Public Liability question

[Highmileagecob]

Briefly, my daughter is backing her new horse, and is on a different yard to me. Family friend is helping her, and no money changes hands. Daughter's yard owner has had a strop and says that friend cannot help her, as his farm insurance won't cover her and friend needs her own.
A. Would my daughter's insurance cover, which includes third party, be enough?
B. Surely the helping friend would be covered by the farm third party insurance? Otherwise, no-one on the yard would be covered?
Or have I missed something?

 

[poiuytrewq]

I'm not really sure but had a similar situation. We don't own the farm where we love and my horses are kept. When someone asked if their child could ride one of the ponies the owners agent said that they werent happy having anyone but me riding the horses here. They requested that the pony was only ridden off the farm land which was mad as that means a tiny child on the road rather than round the tram lines of quiet fields that he was very used to plodding round anyway.
We sorted our own insurance and they were ok with it then. It would never have occurred to me to have claimed off the owners insurance anyway tbh.

 

[PeterNatt]

You need to ensure that you have Third Party Public Liability insurance to no less than £20 Million Pounds for each of your horses. This is the amount that was stated as a result of a legal case. (The BHS provide this level of cover with their Gold Membership). The Landowner/Yard owner should also have their own Public liability insurance Cover and also Commercial cover in place but that will not include accidents caused by your horses. You need to also ensure that while someone is riding or handling your horse that you have an insurance policy in place in the event of them having an accident and injuring themselves as you may be found liable for any injuries or life changing injuries that they may suffer.

 

[Tiddlypom]

You need to dig out the details of just what your daughter’s third party insurance covers her for.

I can understand the yard owner’s concerns. Some randomer on the yard helping out who is neither a livery nor staff. Would the YO be liable if your daughter’s friend had an incident on the yard that the YO was liable for?

 

[ycbm]

The yard owner needs your friend to have third party cover of her own for any problems she may cause while she is on the yard, so that he can sue her if he needs to. Your daughter's insurance won't cover your friend doing something negligent.

It's a policy I've come across before at livery yards.
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[Lady Jane]

You need to check your daughters insurance would cover her if anything happened to her certainly for your daughters horse. I guess the yard insurance may only cover their paying customers. How old are they both? My horses retirement yard has a no under 18 rule which keeps their insurance much cheaper

 

[Lady Jane]

The yard owner needs your friend to have third party cover of her own for any problems she may cause while she is on the yard, so that he can sue her if he needs to. Your daughter's insurance won't cover your friend doing something negligent.

It's a policy I've come across before at livery yards.
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This the best option

 

[Fransurrey]

Cover her for what? The farm should have public liability insurance anyway. This applies regardless of whether the person affected is a paying customer as to all intents and purposes, a livery yard is a public place (by virtue of members of the public having access) and any accident where the farm is 'at fault' would be covered.

PL insurance wouldn't apply to negligence from the daughter OR her friend or any riding accident resulting from anything other than farmer's negligence (no matter who is riding), so not sure what the YO's daughter is getting at. For riding injuries/accidents involving the horse, most third party liability policies cover anybody riding the horse with the owner's consent, but check your daughter's policy, particularly as the horse is being backed. If I were helping someone back a horse, I would certainly have my own personal accident and PL in place, just for peace of mind. That's my understanding of PL, anyway!

 

[Polos Mum]

Does the friend have BD membership or BHS or something similar. Many of us do. So she might have public liability insurance anyway that covers her handling other peoples' (i.e. your daughters) horses.

If friend is horsey and helping out people now and again having something like BHS wouldn't be a bad idea anyway so not too much harm in suggesting it.
The cover for personal accident is tiny - so she may for her how peace of mind want something more meaty for that. If friend had a broken arm and couldn't drive to work for 2 months that could leave the friend quite out of pocket.

 

[Lucky Snowball]

The yard owner has requested that helper has her own insurance. I think the yard owner calls the shots.

 

[ycbm]

Harry Hall, BHS and WHW also give third party cover to £10m or £20m to everyone who signs up. She may also have it on her house insurance.
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[Highmileagecob]

Thank you all hive minds. Friend is nearing her 70s, and has backed and produced more horses and ponies than I have had hot dinners. Plenty of options suggested, which we can check out, but Lucky Snowball's reply is probably the one that is set in stone.