Professional fees

When it comes to vets, physio, farriers and all the other professionals you might need to care for your horse, it's not about saving money. These are the people you're paying for their professional opinion and advice, and so the most important thing is that you trust them. 

While it's good to ask for recommendations, you also need to make sure they're right for you and your horse e.g. you feel comfortable asking questions without feeling silly.

That said there are some ways you can look at saving money once you've found the right professional: 

The thought of a vet bill can be pretty scary, but there are some tips to cut the cost of a routine appointment: 

• Diarise your dates - Vets are strict on vaccinations and so always make sure you get yours done in time, otherwise you may have to start over and pay an awful lot more. Speak to your vet for more info, and take a look at Blue Cross for a quick breakdown. 
• Half-price call out days - Some vets will do half-price call out days or 'zone days'. For example, the call out fee in my area is half-price on a Thursday.  Even better, you can split this if others book at the same time as you. So rather than say £70, it can be £35 or less if you're able to book at the same time as others on your yard. 
• Bundles - Many also offer bundles, such as vaccinations and teeth rasp from £125 rather than at least £130
• Check if you can get the prescription cheaper - Some vets may write you a prescription to order online (from a reputable pharmacy). For example, in an emergency situation I was charged £39 for 24 sachets of Bute (£1.63 per sachet) whereas it can be bought online £76 for 100 sachets (76p per sachet) - but they may still charge a health check fee etc so ask for total cost first. In my situation I needed it immediately and so ordering online wasn't an option, and I didn't need 100 sachets so ultimately wouldn't have saved me money, but may work for others in different situations. You can check the Gov.uk list of accredited sellers as a good starting place.

Vets bills in emergency situations are much more difficult, and could be far more expensive. Making a rushed decision is never good, so try to think ahead how you would deal with any emergency bills. It's also worth making sure your vet knows whether your insured or not, and how much treatment you're able to afford. 

The simplest way to find a good farrier is to ask for recommendations. If a few horses at the yard have the same farrier it makes sense to try and align their appointments. Here are some other tips:

• Book ahead - Farriers are often in high demand and so book your next visit before they leave your yard.
• Discuss the best option for your horse - Many factors will affect the best option for your horse, including the type of hacking they do, the support they need and the condition of their hoof. 
• Check the best interval - How frequently you need the farrier will depend not only on your horse, but also the time of year. TJ is usually shod every six to seven weeks, but in summer he needs seeing more regularly. 

Again, the best thing to do is to ask for recommendations to find the best professional for your horse. Here are a few further tips: 

• Check for discounts - Some professional will offer a discount if multiple people at the same yard book an appointment, 
• Check the best interval - This will depend on the horse, but it's worth discussing your budget with the professional so they're aware of this when making their recommendation. 
• Think about second hand and discounts - If the professional recommends equipment, such as bridles and saddles, you will usually need to buy them elsewhere, and so make sure you think about whether second hand or discounts are available. 
• Be rewarded for how you pay - Often professionals use a bank transfer, but it's worth asking if there are alternative ways to pay, eg if you have a credit card that gives you reward points see if you can use this (remember don't do cash transfers via credit card).