Horse sitters are individuals who visit your farm while you are away to perform your horses daily care routines. From ensuring your horses receive their feed, water checks, and stalls mucked out through to more specialty services such as blanketing, and turnout management a good horse sitter is worth their weight in gold.
To find a horse sitter that fits your needs can seem like a daunting task as you are trusting them to take care of your precious horses while you’re away. However, it isn’t impossible, and here are some of our top tips for finding the perfect horse sitter in your area:
- Talk with your local equine professionals (veterinarians, trainers, farrier, etc.) and ask for recommendations.
- Consider contacting your local university. Often equestrian/veterinary degree students have a wealth of knowledge and experience through their courses.
- Check local social media groups, and online job postings for adverts, and recommendations.
- When interviewing a prospective horse sitter be sure to request references and discuss their horse experience and skills to ensure they are a good match.
- Discuss your sitters’ rates, and what services they can offer.
- Be sure to ask if your horse sitter is insured. If they do not carry insurance contact your insurance provider to ensure that they are covered while working on your property.
- Once you have decided that you have found the right sitter, pay them to come out before you leave. It will give you a chance to introduce them to the horses and go through each horse’s routine. You can also provide them with all emergency contacts, the schedule you would like them to adhere to, and show them around the barn ensuring a smooth experience for both your sitter, and the horses.