Client Terms and Conditions

Mackay Equine Vets provides a full range of equine veterinary services both on-property and in-clinic. Our routine care includes dental work, vaccinations, general health checks, microchipping, deworming, and preventative health advice. We perform a variety of surgical procedures such as castrations, sarcoid and lump removals, wound repairs, biopsies, and other minor to moderate surgeries.

We offer comprehensive reproductive services primarily in-clinic, including frozen and chilled AI, cycle monitoring, reproductive ultrasounds, pregnancy diagnosis, embryo transfer, post-foaling care, and drop-down foaling services. Emergency and urgent callouts are available, including after-hours depending on veterinarian availability, with priority given to existing clients.

Our diagnostic capabilities include digital radiography, ultrasonography, endoscopy, blood testing, faecal egg counts, skin scrapings, and in-clinic laboratory processing. We also manage medications, treatment plans, wound care, sedation needs, chronic conditions, and pain management to support the ongoing health and wellbeing of your horse.

Payment is required on the day of service for all appointments, procedures, products, callouts, and medications. We offer EFTPOS, online payment links, cash, and bank transfer. Please note that all EFTPOS and online payment link transactions incur a 1.1% surcharge.

Clients must make payment while the attending vet is still present, allowing the vet to verify that payment has been completed before leaving the property or discharging the patient.

All invoices clearly state these payment requirements and the expectation of same-day payment.

If payment is not made on the day of service, Mackay Equine Vets may withhold treatments, medications, diagnostics, pathology submissions, or any further services until the outstanding balance is paid in full. Clients with unpaid accounts will not be eligible for emergency or urgent attendance until the debt is cleared. If payment remains outstanding beyond a reasonable timeframe, a $50 account-keeping fee will be added after one (1) week and will continue to accrue weekly until the account is fully settled.

In cases where an account remains unpaid despite reminders and reasonable opportunities to pay, the debt will be forwarded to a debt recovery agency for further action. All associated recovery costs, fees, or legal expenses incurred in the process of collecting the overdue amount will be added to the client’s account and become the client’s responsibility. These conditions are clearly stated on each invoice as part of our standard payment terms.

We ask that any cancellations be made at least one day prior to your scheduled appointment. Cancellations made on the day are acceptable for emergencies or genuine reasons; however, repeated short-notice cancellations may affect future bookings. We do not currently charge a cancellation fee but appreciate as much notice as possible.

The safety of our veterinarians, staff, and your animals is our top priority. It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that animals are properly restrained and safe to handle. We reserve the right to refuse or cease treatment if a horse poses a risk to the safety of our team or others. If we attend a horse that is dangerous, unrestrained, or causes harm, a callout fee or partial service charge may still apply.

While every effort is made to ensure the highest standard of veterinary care, clients acknowledge that veterinary procedures carry inherent risks, and outcomes cannot be guaranteed. Mackay Equine Vets, its staff, and contractors accept no liability for loss, injury, illness, or death of any animal arising from treatment, advice, or handling, except as required under Australian Consumer Law. The owner agrees to indemnify Mackay Equine Vets against all claims, costs, damages, or expenses resulting from the provision of services, except in cases of proven negligence.

We may only prescribe or dispense medications for horses under our care as defined by veterinary regulations. Even if we have seen a horse recently, we reserve the right to request a re-examination at the owner’s expense before dispensing further medication. Certain procedures (e.g. anaesthesia, surgery) require a separate signed consent form. Owners consent to necessary restraint, sedation, or other treatments deemed appropriate by the attending veterinarian during the consultation.

After-hours services are available subject to veterinarian availability and are primarily provided for existing clients. The after-hours callout fee is $500, which covers the emergency attendance only. This fee does not include consultation costs, travel, medications, sedation, diagnostics, or any treatments performed, these are all charged in addition. In the event of multiple emergencies, cases will be triaged based on urgency and welfare priority. After-hours visits for non-regular clients are at the discretion of the attending veterinarian and may be declined.

As part of routine veterinary work, Mackay Equine Vets may occasionally take photos or videos of patients during examinations, treatments, procedures, or while receiving care. These images may be used for medical documentation, case monitoring, staff training, educational handouts, and social media posts designed to inform and support our equine community.

Clients who do not wish for their horse’s images to be used for social media, educational, or promotional purposes may indicate this by accepting or declining consent at the end of this form. Regardless of consent choice, some images may still be taken solely for medical records, internal documentation, or legal requirements, and these private records will never be shared publicly without explicit consent.

