# Livery Yard Insurance Options - Help??



## maxusa (12 May 2008)

Hi,

Am looking at opening my own small Livery Yard and want to find out about insurance.  Am based in Scotland, and looking at opening a small Yard.

Have an issue as in unsure if I want to allow small children on yard.  Had heard of an instance recently where a small child (age 4) was kicked by a horse on a nearby yard and the owners were taking legal action against the Yard owners.

Can anyone give me any advice on experiences with insurance, particularly in relation to allowing children and liability.

Thanks.


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## u04elw2 (12 May 2008)

Where abouts are you?  I know there are a few online.  I think SEIB and Shearwater are both good for livery yards.  Just google them and have a look


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## dieseldog (12 May 2008)

There are not many companies left that will insure livery yards.  We used to use SEIB.  When we closed the yard in about 2005 the premium was £2k a year with a £1k excess on any claims - I think that did include buildings insurance.

We only had to use them once and this was the main reason we closed the yard as one of the livery's horse who had terrible sweetitch, cut it's leg whilst rubbing on a fence post (he rubbed it raw) and we got told to pay out.  

After that we thought what's the point and shut the yard as that claim was for a few £100, but as we could get caught for anything up to £1k that would be the equivalant of one years rent on a horse.


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## Bosworth (12 May 2008)

We are with NFU and they are brilliant. They are one of the few insurers that cover old buildings for current use . We have a 14/15th century thatched cob farmhouse and cob barns and stables along with a modern american barn. NFU cover us for livery, public liability, care and control, as well as covering for hay/bedding that is in the barnand all our machinery and implements that we use.


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## maxusa (12 May 2008)

Hi,

Thanks for all responses.

Can Ijust check where liability lies if there is an accident - as in if we take children and one of them is kicked by another livery person's horse and injuured - who is liable owner of horse or YO?

Thanks
PS.  Am in Glasgow


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## dieseldog (12 May 2008)

Yard owner is liable.  You are liable for everything.  If your liveries decided to take their horse for a walk around the roads in a headcollar and it escapes - YO is liable.

If a drunk driver drives thru your fencing and the horses escape and damage a car - YO is liable.

Actual court cases.

I think you would struggle to find a situation where you are not liable.


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## Bosworth (12 May 2008)

The yard owner needs care and control and public liability. They need to prove they were not negligent in any case that is brought, and they need contracts which state their responsibility and the customers responsibilities. 

It is not clear cut who would be responsible if the child was kicked, it could be the parent as the child should not have been near someone elses horse ( what does it say about children in teh contract) It could be the yard owner as the horse was a known kicker/child hater and there was nothing in the contract to state that children must not be on their own,  or it could be the horses owner as they have a known kicker, or they tied it in an inappropriate place. 

it is impossible to say who is wrong until the incident takes place. 

But........ you as a yard owner need to ensure you are covered for public liability and care and control. And you need to ensure that every horse that comes onto your yard is covered for at least 3rd party. Speak to the BHS about how to set up a yard and the insurance implications - they are really helpful


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## MillionDollar (12 May 2008)

We're with the NFU too, they are fab!!!

For our 30 horse livery yard, it costs £1,600 per year. We allow children on the yard, but under 12s must be supervised by an adult and this is in the contract. If a child gets injured its the parents fault. 

Also in cases where horses get out, etc it must be proved that the YO was negligant. I went to a conference and if you have a gate to the road, but it's open and a horse escapes you will still be covered as there is a gate there!!!


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