visiting your horse at the vets

[Jim bob]

Just wondering if your horse had to go to the vets for 1-2 weeks how often (if at all) would you visit ? Bearing in mind that the vets are about 50 mins away.

Thanks

 

[Goldenstar]

Daily perhaps every other day at a push I never trust anyone with my horses .having said that my vets have started the most restrictive visiting hour rule one hour early evening I won't be leaving them there as inpatients again .
I like to walk in when their not expecting me and see how my horse looks .

 

[hairycob]

Every non-working day both times HP was in. Work was 1 hour in one direction, Vet 40 mins in the opposite direction.

 

[Jim bob]

I know the visiting times for my vets are when there open really

 

[HashRouge]

My mare was at Leahurst for 4 weeks when I was 14 and I'm afraid I made my poor mother take me down 2-3 times a week. It's just over an hour away, so not too bad, but bear in mind she was doing this at the end of her working day. However, I'd never been separated from my horse before and was bereft, luckily my Mum understood!

 

[ycbm]

Daily and I insist that I am present for any planned procedure so I can keep an eye on what they are doing and how they are spending my money. I've stopped diagnotics that won't change the treatment. I do my own bandaging or they charge sixty to eighty quid a time, for a small wound on a hock for example.

 

[WandaMare]

I would just go as often as I could depending on work etc., I would definitely aim to see them every day especially at first while they are settling down. I think it makes a huge difference to them to see you when they are in a strange place, especially if they are not used to being looked after by lots of different people. When its happened to mine in the past they have been much more attentive to me than they would necessarily be at home.

 

[Charlie007]

I would go daily if I could get there in visiting times.

 

[PollyP99]

I would just go as often as I could depending on work etc., I would definitely aim to see them every day especially at first while they are settling down. I think it makes a huge difference to them to see you when they are in a strange place, especially if they are not used to being looked after by lots of different people. When its happened to mine in the past they have been much more attentive to me than they would necessarily be at home.

Agree with this, I went daily (about 40 minute drive) my mare was so cuddly and needy during the time I was there I couldn't bear to not go as it seemed to be important to her and I could check on her for my own peace of mind.

 

[ilvpippa]

I went daily. Including less than 12 hours after her surgery. I was always made to feel welcome even though they were so busy! It really picked my horse up to see me & they treated her really well. Only time I haven't visited is when she was referred to rossdales as its over 4 hours away & it was during a week. But they looked after her well so I was happy.

 

[Equi]

Mine was in three days and I didn't visit. I feel bad now lol however a friend is a student there so I assume she would ensure the care and treatment was good.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I went daily BUT they are about 5 minutes from my work. Realistically at the time (saving to pay a big vet bill!) i'd not have been able to afford either the time or fuel to drive the distance your talking about OP. I do think you have to trust your vets and I do trust mine and they way they look after the horses in their care so I'd be happy not to visit daily.
Having said that I realise its a bit swings and roundabouts as the reason I trust them is because I go there so often!

 

[paddy555]

daily even though it is a 3 hour round trip. That way I am always in touch with their vets and can discuss exactly what is happening. I pay, not insurance, so I like to be able to push for more tests or ask them to do whatever I want etc.
I do trust them, I am not going to check up on them but to see the horse and to make sure I know what is going on. I had one horse in horse hospital and, as he wasn't used to being stabled, he didn't cope well. It made his day when I took him out for an hour's in hand grazing.

 

[MagicMelon]

I would probably go daily if it was 50 mins away, the only time one of mine had to stay at the vets he was a 3 hour drive away so not exactly visitable (and I was heavily pregnant, not ideal!)

 

[Sarah04]

My pony has been at the equine hospital since Thursday and I'm visiting everyday but it's only 8 miles away x

 

[junglefairy]

My horse is in for a week and I won't have been at all. It's about 45 minutes away and I work full time (and was away over the weekend) so just not possible. I would prefer to have visited but she will survive without me. I've only owned her for 2 weeks though so I might feel differently if it was a horse I'd had for years.

 

[Stary]

My horse had surgery I went the evening of surgery when she was still sleepy. Then every other day for the next week until she came home. It was about an hour from home and an hour from work. She appreciated the carrots and mints but don't think she would have cared if I hadn't visited. Being a Welshy with adlib hay in a hay bar was in paradise....

