Mouse's Contracting

I'm Zara Pateman, founder and owner of 'Mouse's Contracting'. I started this business in late 2014. Working with animals and on the farm has always been my dream job and i'm really happy to be able to provide an array of services for farmers and horse owners.

EXPERIENCE

My love of animals led me to enrol in my Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing in 2009. I graduated in 2010. I have worked as a veterinary nurse since 2008. My experience in this field, combined with my qualification has given me numerous skills with various different animals, including horses, cattle, sheep, goats, wildlife, dogs and cats. Not only do I have experience as a theatre nurse, but also in the care and recovery of these animals.

I have worked on farming properties since 2000, and bring to my new business almost 15 years experience. I have been riding horses before I could walk, and began training my own horses early into my riding life.

I spent 12 months working at the Inverell abattoirs to gain experience from a different perspective. In this time, I worked as a knife handler. This enabled me to better understand the anatomy of cattle, and the process of meat production.

I then worked for 12 months in a cattle feedlot for 12 months as a pen rider. During this time, I spent thousands of hours on various horses, most of which were very green. My vet nursing skills were very utilised in this job, and I was responsible preliminary diagnoses of sick cattle, liaising with the vets, and administering treatment and management of the cattle. Additionally, I gained a wealth of experience in performing post mortems on cattle and retrieving samples for veterinary analysis.

My next step was working towards the development of Mouse's contracting. In the last 12 months I have been further developing on my existing skills, with a particular interest in horse training.

SERVICES

My farming services include:

* Mustering stock
* Drenching
* Marking calves and lambs
* Preparing cattle for sales
* Goat husbandry
* Caring for sick animals, including injections and wound management
* Feeding
* Fencing
* General property maintenance
* Rouse about, wool pressing and penning up during shearing

Equine services include:
* Assessment - this involves a consultation about problems you may be experiencing with your horse, your horses history and initially working with the horse
* Riding your horse. I recognise that each horse and their history is individual. I am able to offer riding services for an array of horses. This includes horses that are green, problem horses and horses that have not been ridden for a length of time
* Pre purchase assessment - if you're interested in purchasing a horse, I can attend an inspection with you and depending on your use of the horse, can make recommendations regarding suitability.
* Confidence building for both horse and rider - one of my specialities is boosting the confidence of both horse and rider, without over facing. References are available for this.
* Exposure for horses - I can take your horse out to any upcoming local events to get them used to different environments.
* Horse transport - I have a 2 horse straight load float and am able to transport your horses.
* Administration of medication - after my many years working in a vet clinic, I understand that many people are simply not confident to administer injections, or to change bandages. I also realise that it is very costly keeping your horse at a clinic to have this done. I can visit your property and administer any medication, be it intravenous, muscular or subcutaneous medication, eye ointment, through cleaning of wounds and bandaging legs. Let me take the hassle out of this process for you!
* Halter breaking foals
* Instilling ground manners. This can range from anything from a horse being difficult to worm, being bossy on the ground or 'putting it over their owners' to a horse being difficult to lead, as well as desensitising horses.
* Formulation of a de-worming program that is suitable for your horses individual environment as well as season and weather dependant.
* Feeding programs available that are tailored to your horse as an individual
* Referrals to other professional services

GENERAL SERVICES
* Home visits to feed, water and check on your animals while you're away

If there are further services you require that are not listed, please phone me and if i'm unable to provide the service, I will most likely be able to offer a referral.

I look forward to speaking with you about meeting your farming and animal needs.

Please contact me to discuss your needs, and I can provide a quote.

Prices will depend on individual needs, but start as low as $20 per hour.

PH - 0408 654 942