Since moving back home to Michigan, we’ve had really good horse/dog/cat sitters. I have had great luck in finding college students (we live close to several universities) who have their own horses or ride and work at local horse barns.
My biggest concern is that the horse sitter knows what colic and laminitis look like. I always have had the student drop by to introduce all our animals ahead of time and then I go over feeding instructions. I then type out my instructions, send them via text, along with vet phone numbers, and run off two printed copies.
One copy stays in the house with highlighted info for dogs and cat; the other goes out to the barn and is taped to the grain container. In the past, these young ladies have sent me texts and pix of the horses in barn or in pasture. I always text back and tell them to always call or text me if something is amiss.
Last year our new, highly energetic, year old b.c. pup decided to not come back from an afternoon romp through the large orchard next to our property. Her recall with us had been excellent but she just had excess energy. Our older b.c. was no problem - you just carry a frisbee with you! We had been to an out of state graduation and were on our way back home from Pennsylvania.
College student texted me right away. She then went back through the orchard calling dog and texted me that she was zipping around through the orchard and could see her. Dog just wanted to run. I told her to go home, dog knew where her home was, and where her water bucket was located too.
Two hours later I got a text telling me that dog was in back yard laying in a mud puddle. So all was okay and my anxiety levels went down. We got home soon after this. I paid sitter an extra $50 for all her extra leg work with walking through the orchard a second time. Was worth it! Best sitter we have ever had! She’s graduated and married now.
We have had in the past, however, some really bad experiences with horse sitters. Back in the late 80’s we lived south of Kansas City, KS, on a small farm with our two horses and two cats. DH got some truly great deals on a flight to Hawaii over my spring break. We booked flights and hotel reservations.
We did not have connections at that time to college students or anyone with horse background”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹. So DH asked a single lady who was one of the administrative assistants in his department at work. She didn’t mind coming out and house sitting for five days. We left instructions for cats and horses. Nothing for the horses except for throwing hay over fence and putting grain in feed buckets a.m. and p.m. Checking on water, of course.
We came home to find that my Tb had a huge hematoma on her chest. Discovered why we when walked into the kitchen. Before we left, we had picked up vaccines for our two mares. Four syringes had been left in the frig for us to give the horses when we got back.
House sitter (no horse experience, no vet experience) had, on her own volition, taken the syringes, and stuck two into each horses’ chests. Quarter horse mare was fine but Tb had the huge swelling on her chest. I was livid!
Called vet and told him the situation. We had to buy the shots again and administer them later on. There were no harmful effects. But how does someone think to do this! We, of course, had not left the sitter instructions on giving the horses their spring vaccinations.
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Another time when we lived in KY, we took my DH’s nephew and niece to Williamsburg, Virginia, and to Six Flags. Our next door neighbor (older individual with no horse experience) told us he would take care of the dog and two horses.
I left easy instructions both verbal and on paper for the animals with vet phone number (same for dog and horses) included. I told him to call vet (my Tb mare was now in her twenties) and to call us at any time if needed or if he’d had questions.
Got home and older mare’s left hind leg had ballooned up and she was in considerable pain. Got vet out, gave bute, and started cold hosing. We could have been home a day early and vet could have been there sooner. We should have called our neighbor but DH said not to worry, neighbor would let us know if something happened. So not true but you live and learn!
We now hope to find another good experienced college student but no trips are planned except for ones my DH sometimes takes. I’m the designated horse/dog sitter then and that truly eases my stress levels. Good horse/farm sitters are worth their weight in gold. Pay them well and leave clear, simple instructions. And call/text them frequently.
