I've always been taught a good rule of thumb is to give the horse a week to settle into a new place. I made sure to do that with my pony when I got her in March, as she hadn't had any work done with her since the previous November. My standardbred gelding, who was always in regular work, was fine to ride right away in a new place but not after months off.

Having a helmet on and clearing the ring of everything (for flatwork atleast) is something you should do for every ride, not just on new horses :P.

He sounds like a nice deal, I hope he works out well for you .

You can't have temperament on horses. When something doesn't go well, you quickly get upset... that's not for horses, that's for husbands. ~ George Morris

Survivor of the Great Kitty Massacre '08
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