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Bonnie Navin - Medical Malpractice and Equine Law Ramblings, Davie, FL (2026)

09/01/2025

WHY DO PEOPLE SHY AWAY FROM AN OLDER HORSE?

When someone lists an older horse for sale (let’s say 16 and up), the first comments are often: “That’s too expensive for such an old horse!” or “Why bother with one that age?” And honestly, it makes me shake my head.

Here’s the reality: most equine insurance companies will cover a horse until they’re 20. And yes, older horses carry some risks, but they also bring something you can’t put a price tag on: safety, dependability, and a heart full of generosity.

The Cost of “The Perfect Young Horse”

Let’s talk about the shiny 7–12 year olds that fill the show ring. They often come with a purchase price north of $100,000, plus a monthly maintenance bill that rivals a mortgage:

Legend & Adequan injections weekly

Supplements at designer prices ($190+ a month)

Shockwave therapy ($900 a week)

Gastrogard almost daily when showing ($42 a tube, do the math 😳)

Perfect Prep like candy before every round ($350 a week)

Quarterly injections in stifles, backs, fetlocks, coffins… basically an equine pit crew on retainer

It’s dazzling, but it’s also financially draining.

The Older Horse Alternative

Now picture the older horse. Maybe they cost $20,000 instead of six figures. Their “med program” looks more like this:

Some Cosequin or an ulcer supplement

A carrot or two

Maybe an apple for dessert

That’s it. No shockwave Monday, no “designer” SmartPaks, no endless syringes. Just a trustworthy partner who:

Packs up to the show like a seasoned traveler

Gets your timid kid safely around their first courses

Brings an adult amateur back into the ring without drama

Loads back on the trailer and goes home like a soldier

Their only demand? Treats and scratches.

Trainers, Take Note

The real education needs to happen with trainers. Clients—especially parents—deserve to know that older horses have tremendous value. Yes, maybe you’ll only get a few great years. But those years can be golden, filled with confidence-building rides and safe memories.

And when it’s time to retire them? There are soft landing places: donation programs, therapy barns, or simply a grassy pasture with love. You may not “make money back,” but you’ll have invested in something far better: safety, trust, and joy.

Don’t Overlook the Seniors

So next time you see a 16+ horse for sale, don’t dismiss them as “too old.” See them for what they are: steady teachers, kind souls, and reliable partners. They may not need all the bells and whistles—but they’ll give you their heart every single ride.

After all, gray hairs just mean they’ve lived enough to know the job—and to take care of yours. 🧡

09/01/2025

WHY ARE MEDICATIONS AND VET PROCEDURES ON MY BARN INVOICE?

Ever open your barn bill and feel like you’re reading hieroglyphics? “Show meds… supplements… shockwave… laser?” And the total? Enough to buy another horse (not that we need more).

Here’s the kicker: when I ask owners what meds or supplements their horses are actually getting, many look at me like I’ve sprouted three heads and whisper, “I don’t know.” When I say, “Well, ask!” the reply is often, “If I ask, I’ll be kicked out of the barn.”

👋 Horse friends — let’s change that. You have every right to ask questions. Your horse, your wallet, your rules. And guess what? Asking questions won’t bite. (Unlike some ponies.)

Supplements, Discounts & Rewards

Many equine pharmacies and companies offer discounts, rebates, or loyalty points. FarmVet, SmartPak, and manufacturers themselves often give monthly specials or rebates. If you’re spending hundreds or thousands a month, shouldn’t you get those credits and credit card points instead of someone else?

Procedures on Invoices: Red Flag Alert

Seeing charges for shockwave, laser therapy, injections, or other “vet-like” services billed directly by the barn? 🚩 That’s a concern.

These procedures should only be done by licensed veterinarians.

If they’re not? We’re in the territory of unlicensed veterinary practice — something states like Florida, Kentucky, California, and New York take very seriously.

