If you’re an experienced horse owner, you’ve likely made a statement like, “I wish I could wrap my horse in bubble wrap!” Yes, we horse owners know how easily—and how often—our horses tend to get hurt. Your vet is probably on speed dial! What might not always stay top of mind is how easily our horses can also inflict damage. Do you have a plan in case your horse injures someone or inflicts property damage? Enter personal equine liability insurance.

Most equestrians don’t realize that, even if an equine-related incident were to occur at your own farm, your homeowner’s or farm policy may not cover the damage. While it doesn’t cover your horse/injury to your horse, personal equine liability insurance covers personal injury or property damage to a third party caused by your equine. It’s beneficial if you keep your horse at home or board at a stable and aren’t engaged in any equine activity for which you are paid.

So, in what situations might it come in handy? If you travel with your horse either to shows, to go trail riding, to a friend’s arena, etc., think about all the opportunities there are for your horse to simply throw a kick and cause damage. Did you know that you could be held liable for the damage caused by that stray kick? A personal equine liability insurance policy would cover the damage. The same goes for damage caused to a third party at your farm. If your horse were to accidentally back into a friend’s truck parked at your barn and cause damage, your policy would pick up the tab. Or, a worse case would be that if your usually calm horse unseated a friend and that friend got injured—your policy would cover the hospital bill.

You might be thinking, “I own my own farm and I have a state equine liability sign hanging in clear sight. I also have friends sign ‘hold harmless’ waivers before they ride.” While that’s a good start, remember that they don’t hold magical powers. Anyone can sue anyone!

Now that you realize just how beneficial a personal equine liability insurance policy is, you’re probably wondering how you can go about securing a policy for yourself. Thankfully, the North Carolina Horse Council makes securing a policy inexpensive and relatively easy! One million dollars excess equine personal liability insurance is available for NCHC individual and lifetime dues-paying members. This insurance is in excess of any other valid and collectible insurance and can be stacked with an existing policy. Because the NCHC is such a large group, we can sell our million-dollar limited liability policy to our members at a very reduced rate— $25-$45 a year, depending on your NCHC membership level.

Ready to ride into the new year with caution? Join the herd to snag your equine personal insurance policy. And remember, it’s better to be safe than sorry!