27/08/2025
I think we can seriously underestimate the affect of putting a horse in a new home.
A long time ago due to circumstances I had to sell one of my horses.
It was a heartbreaking choice but I let Arch's and Rois mother go because she was the sweetest and easiest to handle...........long story short she ended up coming back to me after 4 years , labeled dangerous and unridable.
None of which was true, she was ok at first in her new home but in hindsight I think without a companion she had shut down. Fast forward a couple of years and another horse joined her, she developed terrible separation anxiety and became unmanageable for the new owner.
She returned to me were she spent her final years without a problem. Rois remembered her and their meeting was very emotional.
New Home Syndrome: The Hidden Reason So Many Rehomes Fail
When off-the-track Thoroughbreds or Standardbreds leave racing, people call it “settling in.” Which is a bit like calling a house fire “a slight rise in temperature.” 🔥 The truth is, many horses experience New Home Syndrome - a full-body stress response that reshapes behaviour, health, and learning.
That’s when the labels start flying:
“problem horse”
“dangerous”
“misrepresented”
Yes, their behaviour can be dangerous - a 500kg animal in meltdown is not fun to deal with - but that doesn’t make them a “dangerous horse.” It means compounded and chronic stress has tipped them over the edge and without understanding, the horse ends up paying the bill for our lack of understanding.
That’s what we unpacked in our recent webinar New Home Syndrome in Off-the-Track Horses: What It Is, Why It Happens & How to Help" - and the feedback said it all:
⭐ “So fascinating.”
⭐ “Reassuring, this is exactly what’s happening with my new horse.”
⭐ “I wish I knew this before.”
⭐ “You always open my eyes to so much I didn't know.”
The replay is now available 🎥 along with a bonus presentation on Horsemanship Mastery and the Pareto Principle. Basically, how to skip the endless waffle and focus on the small set of skills that are incredibly effective.
And because life’s short, you don’t have to sit in silence watching a replay. Grab it for your next car trip to work or while picking poo out of the paddock 💩 and listen along. 🎧
Link in the comments ❤
