Is your Livery Yard Insurance really fit for purpose?

When you run an equestrian facility, it can be easy to think of Livery Yard Insurance as simply another box to tick — arrange a policy, renew it each year and assume you are correctly covered. But a livery yard is rarely just a place where horses are kept. The services you provide, the level of care you undertake, the facilities you offer and the activities that take place on your premises can all have an impact on your insurance requirements. Every livery yard is different, and it is about making sure you have the right insurance for the risks you have taken on.

Care, Custody and Control for the equines on your premises

Consider the full range of services you provide and the responsibilities. If you or your staff are caring for horses on behalf of their owners, even on an ad-hoc basis, the question of Care, Custody and Control (CCC) becomes particularly important. The more responsibility you take for horses, the more important it is to make sure your insurance reflects that responsibility and provides appropriate protection should something go wrong.

There can sometimes be an assumption that a DIY livery yard doesn’t need CCC cover, because the horse owner is responsible for looking after their own horse. However, it can be worth looking at this more carefully.

Even on a DIY yard, the yard owner is providing facilities specifically for horses and may, at some point, have some involvement with a horse. Perhaps a horse gets loose, there is an emergency, a member of staff needs to move a horse out of danger, or the yard owner must assist with a situation when the owner isn’t present.

While the precise insurance requirements will depend on the individual circumstances and policy wording, having appropriate CCC protection can provide valuable peace of mind for a yard owner, even where the yard operates on a predominantly DIY basis.

Think about your facilities and how they are used

It is important to consider the yard as a whole — not just the horses themselves. Your premises may include stables, barns, arenas, parking areas, offices, storage and other facilities, but the insurance implications can depend on how those facilities are used and who is using them.

For example, you may allow non-livery clients to hire your arena, host clinics or competitions, provide lorry or trailer parking, or allow external instructors and other professionals to operate from the yard. You may also occasionally use your facilities for non-equestrian activities.

These activities may introduce different risks and responsibilities and shouldn’t simply be assumed to be covered because you have insurance in place.

This is particularly important as a yard evolves. What started as a straightforward livery operation can gradually develop to include additional services, facility hire and events. Your insurance must also evolve to reflect these changes.

Make sure your insurer understands the full range of facilities you provide, who has access to them and the activities that take place on your premises. Having a facility insured does not necessarily mean every use of it is automatically covered, so it is important to have a clear understanding of what your policy does — and does not — cover.

Are the horses themselves adequately considered?

Another important consideration is the value and number of horses for which you may have responsibility. A yard could have horses ranging from relatively modest value leisure horses to high-value competition, breeding or performance horses. Your policy may have an overall limit, but it may also have limits that apply to individual horses or circumstances.

It is therefore important to understand whether the limits available under your policy are realistic for the horses kept at your yard. This is particularly important where the nature or value of the horses on the premises has changed since the policy was originally arranged.

The same applies to exclusions. It is imperative to understand whether there are any activities, circumstances or types of loss that your policy does not cover.

Choosing the right insurance expertise matters

Another factor that is sometimes overlooked is who is advising you on your insurance. A general commercial insurance broker may be very experienced in arranging business insurance, but that does not necessarily mean they understand the particular risks associated with equestrian establishments.

Equestrian businesses can be complex. A livery yard may combine property, public access, animal care, equestrian activities, facility hire, events and a variety of other services. This is why there is real value in working with an insurer or broker who has genuine experience of equestrian establishments and understands the range of services and facilities they can provide.

The aim should not simply be to find a policy that appears to cover a “livery yard”. You want your insurance adviser to understand your particular operation, ask the right questions and have a realistic and informed view of the level and type of insurance protection you should have.

Equally, as a yard owner, it is important that you provide your insurer with a complete and accurate picture of the business. An insurer can only assess the risks properly if they understand what you do.

Fit for purpose means understanding the whole picture

Ultimately, good insurance isn’t about having the cheapest price or the biggest limits.

It is about having cover that reflects the real risks and responsibilities of your business.

Think about:

• the services you provide;
• the level of care you undertake for horses;
• the facilities you provide and how they are used;
• whether facilities are available to non-livery clients;
• the events and activities you organise;
• any additional services such as lorry parking;
• the horses and values involved;
• the limits that apply; and
• any exclusions that could affect your operation.

Then ask yourself: If something went wrong tomorrow, would I be confident that my insurance was designed around the business I actually run?

If the answer isn’t an immediate “yes”, it may be time to have a conversation with an insurance specialist who understands equestrian establishments.

Because the objective isn’t simply to have insurance. It is to have insurance that is genuinely fit for purpose.

If you own a livery yard, keep it safe with valued protection from SEIB. Call us now to get a Livery Yard Insurance quote on 01708 850 000 or email info@seib.co.uk to find out more.

About SEIB

SEIB Insurance Brokers have been providing insurance for Horses for over 60 years. We provide a flexible range of policies to suit your needs from Livery Yard Insurance to Horsebox Insurance and Horse Trailer Insurance. Our experienced team of horse owners can help provide you with advice on what cover you might need.