The process of buying a new horse doesn't stop when you sign the check. Once you get your new horse home, be sure and give him at least a day or two of quiet time. If the horse is a show campaigner or has gone through a few owners, then he's probably an old hand (or hoof, as the case may be) at getting settled in. Before your new horse comes home, ask the seller what the horse is like in new situations, and ask what sort of feed he has been on. (It is inadvisable to change feedstuffs abruptly; your vet can advise you on this.)
When you unload the horse from the trailer, try and do it in a quiet place if possible. Lots of new horses are unloaded by haulers on busy highways, or the trailer is parked right beside the corrals of other horses - either of which may cause the newcomer to feel a bit stressed.
When the horse is put into his new corral for the first time, be sure that there is feed and water available. If he is going to be corralled with another horse, take the resident horse out of the corral for awhile, then reintroduce him. Give the new horse a chance to familiarize himself with his new digs and get a sense of the place without making him feel like an intruder. When you reintroduce the resident horse, stay out of the corral and let the horses do as nature directs them. If the two horses engage in light battle at first, don't be alarmed. They are only vying for top spot in the pecking order and this is to be expected. If, however, it looks as though serious harm will be done to either horse, remove the newcomer and find a way to either separate the corral (a strand of electric fencing works well as a makeshift divider) or, you might just have to find a new location for him.
This is just the beginning, but if you've crossed all
