What are the most frequently asked questions about equine insurance? Click here to go to Insurance FAQs. 

Long before you're ever involved in an equine-related incident, you should know all the risks involved with NOT carrying equine insurance.

Many horse owners have had to learn the hard way. To know more, click on these real-life stories about your fellow horse owners and learn precisely why you should protect yourself with equine insurance.

  Do Fences Make Good Neighbors? 
  Straight From the Horse's Mouth 
  Do Waivers Really Protect You From Legal Action? 
  An Unexpected Death

Do Fences Make Good Neighbors?

In between your property and an outlying roadway is a fence that supposedly confines your horse. Even if the fence is electrified, would you still consider this a 100% guarantee that your horse or passersby will always be protected? Or put another way, would you think that every time a car drives past your place, you could be on the receiving end of a lawsuit? Unfortunately, this scenario was an expensive lesson for one horse owner to learn. A $2 million lesson.

When a horse escaped from the pasture that was surrounded by an electrical fence and ventured onto the road, it collided with a passing car. Sadly, the passenger, an 18-year-old student, suffered a head injury that led to his blindness.

Both the horse owner and the fence manufacturer were hit with a lawsuit. The student argued that the owners should have known that the fence wasn't strong enough to keep the horse contained. He also maintained that the manufacturers should have warning labels on their fences.

The case was settled before it went to a jury trial. The horse owners paid out $2 million. The fence manufacturer, who insisted that the fence wasn't installed properly, settled for $190,000.

Before such a predicament involves you and your horse, be sure you are covered. Markel can protect you with our own Private Horse Owner Liability Policy.

Straight From The Horse's Mouth

The next time someone asks if they can pet your horse -- or even get close to it -- you might want to make sure that you're covered. A case in point is when a toddler was bitten on the lower lip by a horse and suffered scarring that required immediate, and possibly future surgery. Not surprisingly, legal action ensued.

The story goes that a 4-year old girl had approached the horse while it was feeding. From the parent's point of view, the horse owner shouldn't have allowed the child near the animal. However, the owner countered that the parents should have watched the child more closely.

The final outcome, which was settled before the case went to trial, came to $120,000. This was in spite of the fact that past and future medical costs were claimed at only $11,000.

So, can you afford to let anybody pet your horse? As long as Markel has you covered, you can. Click here to find out more about our Private Horse Owner Liability Policy.

Do Waivers Really Protect You From Legal Action?

While waivers are a necessary precaution, it is rare that they cover you completely. In fact, even if a rider signs a waiver, it does not guarantee that legal action cannot be taken.

For example, in a recent case, a 14-year old girl fractured her rib and ruptured her spleen when a horse she was riding started to gallop and she fell off. Before riding, the girl had signed a waiver saying that she was an experienced rider and assumed all of the risks of riding. After the accident, the girl sued the horse owner, claiming that she was an inexperienced rider and therefore should have been given a calmer horse to ride.

The case made it to trial, and the verdict was in favor of the girl. The jury awarded $73,000 to her, which included $53,000 for pain and suffering.

The moral of this story is: If you're a riding instructor, boarder, trainer or breeder, you need to find out how much coverage is enough for you. Markel can inform you about your risks and responsibilities -- and make sure you have enough coverage with a Commercial Equine Liability Policy.

An Unexpected Death

A horse owner kept his horse at a boarding facility. The vet came out and wormed the horse in the afternoon and pinned a note on the stall door. But, the note was blown off the door.

That evening, the owner of the horse came to ride; it was a hot and humid night. After riding, the horse was cooled down and put in his stall. A few hours later, a barn worker heard banging in one of the stalls and found the horse rolling and sweating; classic signs of colic.

The vet was called and diagnosed a bout of exercise induced colic, partly due to the worming that had previously been performed. After several hours of treatment, the horse did not improve and it was suggested that they ship it immediately to a surgical facility. Sadly, the horse died before they were able to make all the arrangements.

To ensure that your horse is covered in case an unexpected or accidental death occurs, Markel provides a mortality policy.