Blog

Insurance for Equine Professionals

What kind of insurance does a trainer or boarding facility need?

If you are training or boarding horses and receiving compensation, then you should have insurance. Your needs are particular to your own situation, but there are several kinds of insurance – including, but not limited to the list below -- which can be tailored to your equine business:

• General Liability: Almost every business has a need for General Liability insurance. Also known as “Commercial Liability“ insurance, this coverage protects you and your business from “general” claims involving bodily injuries and property damage resulting from your products, services or operations. It may also cover you if you are held liable for damages to your landlord’s property.
  
  General Liability insurance doesn’t cover employee injuries, auto accidents, punitive damages (in most states), workmanship, intentional acts or professional mistakes.
  
  
• Care, Custody and Control: A standard General Liability insurance policy also excludes coverage for personal property – such as horses -- in your care. The purpose of Care, Custody and Control insurance (CCC) is to provide coverage for people who board, train, breed, or are legally responsible for horses they do not own or lease. The policy will pay the amount you are legally obligated to others for death, injury, or theft of horses in your care, custody or control.
  
  While requiring your clients to have mortality coverage on their horses is a great practice, it does not prevent you from being sued should an accident occur. CCC not only pays out on your behalf should you be held liable; it also includes any associated legal defense costs.
  
  Incidental transportation as part of a boarding or training operation is also included under CCC. If you are a professional taking care, custody or control over others’ horses, you should have your own CCC insurance for any damage while transporting those horses and to cover defense costs for such harm. Typically, CCC policies are priced on a per-horse basis and only cover accidents and sickness.
  
  
• Loss of Business Income: This type of policy protects you in the event of business interruption by providing operating expenses and replacing lost income.
  
  
• Workers Compensation: This coverage covers your workers or employees if they are injured, get sick, or die as the result of a job-related situation.
  
  
• Vehicle Insurance: If you have a truck and trailer, you will want to insure them as well. In many cases, your vehicle insurance will cover damage to your trailer you are towing (but NOT the contents of the trailer).
  
  
• Tack and Equipment Coverage: When showing away from home, a significant amount of expensive equipment such as saddles, bridles, carts and tack trunks travel with you. While you may do your best to keep these items safe, accidents and theft do happen. This coverage pays for the lesser amount of either repair or age-depreciated replacement of your equipment.
  
  
• Excess or Umbrella Liability: This coverage provides you with an additional level of protection beyond the coverage offered by your basic insurance policy, including mishaps involving harm to third parties.

It may seem that there are as many kinds of insurance as there are breeds of horses. And that thought may be just about right. But remember, no two situations are exactly alike, and your insurance program should be designed to fully protect your equine business and the unique liability exposure it faces.

For more information, contact us direct at: Equidae Insurance, Inc. 608 Virginia Street East, Suite 302 Charleston, WV 25301 p. (304) 346-1198 f. (304) 345-3535

Stacey Halloran, Agent
shalloran