The best horse agistment providers are people who get the balance just right between professionalism and personal care. The best horse agistment providers love horses and know that your beautiful individual animal will not be coming their way unless you can be reassured of TLC all the way. The best way to reassure you is with a comprehensive individual contract for you and your horse. Only with professional attention to detail can you rest assured that your horse will get the best of attention.
The emotional and financial value of your horse make the days of a horse agistment deal on the strength of a handshake a thing of the past. The best horse agistment providers will have long experience of all the possible things that can be called for when caring for someone else’s horse. All of that experience will be written in to the agistment contract. But all horses are individual and special as are the requirements of the owner. Therefore there should be no such thing as an ‘off the shelf’ agistment contract. As the careful loving owner of your horse you should be equally professional and have the contract checked and cleared by your legal advisor.
A horse agistment contract is a ‘what if….then’ document that clarifies who has responsibility to do what, in every conceivable situation that may arise while your horse is in agistment.
What if your horse becomes ill? Then who is responsible for calling which vet and how will the vet expenses be covered and by whom. The agistment provider must inform owners at the earliest signs of a problem. All this must be specified within the contract. What if your horse damages the property of the agistment provider or injures another horse while in agistment? Then who is liable and what insurance must be in force during the agistment. All parties and contact details must be in the contract. What if the agistment site became unfit for use due to say infestation or drought? Then the responsibility for notifying horse owners is with the agistment provider. What if the horse is injured during its stay? Then, who is responsible for what actions? What if you cannot make a welfare visit to your horse due to some unforeseen circumstances? Then, who is responsible for caring for the animal and how far should they go in substituting for the owner? What if you have some specific and special requirements of your horse agistment? Then what are they in detail and who is responsible for carrying which aspects of them? What if you fail to pay your agistment fees in part, whole or on time? Then there will be a lien on your horse to enable the provider to recover all debts owed. This is a legally enforceable right but all good professional agistment contracts would include this ‘non-payment’ clause anyway.
About the Author
Westbury Park provides quality, reliable horse agistment to the racing and breeding industry.
Both the agistment provider and the horse owner under their contract are liable for checking and maintaining the horse’s welfare on a daily basis. Blame for any neglect or cruelty will go to both parties. You should read and understand ALL of the clauses of your agistment contract. Detailed and comprehensive contracts are a reassuring sign of an experienced and caring agistment provider.
