Equine Personal Liability Insurance is a Smart Decision

It's every horse owner's worst nightmare. You're tacking up your horse in the crossties or even simply walking him to his turnout, and suddenly he spooks and bolts. You just can't hold on, and he breaks free. 

Your horse is now running loose, frantic with fear, and there's nothing you can do except hope the outcome isn't a complete disaster.

We've all stood in these shoes before, watching as our beloved horse gallops from his demons, real or perceived. We've picked up the pieces of shredded tack as we follow the hoofprints in the gravel or grass.

Most of the time, it's a matter of catching the horse and calming him down, returning to the stable or field and checking him over for bumps and bruises.

Unfortunately, there are those exceptions when a 1,200-pound animal running amok causes serious damage to himself and others. And that's where having Equine Personal Liability Insurance can make a huge difference in the repercussions.

To continue reading about Equine Personal Liability Insurance, click here.

Keep your horse happy and healthy with a few simple biosecurity measures around the barn and at the events.

 EMO: Tip Of The Month

Biosecurity Measures

Now that fall's cooler weather is upon most of us in the United States and our horses are spending more time in the barn, it's a good time to think about preventing the spread of viruses and diseases.

Many infectious agents are spread more readily when horses are kept in closed quarters with more frequent contact. Whether through direct contact or surface contamination, our horses can be susceptible to diseases if proper biosecurity measures aren't taken.

While vaccinations are vital to keep our horses healthy, they're not complete protection, and there are a few key ways to reduce the chance your horse could become infected. 

• At The Barn
•  Keep new horses isolated, ideally for two weeks, and check daily for health issues.
•  Specify equipment, tack and grooming tools for use on new horses only.
• Shoes and clothes can carry contaminants, so change them and wash your hands when traveling from barn to barn, especially those with unfamiliar vaccination and biosecurity measures.
• Ask visitors from other barns to wash their hands when they arrive.
• Routinely disinfect equipment, brushes and trailers, especially if horses in your barn are regularly competing. 
• At The Events
• Bring your own feed and water buckets and avoid using communal equipment, such as water troughs or grooming equipment.
• Prevent your horse from having nose-to-nose contact with other horses.
• Wash your hands frequently, especially after helping other people with their horses.
• Before leaving the event, brush off dirt or manure from your shoes and clothing, then clean and disinfect any tack or equipment that may have come into contact with unfamiliar horses. 

Household bleach is a great, inexpensive disinfectant. Mix 3/4 cup of bleach per gallon of water (or one part bleach to 10 parts water if you're without a measuring cup). Use it on your grooming equipment, buckets, pitchforks, etc.

Hand sanitizers are also handy to keep in your grooming box or tack trunk for a quick clean at the ring or in the barn. 

For more information on biosecurity measures and equine health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture offers a great resource: Horse Disease Information.