Importing a horse can be a little scary if you have never done it before. Caring for your import is very important, especially for the first 4 weeks while they adjust and recover from their trip. A few key things to remember are:
1. The horse is most likely going to be a little nervous if not very frightened at first

2. Your new horse might have lost a small to medium amount of weight. Most of this is water weight from travel, but the horse will bounce back quickly.

3. Your new horse might not be use to things around the stable that are normal to you like cross ties, fly spray, and automatic waterers.

4. They will most likely sleep a lot during the first week or two, this is normal and it is important to let them get their rest.
Arrival:

The arrival of your new import is an exciting time, but it is also the most crucial time both for the physical and mental health of the horse.

Be prepared!
Have a safe, quiet area set up for the horse when it arrives.  If you are going to be putting your new horse in a stall, you should turn it out in a safe arena or paddock for a little while (turn it out alone!) so that it can stretch its legs and get in a good roll if it wants. Afterwards, put it in its stall and make sure you warn the barn staff that they need to keep away from the stall for a few hours (except for peeking in on occasion to make sure all is well) to let the horse rest and start to adjust to its surroundings. Make sure it has plenty of fresh, cool water and make sure the horse starts to drink. For the first meal or two, don’t feed grain, pellets, or any other hard feed. Give them plenty of good quality hay and then start them on a little grain or hard feed after a day or two.
Week One:
In this first week it is important not to work your new horse. Just let them relax. Spend some time grooming them and bonding with them. This will help you both become a team later on and it will help your horse settle in better. Make sure the horse has good turn out time to run and play if they feel up to it, but expect them to mostly sleep.
Week Two:
Week two of your horse’s arrival is absolutely crucial, especially if your horse comes from a country that does not speak your language as a first language. Put your horse on a lunge line (please remember to put protective wraps or boots on them first!) and start going over the basic commands. Repetition and patience are the keys to success! They typically catch on rather quickly.
Week Three:
Now it is the time to start riding your horse. Please remember to wear a helmet or appropriate safety gear, especially with first getting on a new horse. Start out slow, get use to the horse and let them get use to the way you work. Don’t try to do anything fancy or complicated at first, just run over the basics.  It is also important to remember, do not try to retrain the horse. Chances are, the horse is perfectly well trained at its current level and there is just some differences in communication.  As much as you possibly can, adjust your riding to fit the horse’s training, then move on together.  If it feels like your horse doesn’t know something that it should or you are having problems with any aspect of your horse’s care/training, try contacting the previous owner or trainer to ask them. In most cases, they will be happy to help.
Week Four:
With week four comes the time to step up into full training. Please remember to be patient and kind to the horse as this is a big adjustment for them.
Please note that if your horse is coming from a very different climate you should allow plenty of additional adjustment time for them to get adjusted. Be prepared to body clip or blanket your horse.
This is just a general guide, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact your vet.