8 Essential Insurance Coverages For Horse Show Season
October 16, 2025If you have horses, you may already have the insurance you need for them when they are on your property or at the boarding facility. But, if you compete in shows, do you have the right coverage for the additional risks that come with horse shows and equine events? The specific policies, limits, and endorsements you need will depend on your role and your situation. Your insurance agent can help determine what you should prioritize to make sure you are adequately covered. In general, here are some essential insurance coverages for horse show season to consider:
- Equine Mortality Insurance
- Equine Major Medical and Surgical Coverage
- Loss of Use Coverage
- Personal Equine Liability Insurance
- Professional Equine Liability Insurance
- Care, Custody, and Control (CCC) Insurance
- Coverage For Transportation
- Show and Event Liability Insurance
1. Equine Mortality Insurance
Equine Mortality insurance is essentially life insurance for your horse. Mortality policies generally cover death due to accident, injury, or illness. This is a foundational coverage for horses that stay on the farm, as well as horses that travel. Not getting a mortality policy is one of the mistakes to avoid when insuring livestock, including horses.
Horses are also a substantial investment, and Equine Mortality is a protection should something happen. This is one of the reasons why you need Equine Mortality insurance. Horses that travel to shows and compete also carry extra risks due to those situations. Should something occur that would result in the loss of a horse under the coverage of the policy, an Equine Mortality policy can help cover costs associated with it.
2. Equine Major Medical and Surgical Coverage
Considered an essential coverage for horses in general, including those competing in equine events, is Equine Major Medical and Surgical Coverage. This coverage can help cover costs associated with unexpected veterinary expenses due to illness or injury that do not result in the loss of a horse.
When it comes to unexpected veterinary expenses due to injury or illness with horses, Major Medical coverage can bridge the gap when Equine Mortality does not apply and help you cover the costs of veterinary care to heal your horse. This is the biggest reason why horse owners should consider Equine Major Medical insurance.
However, there are some important caveats with this essential coverage:
- Major Medical and Surgical is an endorsement to an Equine Mortality policy.
- It must be purchased as an add-on to a Mortality policy and cannot be purchased separately as a standalone policy.
- It does not cover routine veterinary care and maintenance.
- Major Medical usually includes Surgical coverage, but there may be Surgical Only policies available.
- Like Major Medical, Surgical Only policies are an endorsement that must be added to an Equine Mortality policy.
3. Loss of Use Coverage
Loss of Use coverage may technically be optional coverage, but the value it can provide as a protection for your investment is essential, especially in the context of show horses. Should a horse no longer be able to perform or compete due to a covered loss (injury, illness, etc.), Loss of Use coverage will cover a percentage of the horse’s value.
This coverage is particularly valuable for high-level performance horses. Should they sustain an injury that does not completely disable them, but may mean they are no longer able to compete in shows, Loss of Use coverage can reimburse you for some of the financial loss that comes with no longer being able to compete or show with that horse.
4. Personal Equine Liability Insurance
Personal Equine Liability insurance protects you from expenses related to legal action against you should your horse cause property damage or bodily injury to another person. A standard Homeowner’s insurance might not cover these situations. If you have a farm insurance policy, there may be coverage gaps for these horse-related incidents as well.
With all the activity that comes with horse shows, including potential interactions with other people, other horses, other people’s property, and more, there is also a lot of potential risk for a situation to occur with your horse. With a Personal Equine Liability policy, you can make sure you are adequately protected should an incident occur where your horse injures a third party or damages something, and you are found legally liable for it.
5. Professional Equine Liability Insurance
Equine liability risks get more complicated if there are commercial exposures involved. This is something to consider when evaluating General Liability vs Professional Liability coverage. Should an incident occur with your horse in a commercial capacity, it may not be covered under a standard personal Equine Liability policy.
Generally, when there are commercial operations and the risks that come with them, Commercial Equine General Liability and Professional Equine Liability insurance is required for coverage. Activities like showing, training, boarding, and more are all likely to require Professional Equine Liability.
Are you sure you’re insured with the right equine insurance? Make sure you have a conversation with your insurance agent about your horses and how you use them to make sure you have the liability coverage you need, including coverage for all commercial operations and professional capacities.
6. Care, Custody, and Control (CCC) Insurance
Care, Custody, and Control (CCC) insurance may not be necessary for everyone, but it often comes into play for stables, boarding facilities, horse show grounds, and more. Care, Custody, and Control (CCC) insurance is essentially liability coverage for animals under your care that you do not own.
It’s a coverage that is important for contract growers or contract farmers. It also applies to horse stable owners, trainers who handle horses that they don’t own, and property owners who host horse shows. Should a horse under your care become injured, lost, or die, and you are considered legally liable for it, CCC will cover the medical costs or replacement costs for that animal.
7. Coverage For Transportation
Horse shows generally require travel and transporting animals. It’s important to make sure your insurance coverage protects your horses during transport. If you do not have coverage for this, or enough coverage, under your existing policies, specific transit insurance will be necessary.
Depending on your situation and the policy, this can also include emergency stabling in case of an accident or another incident. Options may be available for single trips or as an annual policy if you regularly travel to several shows throughout the year.
8. Show and Event Liability Insurance
Show and Event Liability insurance usually only applies to event organizers and hosts. Available as a short-term event policy for specific events or an annual policy for recurring events or dedicated venues, Equine Event Liability insurance provides protection from liability for property damage or bodily injury at horse shows, clinics, and other events.
Although there may be equine participation liability laws in some states, these are not comprehensive enough to replace the need for Equine Liability and Equine Event Liability. Also, most venues will require proof of event liability insurance before an event.
If you are the host or organizer behind an event, this is essential insurance coverage for horse show season. Depending on the details of the event, what else might be on the premises, and more, other coverages to consider if they are not already included in your event policy may include Spectator Liability, Event Cancellation, Liquor Liability, Host Liquor Liability, etc.
Make Sure Your Horses Are Properly Insured With Ruhl Insurance, a Division of Horst Insurance
These are a few essential insurance coverages for horse show season to discuss with your insurance agent. Depending on your situation, you may need to drop unnecessary coverage, add necessary coverage, adjust limits, etc. to have the equine insurance you need.
What matters is getting the right coverage for your horses before you need it. Getting personalized advice and policies customized to your needs are some benefits of working with an independent insurance agent. If you have questions about your current equine insurance coverage or need to acquire new equine coverage, contact Ruhl Insurance, a Division of Horst Insurance, at 717-665-2283 or 800-537-6880.
Disclaimer: Information and claims presented in this content are meant for informative, illustrative purposes and should not be considered legally binding.