⚖️ The Legal Line

Here’s what barn owners can bill for:

✅ Feed, stall, turnout, blanketing

✅ Grooming, hauling, scheduling, holding for the vet

✅ Passing along the actual vet’s bill (clearly labeled and with an invoice copy)

Here’s what they should not bill for unless they are licensed vets:

❌ Medications, injections, shockwave, laser treatments, dentals, or other medical procedures

❌ “Marking up” a vet’s work or presenting it as their own service

States define this broadly, and regulators have stepped in before. This isn’t just “bad form”—it can lead to fines or worse.

✅ The Bottom Line

Your barn bill should be transparent.

Veterinary services should come from — you guessed it — veterinarians.

Barn owners can be intermediaries, but the safest route is to list charges as:

“Reimbursed Veterinary Fees – Dr. Smith”
and attach a copy of the vet’s invoice.

A Friendly Nudge

Horse owners: you are allowed to ask questions. You are not “difficult” for wanting clarity. You are advocating for your horse and your wallet. Think of it this way — if you don’t know what meds or treatments your horse is getting, how can you know if they’re even helping?

So go ahead, ask. Politely, firmly, and with confidence. And if anyone makes you feel guilty for it? Well, maybe that’s the biggest red flag of all. 🚩

09/01/2025

Barn Gossip Confidential: Why Your Vet Shouldn’t Be a Chatty Cathy

“Psst… did you hear what happened to Daisy last week?”
STOP. ✋ If those words are coming out of your veterinarian’s mouth, we’ve got a problem. Because here’s the thing: Vet Confidentiality Is Real. Yes, folks, your horse’s medical record is not supposed to be barn aisle fodder.

📑 The Secret Files (a.k.a. Medical Records)

A horse’s chart is like their diary—private, sacred, and usually embarrassing if leaked. Without the owner’s consent, vets cannot go around flapping their gums. State veterinary laws back this up. Translation: no juicy “inside info” unless the law forces it.

💸 Pre-Purchase Peek-a-Boo

Thinking of buying Buttercup? If the vet already knows Buttercup’s whole medical backstory, they can’t just spill it like the latest TikTok trend. They need the seller’s official release. No release = no gossip. Buyers, put your ears back and demand paperwork, not whispers.

🔄 Passing the Torch (Referrals Done Right)

When one vet refers a case to another, they’re supposed to swap info only with permission. This isn’t a gossip chain—this is medicine. Owners, make it clear what you want shared (and no, “everything my trainer wants to know” doesn’t count as legal consent).

🏥 Teaching Hospitals: Where Secrets Still Matter

Even in the land of interns, rounds, and whiteboards, confidentiality rules apply. The AAEP even suggests not plastering a horse’s name on a stall if other clients might see it. Because nothing says “barn drama” like someone spotting their rival’s show horse in the clinic wing.

🌴 Florida Drama, Florida Laws

Florida statutes say vets must keep records confidential. Owners can request copies anytime, and vets can’t say, “Not until you pay that last invoice.” Reasonable copy fees? Yes. Record ransom? Absolutely not.

✅ Barn Gossip Takeaway

Vets are here to heal—not to fuel the rumor mill. Confidentiality isn’t just ethics, it’s law. So if you ever hear your vet dishing out the latest “medical tea” without consent? Be aghast, be horrified, and maybe remind them: Save the gossip for the tack room, not the treatment room.

09/01/2025

HORSE SHOW HACKS!! (That Shouldn’t Exist 🤦‍♀️🐴)

I must admit, I nearly dropped my crop when I heard this one: at WEC Ocala, a well-known horse and pony trader actually double-bunked horses in a single stall. Yes, you read that right—two horses, one stall, one fee. I was mortified. That’s not a hack, that’s flat-out stealing from the show.

Every horse (and pony!) is supposed to have their own stall—paid for, properly. It’s not just about money; it’s about safety. Cramming two animals into one stall is like putting toddlers in a broom closet and expecting them to play nicely with sharp objects. What could possibly go wrong? (Answer: everything.)

