Write the visit up the same day, while the vet's words are still fresh, and record the date, the reason for the call, and what was actually examined on your Thoroughbred. Note the findings in plain language: which structures were palpated, whether hoof testers or flexions were used on a soundness check and what the vet said they showed, what the teeth looked like at a dental visit, and the horse's weight or condition score. A Thoroughbred's file only earns its keep if a different vet, reading it cold months later, can see exactly where the last visit left off.
The findings that matter most in a Thoroughbred's file
Soundness notes carry the most weight for a Thoroughbred, because leg questions recur throughout a racing or sport career. Write down which leg, which part of the leg, and whether the vet described the horse as sound, improved, or needing rest, using the vet's own wording rather than your summary of it. Record any imaging done and where the images are stored, any bloodwork drawn and what question it was meant to answer, and the results when they come back — results filed days later are the entries most often lost. If the vet flagged something to monitor rather than act on, write that down too, with the sign you were told to watch for.
Work, feed and shoeing notes belong beside the visit
A Thoroughbred's vet visit rarely stands alone from his training page, so record the context the vet was working with. Note what work the horse was in — galloping, breezing, in light work, or turned out — and any change the vet ordered, such as days off, walking only, or a slower return to full work. Write down feed changes discussed, supplements started or stopped on the vet's advice, and turnout changes. Add the shoeing date closest to the visit and the farrier's notes if feet came up, because a soundness picture built without the shoeing picture is half a picture, and the next professional will ask about both.
Vaccinations, worming and routine care done that day
Routine items get forgotten precisely because they felt routine, so log them at the same sitting. Write down every vaccination given and the product's purpose in plain words, any worming done and the result of any egg count the vet ran, dental work performed — floating, points found, teeth noted as missing or loose — and any skin, eye or hoof finding mentioned in passing. For a Thoroughbred who travels to race or compete, also note anything the vet said about fitness to travel or paperwork the visit generated, since those details get requested by officials and receiving barns on deadlines.
Follow-ups, rechecks and the questions you meant to ask
End the entry with what happens next, in writing. Record the recheck date or the trigger for one — a set number of days, a return to a certain level of work, or a sign appearing. List the instructions exactly as given: turnout hours, hand-walking, icing or cold-hosing if the vet directed it, and when normal feed resumes after sedation. Then add the questions that surfaced after the vet left, while you still remember them, so the next call starts with answers instead of reconstructions. A visit record that ends in clear next steps is the difference between a diary and a working file.
Keeping each of these entries in your Thoroughbred's Pet Passport on KinsLe keeps the soundness history, shoeing context and recheck dates in one portable packet you can hand to a new vet or barn without rebuilding it.