Insure Against Liability Exposure And Protect Your Professional Reputation
If you supply professional services and deal with horses, you need to insure yourself so that you protect your business. Many insurance companies will readily insure experienced equine professionals because of the professional liability exposure.
What you’ll discover in this report:
- The types of professionals that should consider equine professional liability
- The coverage provided by Equine Professional Liability
- Why you should add Professional Liability Insurance to your General Liability Insurance
Who Should Consider Equine Professional Liability?
- Trainer – A common claim incident has included the stalling of a horse’s training because the horse is stressed out from the teaching technique a trainer uses. With a horse’s long memory for traumatic experience, any brutality will slow or even halt the training process.
- Professional Riding Instructor – A student can claim that an injury they suffered or that their horse suffered was caused by something you taught them. They could claim you used a unique control technique that was less than safe. They could say that you pushed to attempt something they weren’t ready for due to pressure from their parents or the riders themselves. You can also be pulled into a lawsuit if an injury occurs to a special needs client because of poor judgment or application of therapeutic practices by the therapist.
- Equine Assisted Services Provider – If an injury occurs to your special needs client because of poor judgment or application of therapeutic practices by the therapist, you can be pulled into a lawsuit.
- Horse Handler for Equine Assisted Services – If an injury occurs to your client who’s riding the horse for treatment because you used poor judgment that causes the horse to behave unpredictably.
- Horse Show Judge – Participants may often believe a judge decides unfairly, but sometimes that can result in a lawsuit for the loss of a horse and handler’s reputation, the loss of prize value and even a lesser valuation of the horse.
- Horse Show Steward – When there are a large number of horses present, your exposure to liability increases. Injuries can occur if you give the wrong command and chaos ensues.
- Farrier/Blacksmith – If a horse is improperly shoed or trimmed it could ruin their chances at a horse in competition and its owners may hold you responsible for those losses.
Other professionals include: Horse Training Instructors, Therapeutic Services Providers for Horses, Professional Horse Groomers, Accredited Assistants to Farriers and Blacksmiths, Horse Farm and Show Facility Design Consultants, Horse Show Officials and Horse Program Fee Consultants.
What Does Equine Professional Liability Insurance Cover?
As with all policies, there are specified maximum amounts of liability insurance for claims and maximum limits for legal defense costs and settlement or claim costs. Your legal defenses will be covered even if your case has no merit if you’re sued in relation to your insured service as are bodily injury, property damages, personal injury, prize money losses or loss of value of a horse you’re responsible for. As a professional, you want to insure yourself so that you’re protected against any claims during what a client considers is unsound judgment.
Why Should I Add Professional Liability Insurance To My General Liability Insurance?
Professional Liability Insurance is not a standalone policy. Each qualified professional should be listed separately in the General Liability Insurance policy as endorsements. This qualifies as a separate premium charge.
Professional Liability doesn’t provide Premises & Operations coverage that’s available in a General Liability policy. But the General Liability Policy does insure you if there is any bodily injury or property damage if you’re held responsible for negligence during your business activities.