DON’T WANT TO NEED A LAWYER ?
PROTECT YOURSELF
PROTECT YOUR HORSES
When Should You Post Equine Liability Signs?
Where Should You Post Equine Liability Signs?
Which And How Many Signs Should You Post?
Learn Where to Purchase the Signs
These are questions that you don’t want to think about, but if you own horses it doesn’t need to be something that you put off looking into. While owning a horse is both rewarding and enjoyable, it doesn’t come without risk. It is extremely important that you protect yourself so that by law you are doing everything possible to protect others from being injured by your horse.
Horses are considered “high risk” animals by law, which is a good warning sign to horse owners to protect yourself not only by posting equine liability signs, but also by having horse insurance coverage. Any time someone steps foot on to your property where horses are kept, there is a risk that someone could be hurt. Considering the enormous size and strength of horses, any unfortunate encounter could result in quite serious injuries. Even if you own horses that are well-trained you are at risk, so please don’t think that you are exempt.
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WHEN SHOULD YOU POST SIGNS?
Are you operating any type of horse business on your property? There’s quite a variety of activities that fall under the category of horse business. The bottom line is if you’re receiving money and it has to do with horses, it is considered a business. Running a horse business will likely mean you’re going to have lots of people on your property coming and going, which ups your risk of someone being hurt. You should without a doubt, post equine liability signs made for the state you live in.
Do you just own a horse or two for your own pleasure? Perhaps you and your family are the only ones to ride the horses. You may stay on your own property to ride or you may take your horses somewhere else to ride. It really doesn’t matter, if you own horses and keep them on your own property, you should have equine liability signs posted.
It is important to remember that while these signs will not prevent you from being sued, they will help your case should you end up in a lawsuit over horse accident. It shows the courts the you are trying to take precaution and protect people that come in contact with your horses. That is why it is so important to also have horse insurance. You can find out about getting horse insurance quotes here.
Supplemental Equine Liability Sign
Many horse owners prefer to take extra precaution and post this supplemental equine liability sign on their property as well.
The more you can warn visitors of the dangers associated with being around equine, it will better your chances should anyone decide to take you to court.
Even though horses are obviously large and powerful animals, inexperienced people don’t know much about them. They don’t know not to surprise a distracted horse and walk behind it. Kids are especially trusting and don’t comprehend the dangers.
I once saw a horse, that was asleep, get startled by a young lady walking up behind it and touching it. This horse freaked out and landed 3 hard kicks with both hind legs before it realized that something wasn’t after it. This was a “kid’s horse” extremely gentle and kind, but he was caught off guard and spooked. This kind of thing happens daily with horses all over the world. Be prepared by taking all precaution measures that you can.
WHERE SHOULD YOU POST EQUINE LIABILITY SIGNS?
First of all you should have more than one equine liability sign to post. Be certain to post these in a clearly visible location on or near stables, corrals, or arenas where the equine activity is being held.
Take an objective look at your property, try to view it as a first-time visitor. Where do you think your eyes would be focused if you had never been there before? Start with putting one at the entrance to the barn and make sure nothing is obstructing the view of it. That way, anyone who walks into your barn will have to pass by it. It’s a good idea to post one over the tack room as well. Check with the state you live in to see if they have any particular requirements for where to post your equine liability signs.
The warning signs have to be clearly readable and be in black letters on a white background. The lettering size and the wording have to be specific to your state’s requirements, so be certain to purchase horse signs for your state.
Purchase Equine Liability Signs for Your State
The only states that do not have the Equine Activity Statute are Maryland, Nevada, New York and California. Signs for all other states can be found below: