Documenting Horse Arrivals, Departures, and Transfers
Every horse that enters or leaves your facility deserves a documented record of the transition. Arrival documentation establishes the horse's condition and history at the point of intake. Departure documentation provides the new facility with what they need to continue the horse's care appropriately. Transfer records protect you, protect the horse, and demonstrate professional management.
Why Transfer Documentation Matters
The case for thorough arrival documentation is straightforward: it establishes a baseline. If a health issue emerges that an owner claims was present before the horse arrived at your facility, your intake record either confirms or refutes the claim. Photos, body condition scores, and a written description of the horse's condition at arrival are your evidence.
Departure documentation matters for the horse's welfare. A horse with a history of gastric ulcers arriving at a new facility without that information will not receive the management it needs. A horse currently on medication that travels without a medication record creates a gap in care continuity.
Both types of documentation also reflect on your professional reputation. A well-documented, organized facility impresses owners and new operators. A facility that sends horses out with no records, or that takes horses in without completing intake documentation, is operating below professional standards.
Arrival Documentation Protocol
When a new horse arrives at your facility, complete the following documentation process before the horse is integrated into the regular care routine.
Request prior records. Contact the previous facility or owner's vet to request vaccine history, coggins, any known health conditions, recent treatment records, and current medication protocols. Document what was received and when.
Intake assessment. Do a thorough visual assessment of the horse at arrival. Note body condition score on the Henneke 1-9 scale. Note coat quality, any skin conditions, leg blemishes or existing injuries, eye condition, and overall appearance. Take photos from both sides, front, and back.
Create the horse profile. Enter all identity information, the owner link, care instructions as discussed with the owner, and any health history provided.
Enter existing health records. Vaccine history, coggins information, any ongoing medications, and any known health conditions.
Quarantine period. Many facilities maintain a quarantine period for new arrivals, typically seven to fourteen days. Log this in the horse's profile and document daily observations during quarantine.
BarnBeacon allows you to create a new horse profile and begin entering records on arrival day, so the documentation process is completed before the horse has been in the barn 24 hours.
Departure Documentation Protocol
When a horse leaves your facility, the departure documentation process mirrors the arrival process in reverse.
Final health summary. Compile a summary of the horse's health history during its time at your facility. Include: current body condition score, any ongoing health conditions and their status, current medications, vaccination status with dates and products, coggins information, most recent farrier notes, and any significant health events from the time in your care.
Records export. Provide the owner or receiving facility with a copy of all health records. This is the horse's health history and it belongs with the horse.
Final account settlement. Ensure the account is settled or has a clear arrangement for final payment. Provide a final itemized invoice and record the account as closed.
Document the departure. Enter the departure date and destination in the horse's profile. Change the status to inactive or departed. Do not delete the record.
When a Horse Returns
If a horse that previously boarded at your facility returns, do not start a new record from scratch. Connect the new boarding period to the existing record. The prior health history is still relevant and the record continuity is valuable.
Note the return date and the departure and return context. Update records to reflect current status.
Transfers Between Facilities You Manage
If you manage multiple properties and transfer horses between them, the same documentation principles apply. The receiving property needs the complete record. The sending property should document the transfer in the horse's record.
Treat internal transfers with the same documentation care as external ones. The records travel with the horse, not with the facility where the records were originally created.