Equine Law Blog

Equine Liability Coverage – Test Yourself, and Protect Yourself

Do you understand what equine-related liability insurance policies do? Many people in the horse industry learn the shortcomings of their liability insurance policies after something goes wrong.

To gain a better understanding of how these policies work, here are examples of some occurrences:

Late one night, Brenda’s horse escapes from its pasture on her property and wanders onto a nearby road where he collides with a car and injures a motorist.

If Brenda’s homeowner’s insurance, farm owner’s insurance, or renter’s insurance policy protects her against liabilities that her horses may generate when stabled on her property, she will probably be covered. Basic homeowner’s and renter’s insurance policies may not automatically protect her from these types of risks.

John lets his friend Laurie ride his horse, but the horse suddenly bolts, and Laurie falls off, sustaining severe injuries. She sues.

Ellie rode her horse in an organized trail ride, but when her horse kicked out on the trail, his hoof shattered Sam’s knee. Sam sues.

If John and Ellie had only homeowner’s, renter’s, or farm owner’s liability insurance policies, their policies might not cover these occurrences, but their insurance agents might have offered them additional coverage through “endorsements” to protect against these risks.

Policies of personal horse owner’s liability insurance would be most likely to protect them from these claims. These policies are designed to “follow the horse” and protect the owner if the horse is blamed for causing injury or damage, when the horse is on or off of the owner’s premises (with some limitations).

To be sure that you are properly covered, make sure to ask your insurance agent or read your policy very carefully. Your insurance agent can explain whether you are properly covered.

Categories: Insurance, Liability