Horse Sitting
How to hire the right person for horse sitting
Any pet owner knows that it’s important to find someone to take care of his pets while he’s out of town, but this is even more important when it comes to horse sitting. After all, horses are not like dogs or cats because not just anyone can take care of them. Horses require someone who actually knows how to care for them, and people like that are few and far between. So how do you go about finding someone you can trust? Just start with the people you know.
Who do you know?
If you know anyone who knows about horses, then the answer to your horse sitting problem is pretty obvious. Just don’t forget to include the people who would make even more obvious choices than your friends. I’m talking about your veterinarian and your neighbors. If they aren’t available, then it’s time to widen your scope just a little bit.
Networking for horse sitting
Just like anything else, finding someone to care for your horses while you’re away can be easily solved by networking. Go to the place where you buy your horse feed or other supplies to care for your horse. Chances are, they employ plenty of people who know about horses. If there’s someone you already trust at the store, then you can ask that person to watch your horses. Otherwise, ask for recommendations on people who would be good to help watch your horses. If you can’t even get a recommendation from someone, then you may have to start searching professional horse people until you find a suitable match.
Separating the good from the bad horse sitters
There are several things to look for when you’re considering letting a stranger care for your horses. First of all, if the person has an established horse-related business, then you can bet she probably knows what she’s doing and is very trustworthy. Just make sure that you find out if she will have time to care for your horses as well. You also may want to talk to some of her former clients to find out just how much she knows about caring for horses.
You should also ask how much experience the person has with horses. Someone who has owned a business in the horse industry for one year probably knows a lot less about horses than someone who’s been in it for 10 years. That being said, experience dealing with horse injuries is just as important as regular experience with horses. You definitely want someone who can tell if your horse is injured and knows how to take care of it.
Another important thing to check is whether your prospective horse sitter is insured. You should ask for documentation that proves insurance.
Also it’s not a bad idea to let your neighbors know that someone will be around to watch your horses. A good neighbor will help keep an eye on the horse sitter and make sure nothing suspicious is going on.