How do I find a trustworthy horse sitter?
I’m going out of town for just a few days overnight. I’ve never left my horses before and need to find someone to care for them while I’m gone. I’ve seen some ads for horse/farm sitters, but what questions do I ask the person, and how do I find out if they are reliable and trustworthy?
personally i would not trust a stranger to look after my animals.
what would they do if they were unable to get to your property?
do you have any horsey friends that would mind looking after yours for a couple of days?
if you must hire a stranger here are some important questions you NEED to ask.
1) how much are they asking for?
2) REFERENCES! and make sure you check into those!
3) will they be exercising your horses?
4) how long will they be at your property?
5) how strictly will they follow your routines?
6) do they have reliable transport to and from your property?
7) what would they do in a case of emergency?
9) will they be alone on your property or will they have someone with them?
Have them come over and prepare a list of questions to ask them. Then see if you get a good vibe from them, if not, choose somebody else.
Get a lot of references and check up on all of them, even apparently reputable firms sub contract to not so reputable people, I had that problem with a transport company who sub contracted and it took me 6 months to get my horses back, others were not so lucky and never saw their horses again, DO YOU HOMEWORK! DO YOUR RESEARCH!
-How many years experience they have
-How many horses they’ve owned in the past
-If they know how to recognize the signs of colic, deal with minor injuries, know when an injury is severe enough to call the vet
-Experience… see if they’ve ever horse-sat before and call the people whose horses they watched and ask them
If you want to settle your mind, you can pre-measure all feed + supplements in those gallon ziploc bags and then write the date and each horse’s name on the bag. That makes it impossible for the horse-sitter to give the wrong food.
The best idea is to get a recommendation from someone you know.
Alternatively ask if them if they can give you some names of people they have horse sat for before so you can contact them.
I struggle to trust anyone with my horse so would usually ask someone I know to keep an eye on them in my absence.
Yes, I agree on everything the first contributor stated.
But to add on to hers and others, I would personally come over and walk the person through your daily routines to make sure there is not reason for error.
Second I would have them sign a liability release stating that while you are gone YOU as the owner of the horse and possibly the facility are not at fault for an injuries. You can never be so sure if you do have a horse sitter.
Ask for references !!!
I’d also have a trial. See how the person handles your horse.
i wouldnt trust someone i didnt know with the responsibility of taking care of your horse while you are away. its a huge responsibility not like a cat or dog. i know when i went away my grandfather who had some horse experience would come over morning and night to feed him, let him out into the pasture, (he was able to go in and out of his stall as he pleased all day until sundown). if you have a friend or family member with some experience that is your best bet. its not like they need to be a horse expert! just capeable of being in an area with them and getting the feeding done. obviously make sure you leave them with your numbers, the farrier, and vet’s numbers in case of emergencies while your gone!!