Liability associated having a friend and her horse board at my proprty

[Briggsie]

[QUOTE=Prime Time Rider;5854603]
OK, any need for the snarky retort? Most people don’t live on property without road frontage. I personally know a horse trainer near me who had a drunk driver hit one of his horses that had somehow gotten loose on a country road and the driver sued the horse trainer for damages. Or, how about the uninformed neighbors who think it’s OK for their toddler to feed the cute horsie over your fence (never mind that they are trespassing on your property). If your horse happens to bite little Susie’s fingers, you could be sued.

Personally, I’m glad I don’t know you. Have a great day.[/QUOTE]
Great! Back to the issue…i said what i said because u are presumptuous. I live in BFE, live on a private road, dont have neighbors, and live on 40 acres, in a forest, hence i bought the house to not have neighbors to deal with.

[Prime_Time_Rider]

Yes, and according to your website, you also plan to host on-site clinics. I can’t imagine why you might need liability insurance!

The OP asked the question regarding the liability associated with having a friend board her horse on her property. As most responses indicated, having a boarder (even a friend) on her property could result in a lawsuit if an accident happened. Another poster stated that she didn’t have boarders on her property, so therefore, she had no need for liability insurance. I was responding to her misperception. Just because you don’t have boarders on your property doesn’t mean that your immune to a lawsuit due to damages caused by your horse. As an example, I pointed out that if your horse gets out on a road and a driver hits it, the horse owner can (and has been) sued for damages and personal injuries. If your horse bites or kicks someone you can be sued for damages.

So, unless you live in total isolation and no one ever comes to your property, and you never take your horse off your property, and there is absolutely no possibility that your horse could accidently get loose, if you own a horse, you should have liability insurance, especially if you keep your horse(s) at home. Some homeowners policies will cover horse related liability. We have a home and farm policy that includes liability insurance for our horses.

[WildBlue]

Exactly. I have over 40 fenced acres surrounded by a couple hundred acres of my neighbors’ woods. And just last week I found evidence that someone came through those woods and spent time in my back pasture–which is full of my horses and cows. If that person trespassing on my farm had been injured by a horse, they could sue me. If that person had cut the fence and let my horses out, anyone else getting hurt could sue me.

IMO, in this day and age, it’s foolish not to be insured “just in case”.

[judybigredpony]

[QUOTE=TimelyImpulse;5846792]
I would be surprised if USAA will cover you for boarding of any sort. I’ve used them for 25 years, but they wouldn’t finance or cover our house and farm because it is zoned agricultural. I switched the properly coverage to Farm Bureau and kept the auto coverage with USAA. FB allows boarding up to 4horses in the standard farm policy. Please post what USAA tells you though.[/QUOTE]

I also HAD USAA they still cover our river house and boats cars trucks horse trailer…but not the house farm buildings horse property they set us up w/ another under writer…

[mildot]

Simplify your life: do not do this, or anything remotely similar to this.

[Bogie]

@Briggsie;5846472

My question is this…if my friend is injured or killed on my property, what are my liabilities?

Your friend’s insurance company would most likely come after you and if you don’t have the “proper” insurance it could get messy and stressful.

I don’t want to go through what my trianer had to go through, EVER. before I allow someone to bring their horse on my property, I need to fully understand what may or may not happen.

Discuss this with an attorney who specializes in this kind of situation.

All in all, I am not willing to spend anymore money for extra coverage to have someone else here,

Then I wouldn’t do it. Horse are unpredictable and dangerous.

[Briggsie]

[QUOTE=Prime Time Rider;5854830]
Yes, and according to your website, you also plan to host on-site clinics. I can’t imagine why you might need liability insurance!

The OP asked the question regarding the liability associated with having a friend board her horse on her property. As most responses indicated, having a boarder (even a friend) on her property could result in a lawsuit if an accident happened. Another poster stated that she didn’t have boarders on her property, so therefore, she had no need for liability insurance. I was responding to her misperception. Just because you don’t have boarders on your property doesn’t mean that your immune to a lawsuit due to damages caused by your horse. As an example, I pointed out that if your horse gets out on a road and a driver hits it, the horse owner can (and has been) sued for damages and personal injuries. If your horse bites or kicks someone you can be sued for damages.

So, unless you live in total isolation and no one ever comes to your property, and you never take your horse off your property, and there is absolutely no possibility that your horse could accidently get loose, if you own a horse, you should have liability insurance, especially if you keep your horse(s) at home. Some homeowners policies will cover horse related liability. We have a home and farm policy that includes liability insurance for our horses.[/QUOTE]

Really? You are clearly not the most observant person in the world, are you. If you will take the time to notice, I AM IN GEORGIA.
The website you have examined is in Maryland, and is owned by my lifelong friend. Unless you can contribute logical advice,
which is not based off of your assumptions, driven by an agenda to seek flaws in my story, of which you are clearly ill advised,
keep your subjective advice off my post.

