Horse shows and equestrian training activities are just the start of legal issues in the horse show business. Horse law emanates from state laws and from years of equine case histories decided in the courts.
This page is devoted to equine legal issues in the horse business that relate to liability, mounted accidents, ground accidents, equine activity, horse sales and contract disputes, boarding issues and even land use disputes.
Find equine legal forms such as boarding contracts, leasing agreements, horse sales contracts and equine training agreements. Read state quarantine and health laws by state, review equine activity statutes in each state and find equine legal resources.
May 2, 2012
Horse Partnerships: Minimizing Risk, Maximizing Return
by Rachel McCart, Equine Legal Solutions
In today's economy, horsemen and women are more likely than ever to pool their resources to purchase horses for resale. Trainers and clients frequently partner on resale horses, with the client providing the purchase money and the trainer providing the labor. Whether the partners intend to resell the horse quickly or they're planning to take the time to train a young horse and bring it along, the partners' goals are the same: Minimizing risk and maximizing return.
Why Partnership is a Dirty Word
For horse co-owners who don't have a partnership agreement or co-ownership agreement that effectively limits their personal liability, each partner has unlimited personal liability for the other partners' actions. What that means: More info...
Apr 30, 2012
If Your Horses Are Named in Your Will, Consider an Equine Trust
by Alison Rowe
With the development of “pet trust” statutes in several states over the past 10 years, and the story of Leona Helmsley’s Maltese dog, “Trouble”, who inherited $12 million upon Helmsley’s death, stories about the establishment of trusts for the care of animals seem to have been increasingly covered in media stories. Most recently, Veronica Dagher of Wall Street Journal’s personal finance blog, Total Return, published this informative blog post about equine trusts in the United States.
Dagher’s post sets forth a number of reasons why establishing a trust for a horse, as opposed to naming a horse in a will, might be a good idea: More info...
Mar 14, 2012
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Car dealers want to make money on your loan by charging higher interest rates. Get you own loan where you can compare several deals before deciding. Take charge of your finances. More info...
Mar 9, 2012
Results of Horse Sale Practices Survey
Equine Legal Solutions Horse Law by Rachel McCart, Equine Legal Solutions
about internal factors that might be contributing to the horse industry's current economic crisis. The first survey examines horse sale practices. We have left the survey open to continue to gather data. Meanwhile, here are are the results as of March 1:
Survey Respondents' Profile
624 people participated in the survey
Respondents' Horse Ownership:
93.3% are currently horse owners
5.3% have owned horses before
1.4% have never owned a horse More info...
Feb 20, 2012
Judge Judy Awards Zero Damages in Horse Injury Case
Equine Legal Case
On Friday, February 3, 2012, CBS aired the trial of horse owner Deborah Dobbs vs. horse trainer Sharon Jeffco on Judge Judy--a case involving alleged injury to a horse at the hands of a trainer. This case has caused quite a stir in the horse community, possibly because of the unique nature of the alleged injuries to the horse.On Friday, February 3, 2012, CBS aired the trial of horse owner Deborah Dobbs vs. horse trainer Sharon Jeffco on the show Judge Judy, in a case involving alleged injury to a horse at the hands of a trainer. This case has caused quite a stir in the horse community, possibly because of the unique nature of the alleged injuries to the horse.
Dobbs sued Jeffco for $5,000 (the jurisdictional limit on Judge Judy), alleging that her 5-year-old mare, “Misty”, sustained severe tongue lacerations due to Jeffco’s training methods. Dobbs specifically complained that Jeffco used an “ill-fitting bit”. Dobbs posted this photo of the alleged injuries on Facebook [CAUTION: photo is graphic]. Dobbs admitted that she was present during the entire training session in question. More info...
Feb 16, 2012
Compare auto insurance rates with local agents
Shop rates before you renew
You will be matched with local agents in your neighborhood. The agents will then supply you with their best quotes. Review your offers and select the coverage that best suits you and your budget. More info...
Feb 3, 2012
U.S. Supreme Court says States Cannot Regulate Activities at Slaughter Plants
Horse Slaughter Debate
On January 23, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that while states may be able to enact laws banning the slaughter of horses, states cannot impose their own laws governing how animals are handled and processed at federally-regulated slaughterhouses. A link to the U.S. Supreme Court’s opinion can be found here.
This opinion was handed down in National Meat Association v. Harris, the “pig case” I discussed back in November 2011 when the case was in the oral arguments phase. This prior post discussed that case’s possible indirect effects on the horse slaughter debate: More info...
Feb 1, 2012
Parker County Jury Finds for Vet in Welk v. FolandAs I’ve previously stated in this prior post, negligence and malpractice lawsuits against veterinarians are generally “tough sleddin’” for plaintiffs in Texas. Would-be plaintiffs who wish to sue their veterinarians often face major obstacles such as: 1) proving damages; 2) obtaining effective expert testimony; 3) paying litigation expenses where there is a low likelihood of recovery; and 4) finding a lawyer experienced in representing plaintiffs in veterinary malpractice suits.
Last year’s defense verdict in the lawsuit brought by Larry and Lynn Welk against Dr. Jeffrey A. Foland and Weatherford Equine Medical Center, P.C. illustrates some of these difficulties. More info...
Jan 22, 2012
Top 5 Considerations for a Horse Sale Agreement with a Trial Period
by Allison Rowe
If you are thinking about buying or selling a horse on a “trial basis”, or if you are entering into a horse sale agreement with a trial period, here are five of the most important things you should consider:
1) The Timing of the Pre-Purchase Exam. The most important consideration in horse sales is usually, “is the horse sound”? If the horse is not sound enough to perform the intended tasks of the prospective buyer, the prospective buyer shouldn’t be taking it “on trial” anyway. It doesn’t happen often, but a horse can sustain an injury or get sick during even a short trial period. Therefore, the pre-purchase exam should be conducted before the horse is ever taken by a prospective buyer to “try out.” If a question is ever raised as to whose possession the horse was in when the horse was injured or got sick, both parties will be informed of the horse’s condition when it left the seller’s property if the pre-purchase exam is conducted before the horse leaves. See the following posts for more information on the types of tests that should be conducted in a pre-purchase exam. More info...
Jan 10, 2012
2011 Equine Law Year in Review
Texas Equine Law
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2011 brought a number of significant legal events / changes that will affect many people involved in the Texas horse industry. The "Top Seven of 2011" (it rhymes!), are as follows: More info...
