Horse Insurance for a Breeding Business

Breeding horses comes with moderately high risk and unique liability exposures that may not be covered by your regular homeowners’ policy or a farm insurance policy. Whether you raise horses or own a stallion that you service other mares with, comprehensive horse insurance from Ark Agency Animal Insurance Services covers all the commercial liability that may arise from the following exposures:

• Horse Sales
• Open House Events
• Visitors to Your Farm
• Advertising and Promotions
• Showing
• Riding/Driving Horses to Promotional Events on and off Premises

Standing a stallion at public stud comes with additional liability risks. It is important to have a Horse Boarding and Care, Custody, and Control Liability Insurance (CCC) exposure because you care for mares and foals owned by others. Some farms also provide foaling services, which is another CCC exposure.

How Risky is Horse Breeding and Incidental Exposures? Moderate.

While horse activities are relatively safe, they still come with inherent risks. Accidents do happen when people at different stages of capability attempt to touch, handle, train, ride, drive, and control these large animals. Some accidents involving horses can be severe, leading to legal claims and lawsuits. Therefore, having proper horse insurance is crucial for protection against potential liabilities.

Commercial General Liability Policy

You may have concerns about facing legal action or claims for bodily injury or property damage from individuals interacting with your horse operations. The thought of needing to hire a lawyer for defense can be daunting. If found at fault, you would probably have to cover settlement costs for the injured party. However, purchasing a Commercial General Liability Policy (CGL) specifically tailored for horse breeding and related activities can alleviate many of these worries.

CGL Insurance safeguards you from financial losses in the event that a mare owner, visitor to your farm, or trespasser sustains injury or experiences property damage in connection with your breeding, boarding, horse sales, and promotional operations, leading to a claim or lawsuit for damages against you.

Care, Custody, and Control Liability Insurance

Care, Custody, and Control Liability Insurance provides protection against financial losses if a non-owned horse under your care falls ill, gets injured, or passes away, and the owner seeks to hold you liable due to perceived negligence. This coverage is not automatically included in your General Liability Policy; you must specifically request it either by endorsement or as a separate policy.

If you are involved in boarding, handling, or caring for horses owned by others, ensure you ask for this additional coverage by indicating your preference on the application and selecting the appropriate coverage limits. Our underwriters will then provide a quote, giving you the option to accept or decline this valuable insurance safeguard.

Learn to plan ahead with our Five-Pronged Strategy.

Related Coverages to Consider

If you are leasing the boarding stable property for your business, you may lack coverage for your tack, equipment, and machinery. Ark Agency offers the option to insure these items by including a Property Coverage Endorsement in your General Liability Policy. You will need to declare the items and their values during the application process, with an additional premium charged for this valuable endorsement.

General Liability Coverage and Limits

This horse insurance policy includes specified maximum limits or amounts of liability insurance for:

Medical Expense: Pays for the low-cost medical expense with no questions asked about your liability or responsibility in the matter.

Legal Defense Costs: Today, court costs and hiring of a lawyer can quickly mount to $50,000 or more, an expense you do not want to come out of your pocket if you are sued and have to hire a lawyer. If sued in relation to this activity, the policy provides legal defense whether the case has merit or not.

Settlement or Claim Costs: For bodily injury and property damages for which you are responsible and held negligent and liable.

Most Common Claim Incident for Boarding Stables

1. A mare owner visits your farm to see your stallion and is injured while there.
2. A horse-buying prospect tries out a horse you are offering for sale and is injured while riding it.
3. A fence is damaged, or the barrier gates are left open, and a horse you either own or board gets into the road. As a result, passengers are injured, and the car is damaged when colliding with the horse.
4. A horse that is cared for but not owned by you gets injured or dies while in your care because of something you did or did not do to keep the horse safe and healthy.

Where to Begin

For horse insurance that can be tailored to your precise needs, you can depend on Ark Agency every time. Our team members work directly with you to ensure all of your needs are covered with the right liability insurance. Contact us today by email or calling (800) 328-8894 to request a personalized horse insurance quote.

*General information is provided on this insurance topic. Acting on our coverage recommendations does not guarantee coverage if you have a loss or claim.