And you said the OP, as in third person…I am the OP. I know what I asked…don’t need you to remind me of that either

[sketcher]

[QUOTE=bdj;5853443]
When I bought my house, my broker made it very clear that I wasn’t allowed to run a business (of any sort) from my property, based on the loan I got. [/QUOTE]

It’s interesting that the mortgage bankers, brokers and other scum of the earth have pocketed all our money, been bailed out and one of the ways the ‘industry’ has chosen to go after fraud is to make the little guys sign all kinds of ridiculous agreements promising huge fines and jail time to the buyer and potentially the buyers agent as well. The premise behind the above is probably that if you want to run a business out of your home then they would make you finance with some type of commercial loan at a higher interest rate.

If you purchase a home as a first time home buyer you have to sign a paper saying you will not rent out the property and that it will be owner occupied for a certain length of time. So, I guess if you lose your job 3 months later, are forced to relocate and can’t sell your house, then according to the terms of your mortgage agreement you aren’t allowed to rent it out either. Stupidity.

[Briggsie]

[QUOTE=sketcher;5856215]
It’s interesting that the mortgage bankers, brokers and other scum of the earth have pocketed all our money, been bailed out and one of the ways the ‘industry’ has chosen to go after fraud is to make the little guys sign all kinds of ridiculous agreements promising huge fines and jail time to the buyer and potentially the buyers agent as well. The premise behind the above is probably that if you want to run a business out of your home then they would make you finance with some type of commercial loan at a higher interest rate.

If you purchase a home as a first time home buyer you have to sign a paper saying you will not rent out the property and that it will be owner occupied for a certain length of time. So, I guess if you lose your job 3 months later, are forced to relocate and can’t sell your house, then according to the terms of your mortgage agreement you aren’t allowed to rent it out either. Stupidity.[/QUOTE]

Sad but true. I really believe the majority of these companies capitalize off of the probability of misfortune…but when the shit hits the fan…they find every excuse not to pay. Right now, I could seriously drop a Jdam on USSA’s headquarters…considering they shamelessly collected every bit of my homeowners insurance…then found some way to wiggle their way out of paying for our STOLEN AC unit. Never mind the fact that my neighbor was my property manager…and all of his actions met the criteria to supersede the vacancy addendum. WHATEVER. I am so over insurance companies. They are practically the bottom feeders of society and I am sorry that this has affected my situation, but after this, I have zero faith in them. We had to magically crap out 4k to have the ac quickly replaced because as luck would have it, I got a renter who signed a contract 5 minutes before my neighbor informed me about the theft. Ever look up at the sky and feel like you should see the world’s butthole just crapping down on you? I do!

[Prime_Time_Rider]

[QUOTE=Briggsie;5855886]
Really? You are clearly not the most observant person in the world, are you. If you will take the time to notice, I AM IN GEORGIA.
The website you have examined is in Maryland, and is owned by my lifelong friend. Unless you can contribute logical advice,
which is not based off of your assumptions, driven by an agenda to seek flaws in my story, of which you are clearly ill advised,
keep your subjective advice off my post.

And you said the OP, as in third person…I am the OP. I know what I asked…don’t need you to remind me of that either[/QUOTE]

Listen, you’re the one who asked for the advice on this board. I frankly don’t understand your need to insult someone who is offering their advice and experience in response TO YOUR POST. I noticed that your are from Georgia, and that the website link is in Maryland. Perhaps you recently moved and either didn’t update your website or your COTH profile.
Regardless of your geographic location (Georgia, Maryland, or the state of Ignorance), you are potentially financially liable if your horse or a horse in your care causes damage to someone else’s property or personal injury. If you don’t want advice, why ask for it on this board? Contact an attorney and/or insurance professional and ask their advice. Insulting and personally attacking others who respond to your posts because you don’t like their response is nasty and unnecessary.

[LauraKY]

[QUOTE=Muckmaster2010;5854680]
This thread really has me concerned! We just purchased our dream mini farm in Scott co Kentucky (6acres) with statemfarm insurance. Any Kentucky folks with recommendations on farm insurance? And/or commercial liability insurance? We don’t taken in boarders but do have friends and their horses over to ride. Thought we had adequate insurance but…
Thanks?[/QUOTE]

We use Kentucky Farm Bureau. The have all our insurance, home, barn, auto, liability umbrella, CC&C, etc. They have all kinds of packages for horse boarding/training, etc.

You do need some type of insurance for anyone riding on your property, as well as a well written and signed liability release. Make sure you post the KY liability signs too, on the gate entrance to your barn, riding area and in the barn as well. They sell them in Tractor Supply or on line.

We used to have Allstate with the same type of coverage, but their rates were much higher than Farm Bureau.

[LauraKY]

And Muckmaster, make sure your liability release is legal in the state of Kentucky. In other words, don’t take a release from another state and try to make it yours…laws differ and using the wrong language could invalidate your release.

