Helpful Information for Clients
We can achieve the best results for you and your horse if we work as a team. Providing me with a good work area, and a horse that stands well means that I can do quality work for your horse. Here is what I expect from my clients:
Working conditions
The quality of the work I can do for your horse is dependent on the working environment; please keep me, you and your horse safe.
Be “present” while we are working with your horse.
No phones while I am working under your horse. Any horse can move, spook, kick or bite unexpectedly.
No dogs in the work area, having dogs trying to sneak snacks is dangerous, and consistently yelling at your dog to “get out” is both ineffective and takes your attention away from the job of holding your horse. Dogs need to be locked away, preferably before I arrive.
Allow me to work in the shade when its hot (somewhere with good airflow) and out of the rain and wind.
A flat, firm surface is best to work on, and somewhere to trot your horse out, makes my job easier, but we will work with what you have.
In summer, flys can make working on horse’s feet more difficult and dangerous. Fly spray and a fly sheet can help, have your horse pre-sprayed, and keep the bottle handy.
Please present your horse clean and dry.
Scheduling
This is one of the hardest parts of my job, making a schedule that works for all my clients and your busy lives, as well as being efficient with my time and resources.
Yes, I do give preference when I make my schedule. Preference is given to clients who; are committed and dedicated to their horses wellbeing and hoof health, I put a massive amount of emotional energy into each horse, if this is matched by you we are going to get along great! Clients who put their best into following my recommendations, including diet, environment, daily care and further investigations where needed (veterinary advice, radiographs, etc). Clients who pay on time. Clients who keep their appointments. Number of horses also plays a role in scheduling - if you have just one or two horses I may need you to be more flexible with times depending on your location.
As much as possible I try to work on a recurring schedule, so you will get a similar appointment time each round where possible.
I mostly make my schedule around your location. I group you with others in the same area and create a route that is the most efficient.
I work around a 4 week trim schedule. Please understand that this is not a money making scheme - I can only trim so many horses in one day, it makes no difference money-wise if I see less horses on a shorter schedule, or more on a longer schedule. This shorter trim cycle is for the benefit of your horse’s hoof health!
I put a lot of effort into keeping to my schedule and being on time, but sometimes life gets in the way! Some horses may take longer than expected, or I may run into traffic or road closures etc. If I am going to be more than 15mins behind schedule I will contact you.
Please allow me to stay on schedule by having your horses ready before I arrive.
Payment
As much as I would like to just help out horses for free (I really would love to be free to help horses without the constraints of money), I need to make a living! Running a business and getting out to your place to work on your horses involves a lot of different costs.
My preferred payment method is by invoice. Invoices are usually payable within 7 days. Alternatively cash is accepted on the day.
If there is an issue with finances please let me know in advance - we all run into unexpected bills sometimes and I don’t want your horses to suffer because of this - but this can’t happen all the time! Horses are expensive, please plan your finances accordingly.
Don’t make me chase you for payments. I am a small business and I have many business running costs to cover, I am not a credit company.
Cancellations
Please give me a minimum of 24hours if you wish to cancel your appointment.
Cancellations within 24hours may be charged up to 50% of the booking.
Cancellations on the day, including services not being able to be carried out (ie owner unable to catch horse, poor/dangerous equine behaviour, unsuitable working area, change in number of horses booked), may be charged up to the full amount of the booking.
A minimum call out fee of $60 applies once I am at your property whether or not services can be performed.
Communication
This comes into all aspects of our professional relationship, from bookings, to working on horses together. I want to hear how things are going for you!
Ask questions while I work! I love it when clients are interested and willing to learn, feel free to ask me questions about what I am doing with your horse and why.
If there are any issues with your horse, if they go lame at anytime throughout the trim cycle, please get in touch with me straight away. This includes any suspected abscessing, tender-footedness, lameness, hoof injuries or general “not rightness”. I will be able to help over the phone and we can start to make a plan for the next time I see you.
Don’t be concerned about offending me, if your horse is sore after a trim I need to know that so that I can do things differently next time, if I don’t know I may keep doing the same thing over and over!
Horse behaviour
The quality of the work I can do for your horse is dependent on their behaviour
I am happy to work with young horses, horses who find trimming difficult (older horses or horses with sore feet etc), and horses who have had bad experiences, but please understand their is no guarantee that these horses will have their feet trimmed, or the quality of the trim, we may just be handling them. Full fees apply regardless and horses needing signifiant extra time or effort wlill be charged accordingly.
If your horse is difficult, let’s work on it together. You can help out by working on their training between trims, make them more comfortable (in cases of sore joints a little bute before a trim, or giving them some light exercise to warm up can help), have their best friend on hand, or even use some sedation to start with if needed.
Hoof Boots
Most horses require some form of hoof protection to either transition out of steel shoes, overcome hoof problems, or perform at their best in the jobs we give them.
I carry a small number of hoof boots in various sizes that can be hired out short term. These are for horses we are transitioning out of shoes, or for emergency, eg laminitis or hoof injury. Normal rules of borrowing apply - please return clean boots and any damage (not including normal wear) will need to be paid for.
I provide a sizing service - I help you determine the style and size of boot that should best suit you and your horse. You can then purchase boots through a stockist.
Please note this is a sizing service only, and I will discuss any potential limitations I see with how the boots may perform, but I give no guarantees. Your horse’s individual hoof comformation and movement will impact how the boots perform.
Boots often need some customisation for optimal fit, once you have tried out your boots I can help you to make alterations.
Casting, Glue work and Composite shoeing
These methods provide some really exciting possibilities for what we can do for your horse. They do require excellent horse behaviour and a good work area.
Horses need to stand well for this work, pick up, hold and place their feet down politely.
For rehab work your horse may need sedation.
Ideally, we will have a hard, flat, dry and sheltered area to work, with access to power.
Some power tools are required, if your horse is happy with a small pair of clippers all over them they will generally be fine with my quiet drill.
Glue work needs dry, clean hooves. Please do not apply any sort of hoof dressing in the days leading up to our appointment. You can prepare your horse by thoroughly cleaning their feet out (dry methods only) and having them stand on a dry surface before I arrive.
Fly spray needs to be applied by wiping it onto your horse with a cloth. Any spray that gets on your horses hooves will affect the glue bond.
Any materials wasted due to the behaviour of the horse, and time needed to rectify the work, will be paid for by the owner.
Veterinarians and other Equine Professionals
I am not a vet. This means that I cannot make diagnoses and I cannot invade live tissue.
If there is anything concerning me about your horse’s health I will recommend you contact your vet. In some cases I may need a diagnosis and further investigations (eg. radiographs, blood tests) from your vet before proceeding with treatment.
Excellent team work between your hoof care team and other health care professionals is what will lead to optimum results for your horse, so I always want to keep communication lines open with your vet and other professionals.
Here is what you can expect from me:
A commitment to doing the best I can for your horse.
A reliable, regular service.
Open communication - please feel free to contact me if you have any issues or questions. I will also let you know if I have any concerns about your horse.
A commitment to ongoing learning and improving my knowledge for the benefit of you and your horse.
Kindness and patience