Mackay Equine Vets charges travel at a rate of $2.75 per kilometre. We make every effort to schedule clients within the same area on the same day to encourage shared travel, reducing costs for clients and improving efficiency for our team. Shared travel is not guaranteed but is always prioritised where possible.

In the case of emergencies or urgent callouts, travel is typically not shared, and the attending client will be responsible for the full travel cost. Travel charges are always at the attending veterinarian’s discretion, based on what is reasonable and fair for the circumstances of the visit.

Clients may request an estimate for travel fees; however, estimates are only a guide. Actual travel may vary depending on the day’s schedule, traffic conditions, additional callouts, or location changes. For this reason, estimates are often slightly inflated so clients are prepared for potential variation, and the final amount may be higher or lower than the estimate provided.

Mackay Equine Vets routinely works with third-party providers such as pathology laboratories, diagnostic services, specialist veterinarians, transport companies, and courier services. Clients acknowledge that these external providers operate independently of our clinic, and we are not responsible for their availability, delays, fees, or turnaround times. All costs associated with external testing, courier transport, specialist services, referral hospitals, or additional third-party involvement are the sole responsibility of the owner. Mackay Equine Vets accepts no liability for delays, complications, or outcomes arising from third-party services, nor any impact this may have on treatment timelines, diagnoses, or patient outcomes.

As a mobile and clinic-based practice, our ability to attend appointments is affected by environmental conditions. Severe weather, extreme heat, heavy rainfall, storms, flooding, unsafe property access, or hazardous road conditions may result in delays, rescheduling, or cancellation of appointments at the discretion of the attending veterinarian. Clients understand that these circumstances are beyond our control, and no compensation or discounts will be provided for delays caused by weather or environmental hazards. Travel to certain areas may not be possible during adverse conditions, and patient care may be limited or postponed until it is safe for staff and vehicles to travel.

Mackay Equine Vets respects each client’s right to make their own decisions regarding Hendra vaccination. However, for the safety of our staff, other clients, and all animals under our care, strict protocols apply to horses that are not vaccinated against Hendra virus.

We will not attend or treat any non-Hendra-vaccinated horse that is showing clinical signs consistent with, or potentially consistent with, Hendra virus infection, even if the perceived likelihood is low. This includes, but is not limited to, symptoms such as colic, respiratory distress, nasal discharge, fever, neurological changes, behavioural abnormalities, or any other presentation that may overlap with the broad range of potential Hendra clinical signs. Non-vaccinated horses displaying these concerns will also not be admitted to the clinic under any circumstances.

We will continue to see non-Hendra-vaccinated horses for routine work only, provided they are fit, healthy, and showing no signs of illness. These horses may attend the clinic for routine appointments; however, they must remain with their owner at all times and cannot be left on the premises for monitoring, treatment, or hospitalisation.

These measures are in place to ensure the highest standard of safety and biosecurity for our team, clients, and the wider horse community.

We reserve the right to decline or discontinue service for any client or animal if we believe continuation would pose safety, ethical or professional concerns. We also reserve the right to charge for travel or partial services where attendance has already occurred.

These Terms are governed by the laws of Queensland, Australia, and any disputes shall be resolved under Queensland jurisdiction.

By engaging Mackay Equine Vets and agreeing to these Terms and Conditions, clients consent to being contacted by Mackay Equine Vets via email, SMS, phone call, or social media for purposes including appointment reminders, clinical follow-ups, account matters, service updates, health reminders, newsletters, and promotional or educational content.

If a client does not wish to receive marketing or non-essential communications, they must notify Mackay Equine Vets in writing by email or letter, clearly stating their request to opt out. Until such written notice is received and processed, consent will be assumed.

Clients may still be contacted for essential communications, including matters relating to patient care, invoices, payments, emergencies, or legal and regulatory requirements, regardless of marketing preferences.

By booking an appointment, requesting services, or engaging Mackay Equine Vets in any capacity, the client acknowledges that they have had reasonable access to these Terms and Conditions and automatically agree to be bound by them. This applies regardless of whether the services are provided in-clinic, on-farm, during routine visits, or in emergency and after-hours situations.

Clients acknowledge that these Terms and Conditions are made available via booking confirmations and automated communications, and it is the client’s responsibility to review them prior to the appointment.