Terms of Business

Equilibre Vet Ltd – Terms of Business Last updated: May 2026

This document sets out the terms upon which Equilibre Vet Ltd provides veterinary physiotherapy and acupuncture services. This is an important document – please retain it for future reference. These terms apply to all current and future work unless amended in writing.

In this document: 'Equilibre', 'we' and 'our' means Equilibre Vet Ltd, a private limited company registered in England and Wales (company number 14522693), trading as Equilibre. 'Practitioner' means Lorna Brokenshire-Dyke. 'You' and 'client' means the person or persons contracting with us for services. 'Patient' means the animal being treated.

Services

Equilibre provides equine veterinary physiotherapy and veterinary acupuncture services on an ambulatory basis throughout Suffolk and surrounding counties.

When providing physiotherapy and acupuncture services, the Practitioner acts within her physiotherapy and acupuncture insurance remit. Her registration as a Veterinary Surgeon (MRCVS) informs her clinical assessment and perspective but does not constitute the provision of primary veterinary surgical services under this contract.

Acupuncture constitutes an act of veterinary surgery under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 and is performed by the Practitioner in her capacity as a registered Veterinary Surgeon and specifically insured.

Veterinary consent and referral

For horses with active pathology – lameness, musculoskeletal pain or any condition under active veterinary management – physiotherapy and acupuncture treatment requires prior veterinary consent under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 and the Veterinary Surgeons Exemption Order 2015.

For maintenance and performance services provided to healthy horses not under active veterinary treatment, prior veterinary consent is not required. You remain responsible for informing us if your horse's health status changes.

Where Equilibre receives a formal referral from your veterinary surgeon, we will liaise directly with your vet, with your permission, to ensure continuity of clinical care.

Appointments and fees

Appointment times are determined by caseload and typically confirmed at time of booking. We will endeavour to attend at the agreed time but reserve the right to adjust appointment times in exceptional circumstances.

Current fees are published on the Equilibre website at www.equilibrevet.co.uk/prices and are subject to change. The fee schedule in place at the time of booking applies.

Fees include professional time, clinical assessment and treatment. Electrotherapy and acupuncture additions, written reports and bespoke rehabilitation plans are charged as set out in the published fee schedule. Travel fees are calculated from Newmarket as published.

Payment terms

Payment is due on the day of treatment for new clients. Existing clients have 14 days from the date of treatment to make payment. Accepted payment methods are cash, cheque and BACS bank transfer.

Any queries on invoices should be raised within 14 days of the date of issue. We reserve the right to charge interest on accounts not settled within 14 days at a rate of 1% per month. Administration charges will be applied to dishonoured payments.

We reserve the right to pursue unpaid accounts through debt collection or civil proceedings. Any costs incurred in recovering unpaid accounts will be passed to the client. We reserve the right to withdraw services upon written notice for non-payment.

Cancellation policy

We ask for as much notice as possible if you need to cancel or rearrange an appointment so that the slot can be offered to another patient.

Cancellations with more than 24 hours notice – no charge
Cancellations within 24 hours of the appointment – £50 surcharge, payable before any subsequent bookings are made
On the day cancellations – full session fee applies unless otherwise agreed at our discretion

We reserve the right to waive cancellation charges at our discretion in exceptional circumstances.

Client responsibilities

You are responsible for ensuring that:

Your horse is fit and safe to handle at the time of appointment
A competent handler is present throughout the appointment
A suitable environment is available for assessment and treatment – a stable or quiet dry space where the horse can be held or tied
Your horse has not completed vigorous exercise immediately before the appointment
You inform us of any change in your horse's health status, current medication or veterinary treatment before each appointment
You have obtained veterinary consent where required before booking a treatment appointment

If, on arrival, we assess that it is not safe or clinically appropriate to treat your horse, we reserve the right to postpone or cancel the appointment. A reduced attendance fee may apply.

Clinical records

Equilibre retains all clinical records as our property. Records may be shared with your veterinary surgeon upon your consent or at your request. You may request a copy of your horse's clinical records at any time – please submit requests in writing to admin@equilibrevet.co.uk.

Clinical records are retained for a minimum of seven years from the date of the last treatment, in accordance with professional and legal requirements.

Client confidentiality

The practitioner/client relationship is founded on trust. We will not discuss or disclose information about you or your horse to any third party without your express or implied consent, except:

Where required by law or a regulatory authority
Where necessary to protect the welfare of an animal
To your veterinary surgeon with your consent
To insurers where required to process a claim
To a debt collection agency for recovery of unpaid accounts

Please refer to our Privacy Policy for full details of how your personal data is handled.

Insurance

We support the principle of insuring against unexpected illness or injury in horses. We work with equine insurers and provide structured clinical reports suitable for insurance claims. An initial consultation report is included in the initial assessment fee. Follow-up reports for insurance purposes are available on request for an additional charge as published in the fee schedule.

Please note that the contract with your insurance company is between you and the insurer only. Our payment terms apply regardless of any insurance claim. We strongly recommend confirming with your insurer that veterinary physiotherapy and/or acupuncture is covered under your policy and that the Practitioner's qualifications meet their requirements before booking.

Photography and media consent

We may take photographs or video footage of your horse during sessions for clinical record purposes, educational content and marketing use – including on our website and social media channels. No images will include identifiable personal information about clients without additional consent.

If you do not wish images of your horse to be used for marketing or educational purposes, please inform us before or at the time of your appointment. This will not affect the clinical service provided.

Liability

Equilibre Vet Ltd holds full professional indemnity insurance and public liability insurance appropriate to the services provided.

We accept liability for any loss, damage or injury caused directly by our negligence. We do not accept liability for any loss, damage or injury arising from:

Circumstances beyond our reasonable control
Pre-existing conditions not disclosed at the time of booking
Failure to follow post-treatment advice or exercise instructions provided
Actions of the horse or handler during or after the appointment

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud or any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded.

Complaints

Our aim is to provide a first-class clinical service to every patient and client. If you have any concerns about the service you have received, please contact us in the first instance by email at admin@equilibrevet.co.uk. We will acknowledge your concern within five working days and aim to resolve it within 28 days.

As a registered Veterinary Surgeon, Lorna Brokenshire-Dyke is subject to the professional standards and disciplinary procedures of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). As a member of NAVP and RAMP, she is also subject to those associations' codes of professional conduct and complaints procedures.

Data protection

In holding and using your personal data, Equilibre Vet Ltd complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for full details of how your data is collected, stored, used and protected, and for information about your rights.

Governing law

These terms of business and any dispute arising from them shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Amendments

We reserve the right to amend these terms at any time. The current version will always be available at www.equilibrevet.co.uk. Continued use of our services following any amendment constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.