Equine law involves the law as it relates to all aspects of horses and horse-related activities.
We are able to assist horse owners, businesses, professionals, insurers, associations, clinicians, event sponsors, national and international competitors, and facilities with several things including:
- Draft, review, or negotiate equine-related contracts (such as purchase and sales agreements, leases, stallion service contracts, liability waivers/releases, facility use agreements, stallion management agreements, training agreements, and boarding contracts)
- Set up corporations, partnerships, syndications, or Limited Liability Companies
- Assist with tax planning and resolving tax disputes, including "hobby loss disputes" with the government
- Help plan and document real estate purchases or transactions
- Handle or resolve equine ownership disputes
- Handle or resolve zoning and land use disputes
- Handle or resolve disputes involving breaches of professional duties such as sales agents, trainers, stables and others
- Advise equine industry clubs and associations regarding management, rules, bylaws, disputes and regulations
- Help avoid liability through risk management consulting
- Draft or review equine insurance policy language and provide counsel in evaluation and litigation of coverage disputes
- Represent people, associations or businesses when disputes or lawsuits arise out of any of the matters described above
Recent Blog Posts
- ABA Publishes Julie Fershtman’s Newest Book on Equine Law
- New Cases Show Strength of State Equine Activity Liability Laws
- Damage Caused by Boarded Horses -- Who Pays for It?
- New Year's Resolutions for the Equine Industry
- New York is 48th State to Enact an Equine Liability Law
- Dog Bite Liability – What Horse Owners and Stables Should Know
- Fine Tune Your Equine Lease to Avoid Legal Battles
- Should You Buy a Horse Sight Unseen?
- Equine Contracts and Genetic Conditions: Horse Owners Beware
- What is an “Inherent Risk” With Horses?
Publications & Alerts
- Liability Releases for Agritourism Activities – Don’t Fall Prey to Myths, Foster Swift Agricultural Law News, March 31, 2020
- Animal Law for Insurance Lawyers, American Bar Association: Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal, February 4, 2020
- When the Hoof Meets the Road, Foster Swift Agricultural Law News, January 23, 2019
- Can You Repossess a Horse When the Buyer Fails to Pay?, Miniature Horse News, October 19, 2015
- What You Didn't Know About Liability Insurance, Equine Chronicle, October 19, 2015
- Liability Insurance for Small Equine Businesses, Equine Chronicle, April 3, 2015
Events
- Unique Equine Liability Risks Involving Minors - What They Are And How To Protect Yourself, American Youth Horse Council (AYHC) Annual Symposium, March 4, 2021
- Equine Insurance Coverage Issues, Kentucky Bar Association (Equine Law Section), November 23, 2020
- Equine Activity Liability Laws: What Horse Owners, Associations, and Equine Professionals Need to Know, EquitanaUSA National eQuestrian Celebration, September 4, 2020
- Equine Activity Liability Acts and the Courts—What You Need to Know, Emmett J. Vaughan Agribusiness Conference-Des Moines, IA, September 25, 2019
- Livestock Mortality Insurance—Battleground Areas for Legal Disputes and Options To Avoid Disputes, Emmett J. Vaughan Agribusiness Conference-Des Moines, IA, September 25, 2019
- Livestock Mortality Insurance—Battleground Areas for Legal Disputes and Options To Avoid Disputes, Emmett J. Vaughan Agribusiness Conference-Richmond, VA, June 19, 2019
- Equine Activity Liability Act Update, National Conference on Equine Law— Lexington, KY, May 1, 2019
News
- Foster Swift in dbusiness 2021 Top Lawyers, dbusiness, November 12, 2020
- Fershtman Awarded Additional Super Lawyers Honors in 2020, September 18, 2020
- Fershtman Published in ABA-TIPS Law Journal, February 12, 2020
- Foster Swift Attorneys Listed in dbusiness 2020 Top Lawyers, November 12, 2019
- ABA Publishes Julie Fershtman’s Newest Book on Equine Law, American Bar Association (ABA), October 29, 2019
- Dilley and Fershtman Awarded Additional Super Lawyers Honors, September 10, 2019
- Firm Elects Executive Committee Members for 2019, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, March 7, 2019