Insurance - liability if at a livery yard!

[canteron]

Just musing following a few though provoking threads. I don’t insure my horse as I self insure for vets fees. But if my horse, for example, kicked another horse or person would I be liable, or vice versa if another horse injured me or my horse would they be liable.
Or is it all covered by the yard insurance.
I have BHS gold which I guess is a back up, but I know can be quite laborious to claim on.

 

[ihatework]

Well it would depend on the specific circumstances but IMO done form of PL insurance is essential. BHS gold should be fine.

 

[AmyMay]

Personal liability insurance is a must (I believe) when you own a horse. As IHW says it would very much depend on the specific circumstances, but I have always had PL insurance.

 

[Goldenstar]

The BHS gold is good PL insurance .

 

[Equi]

I’m not sure it would cover your horse specifically if it kicked another horse whilst out in the field for example. If you are holding your horse then yes but not when it’s acting on it’s own. Bhs gold technically covers you and whatever horse you are in charge of at that time, not a horse specifically.

that’s how I see it anyway, be happy to be wrong!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

For PL to kick in, you need to have been negligent, except where the horse has escaped from its field/handler/rider and caused an accident, in which case negligence is assumed. the owner is not normally deemed to have been negligent when one horse kicks another in a field, so no insurance would pay for another horse's bet bills.

 

[Sugar Plum]

There are virtually no circumstances in which a YO will take responsibility for under their 'yard insurance' (if they have it at all covering anything other than their property, it will always be 'your horse's' fault. I absolutely don't agreed with this and I think having insurance like the BHS gold membership will help you with legal advice, not sure if it covers taking a YO to court though.

 

[Auslander]

There are virtually no circumstances in which a YO will take responsibility for under their 'yard insurance' (if they have it at all covering anything other than their property, it will always be 'your horse's' fault. I absolutely don't agreed with this and I think having insurance like the BHS gold membership will help you with legal advice, not sure if it covers taking a YO to court though.

Could you explain why you think the YO is liable for veterinary treatment of a horse that doesn't belong to them? My insurance (Yes, I have appropriate insurance!) doesn't replace the need for owners to have insurance, and only covers me for vets bills/mortality arising as a direct result of my own negligence. A horse kicking another horse in a field they both live in wouldn't constitute negligence

 

[Skib]

At my present yard it is compulsory to have liability insurance. Which I have in BHS gold, being a member. However BHS liabiity is insurance of last resort. Many people will already have liability as part of their household insurance (or, if living with parents, their parents). We also have to sign to accept liability which I did with some reluctance and only after being told (possibly on this forum) that my insurance company would require the yard to prove liability.
I carry my BHS card with me when hacking in order to have the details in case of trouble. I learned to drive a car long before I learned to ride and old habits die hard.

 

[scruffyponies]

Most liability insurances only pays out in the case of provable negligence. In practice this means that 'moral debts' such as where your horse spooks into a car and scratches it are not covered, since it falls under normal horse behaviour.

It isn't the same as car insurance.
Even when ther is a claim they will attempt to pass on liabiltiy to others (e.g. home insurance) as mentioned above. It's essential to have PL, but don't kid yourself that it will pay out when you think it should.