But wait, the creativity doesn’t end there! Word on the aisle is that some folks rent paddocks and play musical stalls: one horse out grazing by moonlight while a fresh one sneaks into the stall for the night shift. Next morning—swap! Like some kind of equestrian Airbnb, but without the cleaning fee. Again—wrong, dangerous, and just… tacky.

My humble (but very loud) opinion? Horse shows should slap this nonsense right out of the playbook. Catch someone splitting stalls? Charge them triple the stall fee. Yes, TRIPLE. Make it sting enough to cure the disease. Because maybe then people will realize: if you can afford to haul horses to WEC, you can afford to pay for their darn stalls.

08/18/2025

A Safety Message for My Family—and Yours—About Medical Care

I spend nearly all of my legal practice on catastrophic medical malpractice on behalf of injured patients. “Catastrophic” often means a delayed or missed diagnosis leading to life-altering harm—future care needs, loss of employment, loss of enjoyment of life, and, at times, death.

Over and over, I see the same risk patterns. Please read these as practical cautions to help you and your loved ones advocate for safe care.

1) Shift handoffs (around 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.)

Why it matters: During handoff, one team transfers responsibility to another. It’s busy, and critical details can be lost if charting or verbal communication is incomplete.

What to do

If you’re inpatient, try to address non-urgent questions outside handoff windows.

Before a handoff, ask: “What is the plan, what are the next steps, and who is responsible?”

Keep a written list of diagnoses, meds, allergies, and pending tests. Confirm it with the oncoming nurse.

2) Holidays and thin staffing

Why it matters: Holidays can mean skeleton crews and higher nurse-to-patient ratios, which can delay assessments, meds, and monitoring.

What to do

Ask, “Who is covering this patient today, and how do we reach you quickly?”

Clarify expected timelines (pain meds, antibiotics, imaging).

Learn how to escalate: “If the condition worsens, what is the rapid response process here?”

3) Device distraction on the unit and in clinics

Why it matters: Personal device use by anyone on the care team can divert attention from call bells, monitors, and critical tasks.

What to do

Speak up respectfully if a call light isn’t answered or monitoring seems delayed.

Ask for hourly rounding and confirm who will check on the patient next and when.

4) Diagnostic testing and “closing the loop”

Why it matters: A frequent pattern in malpractice is unreviewed or un-communicated results—labs, biopsies, mammograms, ultrasounds, and imaging. Patients are told, “We’ll call if there’s a problem,” and no one calls; serious conditions go undiagnosed until they’ve progressed.

What to do

Never assume “no news is good news.”

Before you leave, ask: “When and how will I receive results? If I don’t hear by ____, whom do I call?”

Get and read every report (patient portal or printed copy). Ask your clinician to explain the findings and the plan, in plain language, with a timeframe.

Put a calendar reminder to follow up on every pending result.

5) Nurse Practitioners/Advanced Practice Providers (APPs)

Why it matters: Many NPs and PAs are excellent. But training paths and experience vary, and physicians are less visible in many settings. For complex or evolving problems, physician involvement may be appropriate.

What to do

Ask about the clinician’s scope of practice, training, and physician supervision.

If your condition is complex, worsening, or not improving as expected, request physician review.

It is reasonable to ask: “Who is the supervising physician, and when can they evaluate me?”

A Short Patient-Safety Checklist

Bring and update a medication/allergy list at every encounter.

Confirm the diagnosis, plan, and return precautions (“If X happens, call/go to __”).

For tests or referrals, leave with: the purpose, timeline, and responsible contact.

Keep your own results file (portal downloads or paper). Read it; ask questions.

If something feels off, escalate—charge nurse, attending physician, patient advocate, or the rapid-response pathway your hospital uses.

These are not criticisms of individual clinicians; they’re patterns I see when care systems break down. Please use this as a prompt to ask clear questions, document information, and insist—politely but firmly—on safe processes.

