Horse care while you are away
Put the arrangements for your absence in one place, from the first handover to the care you will take back on your return.
In brief
- Agree who covers each part of the care and who can step in.
- Share current instructions, practical access details and the contacts your carer will need.
- Agree routine updates separately from emergency contact arrangements.
On this page
Define the handover
Record when your cover starts and ends, including which care you will do before leaving and after returning. Check that each person has accepted their part.
Agree a replacement arrangement if the carer becomes unavailable. The replacement needs access to the same current instructions and contact details.
Include any agreed riding, appointments, payments or other responsibilities. Record open questions separately from arrangements that have been confirmed.
Prepare the current instructions
Date the handover and identify who prepared it. Copy the existing instructions accurately, keeping the original professional advice available.
- Feed products, quantities, units, preparation and agreed times, including hay and water arrangements.
- Current medication instructions, the original prescription and the latest recorded administration.
- Agreed turnout, exercise and rug arrangements, including any temporary changes.
- Appointments already arranged, who will attend and where the resulting instructions will be kept.
If instructions conflict or a detail is missing, resolve the question with the owner or relevant professional before presenting the handover as complete.
Walk through the practical details
Go through the agreed care together. Show where the supplies, equipment and current records are kept, and check that the carer can identify and use what the instructions refer to.
Check the stock against the quantities and period in your existing plan. Agree who arranges any deliveries or replacements.
Share the location, access arrangements and contact details needed for the care. Give private information only to the people who need it.
Identify the people you have nominated for emergency decisions if you cannot be reached, and discuss your emergency plan with them.
Agree updates and your return
Decide together what routine updates you want, when to send them and which contact method to use. Include any periods when you expect to be unreachable.
An update should distinguish care carried out, care not carried out and anything still uncertain. Keep new observations and any professional instructions with their dates.
On your return, confirm who covers the next care. Review temporary instructions, completed appointments, outstanding questions and anything the carer still needs to hand back.