Full Care Agistment Agreement
Clearly define care responsibilities, services and expectations for full care horse agistment arrang
Full care horse agistment is designed for situations where the property owner provides the day-to-day care of the horse on behalf of the owner.
As this arrangement involves a higher level of responsibility, clearly documenting the services provided, care expectations and each party's responsibilities is essential to help minimise misunderstandings and provide certainty for everyone involved.
Whether you're an agistment provider offering full care services or a horse owner placing your horse into full care, a written agreement provides a practical framework by documenting services, responsibilities, fees and important terms of the arrangement.
Developed specifically for Australia and New Zealand, the StableDocs Full Care Horse Agistment Agreement has been designed to help establish clear, practical and professional full care agistment arrangements with confidence.
What Does the Agreement Cover?
The agreement has been designed around the situations that commonly arise in Full Care horse agistment arrangements, including:
- Agistment fees and payment arrangements
- Care services provided and excluded
- Horse care responsibilities and expectations
- Feeding, medications and routine care
- Veterinary treatment and emergency procedures
- Property rules and facility use
- Liability, risk and insurance considerations
- Biosecurity and property access requirements
- Notice periods, termination and horse removal
- General responsibilities of both the agistment provider and horse owner
Why Use a Written Agistment Agreement?
Many agistment arrangements begin with good intentions, but without documenting the details, misunderstandings can develop over time.
A written agreement helps:
- Clearly define the responsibilities of both the agistment provider and horse owner
- Establish the services and facilities included in the agistment arrangement
- Document fees, payment terms and additional charges
- Set clear expectations for horse care, property use and conduct
- Clarify veterinary procedures and emergency contacts
- Support the welfare of the horse through clearly documented responsibilities
- Provide a practical reference point throughout the agistment arrangement
While no agreement can prevent every disagreement, documenting expectations from the outset provides greater clarity and confidence for everyone involved.
What is Full Care Agistment?
Full Care agistment is an arrangement where the agistment provider assumes responsibility for the day-to-day care and management of the horse, while the horse owner pays for those services as part of the agistment arrangement.
Depending on the property and services offered, full care may include feeding, rug changes, monitoring the horse's health and wellbeing, administering owner-supplied medications, coordinating routine veterinary and farrier visits, and providing general daily care. The exact services included should always be clearly agreed upon between the parties.
As every agistment property operates differently, the level of care provided can vary significantly. Some full care arrangements include comprehensive daily management, while others offer a defined package of services with additional care available for an extra fee.
A written agreement helps ensure both the horse owner and agistment provider have a clear understanding of the services being provided, each party's responsibilities, payment arrangements and expectations before the horse arrives on the property.