Changing vets

[chaps89]

I have used my current vet for the 3 years that I've lived in the area and previously found him to be extraordinarily thorough & helpful. Had to use him this year (think my horse just likes ensuring they stay in business- it's bad when the vets pick up the phone & recognise your number/who you are!) & I just wasn't very happy with the service (won't go into details online, nothing against the vets skill or competence tho)

Been recommended a different vet who I would like to ask for some advice, but as horse isn't registered with them suspect that is a bit of a cheeky ask.
I am happy to re-register horse with this vets but the trouble is I am on good terms with current vets & also go down there on a regular basis as they have a training/breaking yard attached where I've been helping with a friends horse recently & intend to take lessons at, so occasionally bump into them.
Which means if I re-register, new vets will presumably want FCH off old vets & I don't want to upset/offend them.
I know it's my horse & I can use who I like to treat him but would just like to be tactful. Any ideas? Did wonder about saying I was just going to register him with another practice in case of emergencies, but I hate lying! Think I think about/worry about these things too much!
(also in NL2/tack room, whatever it's called these days!)

 

[AmyMay]

You've been with them for three years, and want to change now because of one problem that had nothing to do with the competence of the vet??

Sounds hasty.

 

[chaps89]

Totally see where you are coming from and it is a valid point as ultimately the level of treatment received for the horse is the priority.
My preference is to be with a small practice where the vet gets to know owner & animal (well, those they see more frequently than just for annual jabs)
It is a 1 man band so to speak and having spent considerable amounts of money with them & had numerous visits from the vet on several occasions I would have hoped the vet may remember me or the horse. However, I do appreciate that he is a busy man & will see lots of clients so that may not happen.
What I don't expect is to get totally different advice 3 weeks apart (he came out this year for foot absess, whilst he was there I asked him about horses on-going feet & digestion problems, at both his first & second visits) and to have to remind him what they are, and once reminded of horses problems he then gave differing advice again.
And this is what concerned me is that the advice he gives may be inaccurate as he is always difficult to get hold of (not something I blame him for, he's a vet, they're busy people) and in a rush.
When I first started using him he would take all the time in the world to discuss/examine the horse but this seems to have changed in his more recent visit and as a result of which it caused a mess up in the paperwork in the office which has been a bit of a headache to sort (for me & them no doubt!).
I have no doubt he is a good vet and he has been fantastic in the past, but the above combined with moving further out of their call out zone & thus being subject to higher call out charges, I just felt if I could find a reasonable recommendation for an alternative practice, it might be worth looking into.