This message reflects my professional experience and is for general information only. It is not medical or legal advice for any specific situation.

08/18/2025

HOW TO PRESERVE THE HORSE OR PONY?

When I review leases, people often ask what provisions should cover the number of shows and classes. How many lessons should a horse get if it’s going into a lesson program? How do you police a lease so people don’t default—and what’s the remedy after the harm is done?

I’m not a veterinarian, and I don’t claim to be qualified to make medical determinations. I do, however, encourage common sense. Many folks I talk to suggest no more than two shows in a row, and at those shows no more than two divisions—roughly 8 jumping and 2 flat over five days. It’s your property being leased; the lessee doesn’t want to purchase a horse, so there have to be reasonable concessions, but the horse’s welfare should still lead.

Recently I was asked to review a care lease on a pony. When we broke it down, the trainer wanted to half-lease the pony to one child for flat classes and use the pony for two lessons per day, five days a week—on top of the half-lessee’s own rides. They left out Saturday and Sunday from “lessons” because of shows, but the pony would still school Friday and show Saturday and Sunday in 4–5 flat classes each day. In other words, the pony essentially doesn’t get a day off, and the lesson riders could range from walk-trot to jumping courses. The trainer was charging $100 per lesson, so the pony is off your bill but generating at least $5,000 per month for the trainer. Meanwhile, the trainer wanted the owner to pay veterinary expenses and supplements. If a pony is being worked that often, I can easily see magna-wave and chiropractic in its future—also billed to the owner. I’m not calling it fair or unfair; I’m just saying my common sense tells me I wouldn’t do that to my own animals.

There’s also plenty of talk about how many classes a horse or pony should do at a show. I tend to leave that to groups collecting data—organizations like Safe Horse are working on studies and recommendations after seeing animals do 20+ classes in a weekend.

Another thing that gets my attention: schooling ring marathons. (Yes, that was sarcasm.) I’m talking about jumping the life out of horses before the class. I was brought up to flat the horse well, pop 2–4 jumps, and go do your course. Seeing 30+ jumps in the schooling area is shocking to me. We never schooled the day before the show just to “see the ring.” We did a short training ride, jumped a few, and went back to the barn. Save the horse for the actual show days. It’s no wonder the schooling ring fee that used to be $5 is now $30—and even that hasn’t slowed down the jump-jump-jump mindset.

Enforcement is another challenge. How do you police a height limit in a lease when you can’t be at the barn for every ride? Often the only “audit” is social media, when kids proudly post themselves jumping big—clearly outside the contract.

And then there’s the big-picture question: How do you keep a lessee caring for your animal as if it were their own? What language, structure, or oversight actually works in practice?

These are just my thoughts to invite discussion. I’d really love to hear how others handle class limits, rest days, schooling habits, trainer use in lesson programs, who pays for what, and what’s worked (or not) to keep horses and ponies sound and happy under a lease.

08/17/2025

What Are the Expectations of Privacy With My Trainer and My Horse?

Let’s talk about one of my biggest pet peeves: barn gossip disguised as “professional courtesy.”

You know how it goes—your old trainer calls up the new trainer and says something like:

“Just a heads up—your new client is a nightmare, always late on board, and oh, by the way, the horse refuses to go in the wash rack unless bribed with three peppermints and a back scratch.”

On the flip side, trainers complain:

“I can’t believe no one warned me!”

Here’s the problem: confidentiality is supposed to be a thing. Your client expects it. You should expect it. And spilling barn tea isn’t just tacky—it can get you sued.

Why Gossip Can Bite You Back

Picture this: you used to give Dobbin a little “vitamin Bute” before his jump lessons. Never mentioned it to the owner, because hey—why worry them? Fast forward, Dobbin gets sold, and you get that call:

“Hey, can you tell me about the horse?”

And you chirp:

“Oh, totally serviceably sound—just needed a touch of bute before lessons or shows.”