[Muckmaster2010]

Thanks so much for the info! Will give Farm Bureau a call this week Already have the signs posted. Where did you get your liability release form?

[LauraKY]

Muckmaster, it’s best to go over any release with an equine lawyer, just to make sure all the bases are covered. You can buy them online too, but you want to make sure you are covered for your particular situation, so I don’t advise borrowing someone else’s release.

It’s worth it to spend the money…hopefully, you’ll never be sued and never have to need the release, but you never know.

[Beam_Me_Up]

I use my state’s (VA) Farm Bureau. Perhaps you could try that, or talk to a state extention agent about farm insurance needs.

My insurance is all rolled together (house, farm, boarding, auto), but essentially I have home insurance, farm insurance (separate, higher liability), and boarding insurance (which for up to 4 horses was only $60 for another 1M coverage, though it does specify the waivers and no teaching/instruction–that is another step up in coverage).

[Plumcreek]

Aruugh! Bumping this very old but useful thread back up. I just found out that what I thought was my State Farm Country Homeowners Umbrella policy allowing boarding of 2 horses, is still an umbrella liability policy but no boarding or anything else related to ‘country’. or horses. If I get ‘at cost’ payment for boarding, it still is payment and that makes my barn a ‘business property’ and it is not covered under the house policy. My home office, location of my real business, is not considered ‘business property’ but essentially I was told that my barn now is. I need this boarder, a vet tech no less, to know the routine and my horses when I am out of town working. I know their horses and routine when they are out of town also, and we share days for barn care. Very good situation, and has been in place with previous boarders for 10 years, the last 8, it seems, totally uncovered by insurance.

Calling Farm Bureau and Farm Family (a division of American National Insurance) today.

[TheJenners]

Wow, Plumcreek, that makes no sense!! How upsetting too. So they are saying your real business is covered, but because you accept money for a “country” or “horse” thing that they say is a business, it isn’t covered? What if you were renting covered parking to classic car owners or rv owners? Would they cover that? I’m only asking out of curiosity, if it’s the “horse” part or a second “business” or that it is located outside the walls of the house, or what?

Good luck with Farm Bureau and let us know. I don’t plan on boarding ever but could potentially (small chance) or even do an on-site lease once my arena is up, or who knows what is in the future really. At this time, I verified with my ins that I am not running a business but did bump my policy up in case of trespassers…and not necessarily for just the horses, but I also have dogs.

[Plumcreek]

The issue is that an ‘outbuilding’ (my barn) is generating income, (no matter that it is $350 a month for ’ out of pocket’ cost for two horses.) Therefore could be construed as a business structure, and not included in residence insurance. Agent did say to keep it quiet, but in a crunch, I am vulnerable. Home offices are now mainstream, so they are OK and not divided out for insurance purposes. State Farm has actually been a good insurer, and the Farm Bureau and Farm Family agents locally did not answer their phones and have not yet returned calls… Bush.

Agent said the number of horse related claims to State Farm as a whole, on homeowners liability was the reason for the overall exit from anything horse or equine related property.

[IronwoodFarm]

A few of points based on this thread from my personal experience as a licensed insurance consultant (and no, I can’t sell insurance to anyone, just advise about it.)

Commercial and personal are two main divisions in property & casualty insurance. Different risks, different policies, and different premium. You don’t need to take money to be a business as far as an insurance carrier is concerned.

State Farm is a terrific carrier. I use them for my auto, homeowners and personal umbrella coverage. I have been with them for decades, but I do not use them for my farm coverage. Because they have limited and expensive farm coverage. It’s not a line of business they want.

I carry Commercial General Liability coverage for the boarding, breeding, sales and lesson business. I use a specialty equine carrier for it. I am not sure where the OP was getting rates, but my policy costs about $1900 a year and I do a heck of a lot more than board a single horse. While most carriers have to meet a minimum premium amount, the annual premium should not be particularly high. She also could require her boarder to carry personal equine liability coverage; that’s not very expensive either.

Most importantly, however, is this notion of avoiding possible litigation. There is no way, even with the best risk management protocols that it can be completely avoided. Insurance does not prevent litigation; it just gives you an attorney and funds for a settlement/damage award. You still get the litigation; in fact you have to have litigation to trigger a claim. And litigation takes time even when it is settled. Personally, I pay my premiums knowing that in the unlikely event I am sued, I have a lawyer to handle the case and the funds to pay settlements/damages without touching my personal assets. I never wish litigation on anyone having seen my share of liability claims.

I hope the OP never took a boarder or allowed anyone on her property. She is incredibly risk adverse and nothing good will come from assuming more exposure, particularly when she is not properly covering the exposures she has already.

[mellsmom]

A commercial farm policy is most likely cheaper than homeowners plus CCC or other tacked on. We have had one for years. It was cheaper to add my instructor liability under a commercial policy than to buy it plus homeowners. So, get some quotes and copare. Also do not under insure your farm buildings.The replacements costs are skyrocketing