Horse Business Insurance: Horse Boarding, Farm & Ranch Insurance

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Like those that are running a poultry farm or a fish farm  and  probably taking some financial safety measures to make sure their businesses are protected in the form of business insurance. The same is true when you’re breeding horses, and you have to take some precautions to ensure that your whole source of income doesn’t go down the drain.

Failing to take these precautions can result in disaster, and that’s why we’re here today to discuss horse business insurance. Whether you're looking for horse boarding insurance or horse farm insurance, in this guide, we’ll cover the things you need to know about the various forms of horse business insurance available as well as their costs, and review some of the best horse insurance companies to work with.

Let's take that ride!

Horse Boarding Insurance

There are few different forms of horse ranch insurance that you can opt for, and horse boarding insurance is a pretty popular one. Horse boarding is when you take in and house someone’s horse, which can be quite a big responsibility when you consider how much a horse costs.

Horse boarding insurance usually covers the main threats to horses that may occur under your watch. If someone’s horse ends up falling ill, getting injured, or even ends up dying on your watch, the owner of the horse may end up suing you for damages, including the cost of the horse.

If you’re boarding champion racehorses, then you’ll definitely need horse boarding insurance because you’ll end up getting sued for more than just the value of the horse. You may also get sued for the winnings that the horse’s owner lost out on because of the death or injury of the horse.

This tends to make horse boarding insurance a little more expensive than other kinds of horse insurance. For example, horse farm insurance usually doesn’t cost that much because those are your own horses and you likely won’t end up suing yourself if something goes wrong with your horses. Let’s look at horse farm insurance in greater detail.

Horse Farm Insurance

Horse farm insurance applies to clients that are running a horse farm in which they raise horses. No matter the kinds of horses you’re raising, there are several different forms of insurance you can get. One of the more common forms of equine farm insurance protects you from things that happen to your horses, such as horse farm liability insurance.

For example, if one of your horses ends up falling ill due to pollution, that isn’t due to your negligence and you may end up being eligible for a payout. Other factors that can come into play include weather that results in your horses getting injured, such as lightning strikes and even natural disasters.

You can even have one of these policies pay out if the food that you fed your horses was unknowingly contaminated, making them get sick. Keep in mind that if the food was contaminated due to your negligence, there’s a pretty high chance that the insurance company won’t end up paying out.

You can also get your hands on horse farm liability insurance, which will pay out if your horses end up injuring someone or causing them property damage. For example, if someone is visiting your horse farm and they get bucked or kicked by one of your horses, your liability insurance policy will pay out for their medical bills.

Horse Boarding Insurance Cost

The average horse boarding insurance cost is dependent on a wide range of factors, and a major one is the number of horses you’re boarding at any given time. If you have a large number of horses, then there’s a higher chance that you’ll end up getting sued if something goes wrong so your insurance premium will be higher.

Beyond the number of horses, you’ll also have to account for the value of the horses that you’re keeping. If you just have some basic paints, the average horse boarding facility insurance cost is around $30 per month or $360 per year for $1m general liability insurance without covering the horses themselves. If you add the horses, the average horse boarding insurance cost goes up to around $60/month or $720/year.

Horse Farm Insurance Cost

The average horse farm insurance cost is $83/month or $996/year depending on many of the same factors as for horse boarding. For example, larger horse farms can end up paying a substantial amount more than small ones. Insurance companies will usually base your rate on the number of horses that you’re currently raising.

However, other factors also play into the equine farm insurance cost, including your business’s history. For example, if you’ve previously had visitors to your farm get injured due to your horses, you can expect to pay a decent amount more for your coverage.

Best Horse Farm Insurance Companies

Picking out the best horse farm insurance companies will ensure that you get better service and that you end up paying better rates for your coverage. Below we reviewed two of them, to compare horse business insurance quotes online from these companies and other leading ones, click the 'Get Quotes' button and complete the questionnaire to have them compete on your horse business.

Markel Horse Farm Insurance

Markel has been working in the insurance industry for over 70 years, and the company typically works with risks that are a bit more niche than the competition. Their presence in the horse farm insurance industry confirms this as they don’t have a lot of competition from mainline insurers.

Markel Policy Details

Markel’s horse farm and ranch insurance policy features a max limit of $1m/$3m and the coverage also includes the premises, personal liability, professional liability, and equine liability coverage. The policy also features a $100,000 fire legal liability limit and a $5000 medical payment limit.

Pros:

• Covers horses and medical payments

• Affordable

• Includes dwelling coverage

Cons:

• Commercial policy is separate and more expensive

Average cost: $50/m

Best for: Customers that also need dwelling coverage

Blue Bridle Horse Farm Insurance

Since 1982, Blue Bridle has specialized in insuring horses, horse farms, and horse breeders. The company was one of the first to offer medical and surgical coverage for horses in America, blazing a path for future horse farm insurance carriers.

Blue Bridle Policy Details

Blue Bridle offers a range of policies for equine farms, including farm property insurance, equine liability insurance, and equine insurance. Each of these forms of coverage is split into several plans, ranging from commercial insurance to private farm insurance.

Pros:

• Variety of policies

• Also offers premises coverage

• Equine surgery coverage

Cons:

• Pricey

Average cost: $56/m

Best for: Smaller farms