If you’ve recently adopted or purchased a pony, maybe you’ve considered sharing the ponies with children at birthday parties or on pony rides. After all, you have everything you need to start a business, right?
What about insurance? If a child falls off a pony and gets hurt or a scared pony runs loose and causes damage in a public space, you would be held liable.
You need to think about:
- Common claims involving pony rides
- Following government/insurance standards
- How to plan ahead
- Coverage offered by a commercial general liability policy
- Additional coverage to consider
Top Claims Incidents Against Pony-Related Businesses
Some of the most common claim incidents involving pony-related businesses include:
- A child or adult falls or trips while trying to get near the pony
- A child falls from or jumps off a pony while riding it
- A pony reacts to someone deliberately trying to scare it, behaves in an unsafe way and damages property or injures someone
- A scared pony gets loose in a public location causing damage to property, gets hit by a car or charges into people.
Equine Facility Operations Standards
Depending on the commercial venture you’re starting, if it involves ponies, there are minimum safety standards for activities, including coaching, trail rides, equine assisted learning and pony rides.
You also need to be aware of your province’s safety regulations. Check your provincial safety regulations regarding helmet use for minors and if helmets need to meet certain criteria, such as ASTM, BSI or European Safety Standards. Footwear is also often regulated (i.e. hard-soled footwear with a heel of no less than 1.5 centimeters).
How To Plan Ahead
We know you care about ponies and the people you entertain. Below are steps you can take to protect yourself against potential accidents.
Enforce barn rules
Develop rules for your environment for both the ponies and people. Train staff members so they understand rules and procedures. Document procedures.
Plan for emergencies
Emergencies happen. But the more prepared you are, the better chance you have of providing proper care to your horses. Preparation can minimize the severity of any accident.
Develop regular inspections of your property
By inspecting your premises for potential hazards, you can take care of them before an incident occurs.
Prepare a written waiver and review your province’s Occupiers’ Liability Act
Your province's Occupiers’ Liability Act could state that the stable owner/operator owes a duty of care to the people who enter their premises, which assures that any property they bring on your premises is also reasonably safe.
Anyone who participates in horse activities on your premises needs to complete and sign your waiver, if applicable. Make sure to keep signed forms on file and safely stored. You are free to restrict, modify or exclude this duty of care through your written waiver.
Purchase an equine liability insurance policy
Protect you and your business with an insurance company that knows horses and your business. You want to make sure that any legal fees are covered, claim costs and settlements to ensure that in the case of an accident, your business doesn’t suffer a financial loss.
What’s Included in the Commercial General Liability Policy?
The policy gives you maximum limits or amounts of liability insurance for:
- Lawsuits for bodily injury or property damage caused by conducting your business operations
- Legal defense costs: You can save your business the financial burden of court costs if you’re sued, whether or not the case has merit.
- Claims or settlement costs: Without this policy, the business could be held responsible for bodily injury and property damage claims.
What Other Coverages Should I Consider?
In addition to commercial general liability insurance, you should also consider a property coverage endorsement. We can add this endorsement to your general liability policy if you’re a stable property renter to insure your tack, equipment and machinery for loss or damage.
Get Pony Ride and Event Insurance Today
At Henry Equestrian, Powered by NFP, we understand the equestrian industry and we want to make sure you, your ponies and your clients are protected. Contact us today to learn more or click below for a free, no-obligation quote.