March/April

Springing Forward

I'm hoping that the springtime weather we're all looking forward to will arrive soon. I think we've endured the winter of extremes in many parts of the nation, and it makes us thankful that we only experience this type of weather once every few years.

Many of our clients are winding down their winter circuits and will take a break before they start in on the spring shows. Breaks not only give us a chance to recharge the batteries, but also allow us to do some of the dreaded paperwork we've been putting off when we are away from home. Our feature article this month focuses on liability releases and their importance.

We're living in a litigious society, and as the saying goes, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Please use this article as a reference, and we hope it will answer any questions that you've had about what waivers and releases do and how they're vitally important to your business.

I don't know about you, but I'm really looking forward to celebrating green this spring!

EMO...Ride with the leaders!

E. Sue Bopp

Trainers and barn owners should make sure to have a signed waiver on file for anyone who takes lessons, rides or handles horses on their property.

The Importance of Signed Releases/Waivers

Obtaining a signed release/waiver is vitally important for a variety of reasons, and this article outlines some of the Frequently Asked Questions surrounding waivers and releases.

1) A signed release/waiver can help discourage people from suing. If an injured person knows that he/she has signed a waiver, the person is less likely to file a lawsuit.

2) A signed release/waiver can be used as a viable defense, and in some cases prevent a person from suing. Even if the person sues, a signed waiver can be used as evidence in court that an injured person assumed the risks inherent in that activity.

What releases/waivers do not do is pay for your cost of your legal defense or the cost of a legal judgment if you lose the suit. That's where insurance comes in.

Liability releases and waivers should clearly list the inherent risks involved in the activity. Inherent risks of equine activities mean those dangers or conditions that are an integral part of equine activities. Some of these would be as follows:

(a) The propensity of equines to behave in ways that may result in injury, harm, or death to persons on or around them.

(b) The unpredictability of an equine's reaction to such things as sounds, sudden movement, and unfamiliar objects, persons, or other animals.

(d) Collisions with other equines or objects.

(e) The potential of a participant to act in a negligent manner that may contribute to injury to the participant or others, such as failing to maintain control over the animal or not acting within his or her ability.

Liability releases/waivers should also be clear and concise. The person signing the waiver should know what risks they are waiving. A waiver that just says "horseback riding is dangerous" does not state what inherent risks are being waived (as listed above).

To read more about releases/waivers and more FAQ, please click here.

EMO: Meet Clients Rolling Acres Show Stables

Rolling Acres is an historic, 200-acre farm located in Montgomery County, Maryland. The farm was an original land grant from Lord Baltimore to the Gaither family. Samuel and Janice Nicholson, owners of Rolling Acres, purchased the farm in 1972.

Rolling Acres family members, from left, Kevin Foster, Ashley Foster, Mary Lisa Leffler and Patty Foster.

Rolling Acres Show Stables, Inc., is managed by Patty Nicholson Foster and Mary Lisa Nicholson Leffler, daughters of Samuel and Janice. This is the training and hunter/jumper showing segment of the family business, which Patty and Mary established together in 1993. Pam Saul is the "behind-the-scenes" sister who maintains the books for the businesses and cares for the horses and farm when Patty and Mary are on the road. Patty's husband Kevin and daughter Ashley compete in the amateur-owner sections, and Ashley is a freshman on the Auburn University Equestrian Team.

Their boarding operation consists of one 31-stall barn attached to a 80' x 150' indoor arena. The second barn is an historic bank barn converted to 32 stalls. Turnout includes 22 paddocks of varying sizes as well as a variety of pastures, and Rolling Acres Farm produces all of the hay used to feed the horses.

Mary Lisa Leffler is Rolling Acres' resident professional rider.

Over the decades, Rolling Acres Show Stables has evolved into one of the top hunter/jumper training facilities on the East Coast. Their riders and horses have won countless national and zone championships in Hunters, Jumpers and Equitation as well as tricolors at Devon and the fall indoor horse shows. Their training staff has experience from leadline to international grand prix competitions, and they have more than 40 years of experience in the care and handling of show horses.

In addition to insuring horses, EMO also insures a variety of livestock species.

EMO: FAQ

Insuring Livestock

In this new section we're highlighting Frequently Asked Questions you have about equine, liability and farm insurance.

Q: We have recently added a small herd of beef cattle to our growing collection of farm animals. Are we able to insure them through EMO as we do our horses and farm?

A: Yes, EMO offers livestock insurance for beef and dairy cattle. We have also insured many other types of animals, including ostriches and llamas! So, if you continue to add other animals to your farm community, please give your agent a call to discuss the available coverages for the different types of livestock on your property.

If you have a question about your insurance coverage and would like to have it answered in a future newsletter, please email us!

EMO Congratulates!

EMO's Chris Hocutt, left, presented Taylor Brown with the EMO/PCQHA Horse of the Year Trophy as owner of Absolute Best Asset. The awards banquet was held February 15 in Rancho Murieta, California.

Congratulations to Rich Fellers riding Harry and Mollie Chapman's Flexible for their victory in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, held March 8 on the HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal, California.

EMO Offers Best Wishes

The EMO Agency, Inc., said goodbye to two Warrenton-based employees in March: Shelby Cooper and Shannon Dodson are moving on to other opportunities.

Shannon has worked at EMO since she was in high school, through college and after graduation. She now has the opportunity to move to the Washington, D.C. suburbs and become an underwriter for Traveler's Insurance Group. "It's a good move for a young person out of college who wants to be in the city," said EMO President E. Sue Bopp. "We will certainly miss her."

Shelby came to EMO from the health care industry, and she now has the opportunity to obtain her life and health insurance licenses.

"They're two great employees, and it was hard to lose them, but I'm

happy they are both pursuing their goals, and it was great they were able to spend time with us here. On behalf of the EMO Agency, I wish them all the best in their future endeavors," added Bopp.