Farrier and dental visits: what to keep

Before the visit

Keep the date, time, location and contact details where the person attending can find them. Add questions when they come up, together with the date and a description of what you noticed.

• Changes you have noticed since the previous visit.
• Questions about the current care arrangements.
• Previous notes, reports or photographs you want to discuss.
• Who will attend and how to contact them.

Ask your farrier which visit interval suits your horse. The British Horse Society describes this as an individual decision that takes the horse’s work, surfaces, clinical history and hoof condition into account.

After the visit

Record the date the visit took place, who attended and what was actually done. Keep the professional’s findings and instructions in their own words where possible, and retain the original report.

Add the invoice or cost to the same visit. A recorded expense does not by itself mean that the invoice has been paid or that the visit has been completed.

If someone else attended, keep their account of the visit identifiable. A question you still need to check should remain a question.

Agreeing the next visit

Keep the date or interval you were given, who gave it and when. If a date still needs to be arranged, record that separately from a booked appointment.

A date calculated from an interval is a planning aid. Confirm the appointment with the professional before treating it as booked.

Keep dental visits separate

Make a separate entry for a dental examination. Record the findings and any treatment actually carried out as separate facts.

Use the follow-up advice given for that examination. A dental check does not automatically mean treatment was needed, and its next date does not determine the next farrier visit.