd, but horses also appreciate nonhuman company -- you obviously can't be out in the pasture with him 24/7. My gelding was isolated for two years at his last home and it near drove him insane...he had wore a trench in his corral with all the frantic nonstop pacing. Now surrounded with other horses, he hasn't paced once.

As far as your new boy goes...don't tolerate any mouthy behaviour, no matter how cute. It can escalate into nipping. Pushiness and invading your space as well are big no-no's. Get to know him, brush him, sit out there quietly with him or sing softly...but it's important that he sees you two as his strong and confident herd leaders. In a little while once he's feeling better, there's a strong possibility he'll begin testing you to see you are "worthy" of being the alpha mare. Just be prepared and remember to be firm. Don't worry about hurting his feelings.

In the pasture, you'll notice other horses respect the personal space of the alpha horse. If he ends up barging into you on a consistent basis, it is a sign of disrespect and can escalate into dangerous behaviour.

Also be aware that some horses can develop biting if they are hand-fed treats.

Don't mean to be the harbinger of doom here, just giving you a head's up. It could be he'll be a perfect gentleman with no issues, but you guys have a lot of getting to know-ing to do! I've been through the wringer with my gelding as he was allowed to just walk all over his previous owner, and he's a big and intimidating boy, lol. But we're getting things ironed out. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel, as they say.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Go easy on the apples.

Horses also need exercise, whether riding, driving, round-penning or turnout on a large pasture. Tired horses are happy horses and less likely to exhibit cribbing or wood chewing or become stupid when you ride them.

 

[babymakes6]

Here is a good reference thread for you to read: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=282113&p=1
Congratulations on your new horse!

 

[seymore0626]

The American Association of Equine Practioners has an extensive series of pamphlets on various horse health topics. These can be obtained from your equine vet or from the AAEP website. The articles have been carefully prepared and have good information.

The internet has a wealth of information, but it can be overwhelming. Know your source.

 

[Souperchicken]

Here are a few pictures of him. I decided not to feed him treats after reading what everyone had to say. I definitely don't want to encourage biting. Can someone please tell me what color his is called? Does he look like a certain breed?
We spent most of the day in town, so I'm hoping to give him a good brushing tomorrow.
Thanks for all the help! I was telling my husband last night about it all and we are glad to get some good info.

 

[Bec]

He's a chestnut (color) and maybe a quarter horse?

 

[Tala]

He doesn't look too bad.
Looks really rough from losing his winter fur in patches, but a good grooming should help a lot with that.
If that's where he's staying, find him a bigger place or somewhere you can rotate with, coz the grass in the background looks overgrazed!

Chestnut is right. He looks small sized?? Maybe immature? Do you know his approximate age??
Not sure of any breed.