Why you need extra personal liability coverage

by Ellen DiBella

When I am out in the barn feeding, cleaning, clipping my horses, I see my well-loved equine partners.  When my homeowner’s insurance company looks at my equine partners, they see lawsuits waiting to happen!

Each state has different laws that govern equine liability that range from very helpful to horse owners to very difficult for us.  Activities such as allowing someone else to ride your horse, having visitors in your barn all have an effect on liability.

Another problem with horses, or at least with my horses, is that they seem determined to escape from the barn, the paddocks, the pasture, etc.  I have opened the front door in the morning to find a gelding standing on the front lawn drinking out of a pond;  two mares escaped one late night and appeared at the barn door the next morning expecting their breakfast; one of the neighbor’s horses was doing his best to join the mares in our back pasture.  We have never had a horse out in traffic but that may be as much a matter of luck as anything else.  The quiet dirt road that used to boarder our property is now a very busy paved road with lots of fast traffic.  Imagine the liability if an AWOL horse causes a car accident!

Working with our insurance agency partner, Equisure, WDAA is offering a member benefit that provides $1,000,000 excess liability coverage for $24 per year.  This is an annual policy that runs from January 1 to December 31 of a calendar year.  WDAA is posting more details along with a page of FAQs on the website.  WDAA will administer this program.  Sign me up!
~Ellen DiBella