Horse Liability Insurance

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Hughie

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My wife and I have got 2 horses on our own premises.

Does anyone know of a stand alone public liability policy as owners and riders?

I don't need any other form of insurance for our horses.

I know BHS Gold offers cover but that is quite an expensive option.

Aviva, our property insurance providers, say we have cover under our policy with them. Just slightly dubious that if push came to shove they might turn round and say that that is not what they meant!!

Hughie
 
I don't think BHS membership is expensive at all. You get a (is it quarterly?) magazine free, which usually has one free ticket to RIHS Windsor and one to Hickstead, sometimes there are benefits at the shows or on trade stands for being a member too. There are also often offers in there or competitions. Some tack shops offer a 10% discount to BHS members (apart from feed) on production of your card AND you get Gold insurance. All in all I think most years I get the majority of the £65 back, not that I've ever used the insurance.
 
In the 2003 case of Mirvahedy vs Henley the House of Lords rules that the animals act 1971 imposed strict liability (without the need to prove negligence) on the keeper of any animal with known dangerous characteristics or with 'ordinary' behaviours that might cause harm.
Thus the Animals act 1971 Section 2 (2) as now interpreted by the highest court in the land (House of Lords) says that animal owners are liable. This is as a result of the Mirvahedy v Henley case
There, the law lords held that under section 2(2)(b) of the 1971 Act the keeper of a non-dangerous animal was strictly liable for damage or injury caused by it while it was behaving in a way that, although not normal behaviour generally for animals of that species, was nevertheless normal behaviour for the species in the particular circumstances, such as a horse bolting when sufficiently alarmed; and that, since the accident to the claimant had been caused by the defendants' horses behaving in an unusual way caused by their panic, they were liable to him.

In a nut shell in the case Mirvahedy v. Henley, Henley's three horses were spooked in their field, even thought the case for negligence was throw out, the field was very well fenced and secure, they smashed through the fence, a hedge and bracken, and ran in blind panic for over a mile .....the horses owners were found to be liable for the injures caused by them to Mr Mirvahedy, his injures were life changing and all he was doing was driving his car along a road......we all need to make sure our horses are covered for injures/damage caused to an innocent person should the worse happen........

Generally, the courts will seek to find an insured party to pay compensation where an animal causes death or injury. Strictly speaking, in the law of tort (which is appropriate to these situations)there is a 3 stage test - 1) Duty of Care 2) Failing to provide care to the standard of duty (negligence) and 3) Causing death, injury or damage. Recently, there have been more cases of the courts refusing to award damages on the basis that horses are inherently risky - but to have a chance of favourable judgment such as this you will have to have been very thorough in being able to provide evidence of meeting the duty of care. Most people will not manage this. The case in which loose horses on a road (despite good fencing) is famous as it provided new levels of liability being imposed where there has not really been any negligence. Similar liability has been imposed upon defendants even where, for example, thieves have released horses from their field. If you own horses (or dogs or other livestock) you have better make sure you have adequate public liability insurance to cover them, and also public liability to cover people who are on your property - whether invited or not! It is not a good thing to find yourself in court explaining to the judge why you don't. I have personally known of two commercial yards in my time (one here in the UK and one in the USA) which had to close and be sold because their owners did not have liability cover for the injuries caused by their buildings in the former and horses in the latter. Have yourself all kinds of Public Liability insurance - it need not cost much and could prevent you from losing everything you own.

It is therefore absolutely essential that horse owners have minimum third party public liability insurance to no less than 20 Million Pounds for each horse that they own.
Check your current insurance policy carefully as most do not provide this level of cover.
 
Non riding membership of enduranceGB (EGB) includes insurance against all risks arising out of horse ownership, for the policy holder (member). The cost is around £30. ( the insurance is effective during riding).
 
Exactly, Peter. You put in a nutshell exactly why I'm looking for standalone insurance. I don't need theft or mortality cover. I don't need loss of use or vet fees. If it came to the worst I could cope with those. A potential loss of some millions of pounds does concern me!
 
rifruffian said:
Non riding membership of enduranceGB (EGB) includes insurance against all risks arising out of horse ownership, for the policy holder (member). The cost is around £30. ( the insurance is effective during riding).
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Thank you. That is an avenue I will explore.
 
Hughie said:
Exactly, Peter. You put in a nutshell exactly why I'm looking for standalone insurance. I don't need theft or mortality cover. I don't need loss of use or vet fees. If it came to the worst I could cope with those. A potential loss of some millions of pounds does concern me!
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And thats the eaxact reason BHS gold is the way to go you will not get it on its own anywhere however as part of the BHS its really good value
 
My BHS gold membership costs me £67 a year. The first year I took out the insurance, one of my horses was spooked whilst being ridden by my daughter. Long story short the horse dumped my daughter, bolted, ended up on a main road and was in collision with a car. Car was a write off and claim for £5000 was handled, and paid in full, by BHS. Wouldn't be without it.
 
Another possible option is World Horse Welfare. They offer public liability insurance is you donate on a regular basis. But do look at the small print as you need a fairly significant amount of cover and I don't know if this is sufficient. BHS is - of course - the Gold standard. Pun intended!
 
I know this is an insurance question, but if all horse owners were members of the BHS they would have a lot more money to work for the good of riders and horses - welfare, training, access and discussions with the Government representing riders and owners.

So membership of the BHS really should be top of the list for everyone not just for the insurance (although I know it isn't).
 
Op I'm in the same situation as you 2 horses at home I don't have insurance for them for vets fees, tack etc because if the worst happens I can sort it but public liability is a must and I cannot believe that you think BHS gold is expensive @ £67.00 . I had an accident on the road with a 4 year old when a car driver came too close and spooked the horse who reacted by bucking out at the car and causing quite alot of damage the BHS sorted it for me and I had no trouble with it all.
 
Not really what OP is after but we have our horses at home and have cover the NFU tailored to cover the extra risks invovled with owning land and buildings it's a sort of enhanced home insurance to cover the grey area between a commercial premises like a livery and a normal house and garden .
I am also a BHS gold member just because I am .
 
The BHS membership is excellent value. I recently took advantage of the legal helpline you get with the cover to discuss the loan contract I'd put together. I had a couple of 20 mins chats with the solicitor plus she offered to read the contract & suggest amendments/ re-wording if any new clauses I'd added (I used the BHS template). They would cost you far more than £65 if you used your own solicitor! Definitely great value plus I couldn't find anyone else offering that level of liability insurance.
 
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