Guess what? Now your former client is being sued for non-disclosure, you’ve tanked a sale, and you’ve kindly volunteered yourself for a starring role in someone else’s litigation. Tortious interference, party of one—your table is ready.

The Rule of Survival

So what’s the solution? Simple: shut it.

Unless you have written consent, you don’t talk about the horse, the rider, the bills, the training quirks, or the fact that the horse once jumped out of the ring because the neighbor was grilling hamburgers.

Confidentiality isn’t just etiquette—it’s insurance against winding up in court explaining why you thought it was a good idea to share Dobbin’s digestive history with a stranger.

Final Word

Think of it like barn drama at the in-gate. Sure, you could tell the world what you really think—but do you really want to deal with the fallout when the class is over? Exactly.

So remember: in the horse world, as in Vegas—what happens in the barn, stays in the barn.

08/17/2025

What Does a Thirty (30) Day Notice Really Mean in a Boarding Contract?

I receive many calls from horse owners asking whether they must provide thirty (30) days’ notice before leaving a boarding barn. The answer is straightforward: you are only required to provide notice if your signed boarding contract specifically contains that requirement.

Despite what some barns may claim, a “thirty-day notice” is not an industry standard unless it is written into the agreement you signed for that horse. Without such a clause, there is no legal obligation to provide advance notice.

When Notice Is Required

If your contract does contain a thirty-day notice provision, timing is critical:

Notice must be given before or on the date your monthly board is due.

Example: If you pay on the 1st and give written notice on the 1st, that month is your last. If you give notice on January 5, you are obligated through the following month—meaning February is your final month, and you may leave March 1.

This obligation stems from basic principles of contract law under Florida common law. The contract governs; no statute requires or imposes a notice period absent agreement.

Scope of the Notice Obligation

Notice applies only to the services covered by your specific contract:

If the contract is for board only, you owe board during the notice period—not training fees.

If the contract is for board and training as a flat fee, then both must be paid during the notice period.

You may give notice, pay the required amount, and move your horse before the thirty days is up. Payment obligations remain, but you are not required to physically keep your horse at the barn.

Can the Deposit Be Applied to Last Month’s Board?

No—unless the contract expressly states otherwise.
In Florida, deposits are treated like security deposits in residential leases: they are held against potential damage. The barn owner must comply with Florida Statutes § 83.49, which requires that:

The deposit be returned in full within 30 days of departure, or

An itemized statement of deductions be provided in writing (delivered by certified or trackable mail).

Unless the contract specifically authorizes it, a deposit cannot be automatically applied to the last month’s board.

Can a Barn Owner Hold My Horse for Unpaid “Thirty Days’ Notice”?

Generally, no. Florida law does provide certain lien rights for stable keepers under Florida Statutes § 713.65, which allows a lien for unpaid board and care. However:

The lien applies to actual unpaid charges for the care and keeping of the horse.

It does not automatically extend to alleged obligations for a “thirty-day notice” unless that obligation is clear, unambiguous, and enforceable in the contract.

If a barn refuses to release your horse for nonpayment of a disputed notice period, you may contact law enforcement and present your contract. Courts may later find such a lien attempt invalid.

Can a Barn Owner Hold My Tack or Other Property?

No. A boarding lien under § 713.65 applies only to the horse, not to personal property such as tack, blankets, or equipment. If a barn refuses to return your belongings, this is not a boarding dispute—it constitutes theft under Florida Statutes § 812.014.

Key Takeaway

Thirty (30) day notice obligations exist only if written into your contract.

Deposits are regulated under § 83.49, Fla. Stat., and may not be used as last month’s board unless expressly agreed.

Stable liens under § 713.65, Fla. Stat. allow barns to hold a horse for unpaid board and care, not for tack, equipment, or disputed notice periods.

Always review your boarding contract carefully and do not rely on “industry standard” claims that have no legal foundation.

Bonnie Navin - Medical Malpractice and Equine Law Ramblings

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