A Friesian is a kind, steady horse to look after, which is precisely why his carer needs the emergency details written down rather than assumed: when a horse this calm goes off his feed or stands quietly wrong, the change is easy to underestimate. Your contact sheet should cover the people to call, the vet information that describes this horse rather than any horse, the signs your own vet has told you to treat seriously in him, and the authority the carer holds while you are unreachable. Friesians also carry breed considerations a general carer may not know, from skin hidden under feather to a sensitivity to heat under that black coat, and the sheet is where those become standing instructions.
Contacts, ordered by the moment
Start with yourself and the times you will be off-grid, then a named local backup who knows the horse and can attend in person and decide if you cannot be reached. Then your equine vet practice with its out-of-hours number or answering route written out, not just the daytime line. Your farrier follows: Friesians carry substantial feet and often specific shoeing, and a carer should never be left guessing who to call for a twisted shoe. Add your transporter or the yard's arrangement for moving him, and the equine hospital your vet would refer to, so a serious case has a destination from the start.
This horse's baseline, not a generic one
Record his normal temperature, pulse, and respiration at rest, taken by you on a settled day, alongside his usual appetite, droppings, and demeanour, so the carer can report changes in concrete terms. List his current ration and forage, his turnout companions, and any ongoing matters: a skin condition being kept at bay, a tendency your vet monitors, a past episode of colic and what was done. Friesians are a breed where owners are often advised to watch weight carefully and to keep an eye on the skin beneath the mane and feathers, so write down the checks your vet has set for him and how often they should happen while you are away.
Breed watch-outs to put in writing
Tell the carer plainly what should trigger a vet call for this horse: not eating, pawing, rolling, or looking at his flanks; a raised breathing rate at rest, especially in hot weather, since a heavy black coat and thick mane hold heat; any swelling, heat, or discharge in a leg, checked by parting the feather rather than glancing at it; and skin sores under the mane that weep or spread. Also note what is normal for him so the carer does not panic over nothing, such as how he rests a hind leg or his habit of standing apart after turnout. Clear thresholds turn worry into timely action.
Authorisation the carer can act on
Put in writing that the carer may call the vet and approve emergency first response without reaching you first, and tell your practice in advance that this instruction stands, giving them the carer's name. State any limits you want observed and confirm the backup contact can step into those decisions. Include where his insurance and ownership details are kept if the practice or hospital asks, and leave the whole sheet signed. A Friesian's carer who knows exactly where their authority begins and ends will make the early call that protects the horse.
Everything in the carer's hands, only for the trip
Scattered notes on a fridge door fail at the moment they are needed. KinsLe's Care Pass gives your Friesian's sitter temporary, clear access to his contacts, vet details, and care routine in one place while you are away, so the person standing in his stable at midnight has the same information you would reach for yourself.