>>> Having them home will be great, but I do feel guilty moving them again. Orri was at the boarding barn one year and Gat two years....if it takes all 4 seasons to get used to a move then Orri was just getting into the place and now I'll be moving him. So--trying to keep the schedule familiar may be more comfortable for them.
FWIW, I think the horses that came here that made the transition most easily were the ones who brought a buddy with them. Reddi took a while to settle, but he came with three pregnant mares. (Maybe he felt outnumbered...ya think?) The three pregnant mares just settled right in. Falki and Skjoni got hijacked and thus the trip from Canada (via San Diego) took almost two months instead of the 7-10 days expected...and they didn't seem to miss a beat settling in here. They looked so chipper when they arrived that Cary started calling that whole fiasco Skjoni and Falki's Excellent Adventure. (Thank God the results were such that we could joke about it.) Since Gat and Orri are already friends, and won't have a long trailer ride to recover from, and won't be changing climates, I'd bet they would settle right in, especially if you keep their daily schedule constant at first. And, I'd think it would be harder if they were making an opposite move - say, from a large pasture to a boarding barn type environment. Most horses love making the transition to more room and "freedom." Karen Karen Thomas Wingate, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.4/1189 - Release Date: 12/18/2007 9:40 PM