 

[BarneyTheChestnutOne]

My horse went into the vets last Saturday and was there until Wednesday night. I went every evening as it's only 30minutes from me. It was a bit hectic as I have 2 other horses to care for that are an extra 15 minutes the other way from home but I couldn't not see him

 

[Andalucian]

I'd visit daily, or maybe take holiday and stay locally and be there all the time! I can't leave them long when they're ill.

 

[wills_91]

I think to suggest that you should need to be there all day is a tad insane. One of mine was in for a week, I visited once as it's 90 minute drive plus a 20 minute boat trip. If you don't trust your vet, why do you use them?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Just wondering if your horse had to go to the vets for 1-2 weeks how often (if at all) would you visit ? Bearing in mind that the vets are about 50 mins away.

Thanks

When my donkey was at the RVC I went up seveeral times to see her it is 45 mins away from me.

 

[shannonandtay]

My daughters pony was in for a week, she went everyday and the only days I didn't go was three days when I was working until 5 as the vets didn't allow visiting after 5, on those days my mum picked her up from school and took her straight there, it's about half an hour away. Even just a little cuddle and to see him better each day made it bearable.

 

[flaxen]

Daily perhaps every other day at a push I never trust anyone with my horses .having said that my vets have started the most restrictive visiting hour rule one hour early evening I won't be leaving them there as inpatients again .
I like to walk in when their not expecting me and see how my horse looks .

Equine hospitals usually have set visiting times for a reason and its usually to do with having to do things with other patients that they dont want clients seeing or because they may be on limited staff and dealing with an emergency particularly on weekends, not because they may be doing something they shouldnt. For example we were in the middle of doing a pm on a horse outside the barn when some clients turned up outside of visiting times and walked round the corner of the barn and saw us, another time another client turned up out of visiting hours on a weekend, never told anyone they were there and went up to their horse in isolation and saw us shoot a horse and remove its leg for pm/ dissection. We only realised they were there when we heard the hysterical screaming.

 

[JennBags]

I went every 2-3 days, the hospital is less than 10 miles from me. There wasn't much I could do when I was there and quite frankly my horse was quite happy as long as he had food and water, he seemed quite happy to see me but it's not like we could have a long conversation about anything!

 

[criso]

Usually at least every other day, sometimes every day. One loves hospital and treats it like a luxury spa weekend but still likes me to visit, two others hated it there and definitely needed to see a familiar face. I usually borrow a brush and give them a groom.

Local one has visiting times but will usually be flexible if you ask nicely - I avoid when they are doing rounds with the students but outside of that it's usually OK. You would be more likely to see something unpleasant when up there for a work up or tests than visiting as the stables are away from all treatment blocks.

 

[Goldenstar]

Equine hospitals usually have set visiting times for a reason and its usually to do with having to do things with other patients that they dont want clients seeing or because they may be on limited staff and dealing with an emergency particularly on weekends, not because they may be doing something they shouldnt. For example we were in the middle of doing a pm on a horse outside the barn when some clients turned up outside of visiting times and walked round the corner of the barn and saw us, another time another client turned up out of visiting hours on a weekend, never told anyone they were there and went up to their horse in isolation and saw us shoot a horse and remove its leg for pm/ dissection. We only realised they were there when we heard the hysterical screaming.

I don't trust anyone with my horse .
Seeing your horse when they don't expect you means you can check up on their care standards a skipped out box with water and forage means nothing when someone knows you are coming .

 

[ycbm]

This ^^^

I would not accept fixed visiting hours and if told then I would ignore them. My horse. My money



PS. I'd be staying to watch the post mortem though, not screaming - fascinating!

 

[Goldenstar]

This ^^^

I would not accept fixed visiting hours and if told then I would ignore them. My horse. My

PS. I'd be staying to watch the post mortem though, not screaming - fascinating!

I will ignore them as well.

 

[junglefairy]

I'm surprised people will allow someone that they don't trust to do the basics (such as feed and water their horse) to carry out medical procedures on their horse...?

 

[SusieT]

same here re trust - if you don't trust your vets enough to respect their yard rules then find another one!.. there is confidentiality as well - e.g seeing a pm - that's not your horse to decide you want to stay and the owner may not want a random person wandering about. Or pts where owner is there last thing they need is other owners about.