Important Information When Boarding

[Carpedeim]

I'm curious to know what information the barns that you board at require or if you own a barn, what you require the owners to give?

The obvious are:
Vet
emergency contact
farrier
feed program
allergies

is there anything else?

[Nerys]

Anything particular with handling (tying, leading, etc). Also, if the horse is going to routinely jump fences or get agressive with horses nearby. I'd also want to be warned if the horse has vices that could damage either myself, the other horses, or the facilities.

[NancyM]

I ask for last worming date, last farrier date, owner's phone number, quirks or bad habits, recent medication (hormone treatment?), recent soundness or health history (should I expect him to walk like that?) Any emergencies, I call my vet for the horse, any non-emergencies, I call the owner.

[NaTaLiE]

if you're organizing group teeth and vaccinations then you need that too.

We have to give Diane:

last worming
last vaccinations
allergies
handling issues/quirks
soundness issues
turnout or barn special needs (like Fancy needs her stall guard up)
issues with other horses
vices
emergancy contact
vet name (incase we can't be reached)
info and how to feed any meds, or supplements required
feed program

[ollie]

hey carp!!! i want to know everything including registered name breed age height barn name special markings as well as all the above post esp how they lead,don't appreciate horses rearing on me...if they have been around any horses with illnesses,do they need to be first or last or better in between??alot of the stuff i find out for my own personal safety as my barn can't run without me

[modCalamity]

Hi!
I just wanted to add that I ask for all of the above stated items, but also ask in my board agreement wether or not the horse is a surgery canidate. I do this because if I can't reach ALL of the provided numbers in the case of an emergency, I need to know if I can authortize surgery for things like colic if the vet sats its the only way the horse will survive. I hope that I will never have to!

[Megs]

one question not really mentioned (except by calamity) is we ask how much money they are willing to spend (if there is an emergency and we cant get a hold of them) to save their horse.

[modCalamity]

I just wanted to reply to the last post by Megs. I ask whether or not the horse is "a canidate for surgery." Asking someone "how much they would be willing to spend on their horse." can lead to serious legal complications for many reasons. For instance if the owner authorized say $1000.00 and the surgery would have cost $1100.00 the vet would not preform it in most cases. Also, if I was faced with a surgery that would save the horse and the horses quality of life would be shot, I could not possibly authorize the "maximum" amount of money I have, to preform that surgery. On the other hand, if the surgery cost much more but is routine, as in the horse would be rideable, and would recover to the same level as before, I would maybe spend much more than I originally authorized. No one can possibly quantify a number before hand. It is a very complicated and situational thing.

I simply to avoid problems ask flat out, Is the horse a surgery canidate. I leave it up to the vet to do the "minimum" amount before prior contact with the owner. If they say it is o.k. to do surgery. For instance the vet can take the horse to the clinic and keep it compfortable, or do minor surgery before reaching the owner.

Just a thought I would definitely rephrase your agreements.

[Megs]

hummm ya, i just meant my mom is the one who talks to our leasors about that sort of stuff, i just know that she had asked , as we need to know, (i dont no how it is worded it in our agreements, but she got a good board agreement from someone) i was just saying, how much money they are willing/able to put out in case there is no way we can get a hold of them in time. (along those lines) but we do have a good formal written statment in our contract.

but if we could not get a hold of the owner, we definatly need to know if it is $500 vs $5000 they are willing to spend or have to spend ect.