Veterinary Consent Form
Clearly document veterinary authority and emergency care instructions when you're unable to
Emergencies can happen at any time, and there may be occasions when you're unavailable to authorise veterinary treatment for your horse. Whether your horse is being cared for by an agistment provider, trainer, friend, family member or another authorised person, having clear written consent in place can help ensure important decisions aren't delayed when time matters most.
A Veterinary Consent Form provides a practical way to document your authority for emergency veterinary treatment, along with essential information about your horse, emergency contacts and any specific care instructions.
The StableDocs Veterinary Consent Form has been specifically developed for horse owners in Australia and New Zealand to help ensure authorised carers have the information and consent they need to act confidently in the event of an emergency.
What Does the Consent Form Cover?
The form has been designed around the situations that commonly arise when emergency veterinary treatment may be required, including:
- Authority to obtain veterinary treatment on the owner's behalf
- Horse owner and authorised carer details
- Horse identification and relevant information
- Preferred veterinarian and veterinary clinic details
- Emergency contact information
- Medical history, allergies and ongoing medications
- Specific treatment instructions or limitations
- Insurance details (where applicable)
- Owner authorisation and consent for emergency veterinary care
- Essential information to help support prompt decision-making and the welfare of the horse
Why Use a Veterinary Consent Form?
Emergencies are unpredictable, and there may be times when you're unavailable to authorise veterinary treatment for your horse. Without clear written consent and essential information readily available, important treatment decisions may be delayed while attempts are made to contact you.
A Veterinary Consent Form helps:
- Authorise another person to obtain veterinary treatment on your behalf
- Provide veterinarians with essential owner and horse information
- Document emergency contacts and preferred veterinary details
- Record important medical information, medications and special care instructions
- Assist authorised carers in responding confidently during an emergency
- Support timely decision-making when urgent veterinary treatment is required
- Help protect the welfare of your horse by ensuring important information is readily available
- Provide peace of mind that your wishes have been clearly documented
While no one expects an emergency to occur, preparing in advance helps ensure those caring for your horse have the information and authority they need to act quickly when it matters most.
What is a Veterinary Consent Form
A Veterinary Consent Form is used when a horse owner wants to authorise another person to make veterinary decisions on their behalf if they are unavailable or unable to be contacted in an emergency.
These situations can arise when a horse is in the care of an agistment provider, trainer, coach, family member, friend or another authorised carer. Having clear written consent, together with important horse and owner information, can help ensure veterinary treatment is not unnecessarily delayed when urgent decisions are required.
Every horse and every care arrangement is different. Some owners may wish to authorise emergency treatment only, while others may include specific veterinary instructions, emergency contacts or limitations on treatment. A written Veterinary Consent Form helps clearly document your wishes, the authority granted and essential information before an emergency occurs.