Will we give cart rides?

[Marsha Cassada]

A local church called yesterday and asked if I would bring my little horse and give cart rides for the VBS children. I asked how many. He said about 100. I told him "been there done that" and I won't do it again, but if my sister will go with me with her little horse, we can handle it between us.

I'm planning to call him back to say we'll do it, but I want to ask him about liability. I'm getting nervous about that lately.

I thought I might go a little early, so the children can brush and pet before harnessing up. That's the part Dapper Dan likes the best.

I might take Dusty, too, for the brushing and petting. He needs more experience with small people.

 

[RhineStone]

I think you are right to be nervous about liability. Before I decided to stay home with my kid, I was a 4-H Agent. You wouldn't believe the forms that we had to have completed before an activity!

The University is really good at CYA ("cover your -ss"). Personally, I wouldn't do it unless you have a rider on your farm policy, and even then, I'm not sure that would cover you "entertaining" with cart rides. Maybe brushing and petting might be OK. You need to contact YOUR agent.

It's really too bad that it has come to this. But I also understand that liability might keep half-way intelligent people from doing something stupid.

Myrna (who knew of a local trail ride outfit that lost their shirt when they tied a mentally-challenged kid on a horse, and the horse took off and killed the kid.)

 

[CZP1]

I would bring the horse and let them brush and pet him. I get that all the time, even when we are driving down the road people will stop and ask if I can give their kids a ride. NOT! They can pet the pretty pony. JMO

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I've already tried jumping through the insurance hoop. NO homeowner policy covers equines. The cost of equine insurance is prohibitive for me.

When I ask the organization about liability, I will also request a donation toward CMHR. I have their form already.

 

[jegray21]

I would be nervous if you do not have insurance. We had a very close call here at our farm with a visitor who was not even suppose to be near the horses! Everyone who comes on property now has to sign a release form. I do pony parties too and have a great deal of insurance...if I do cart rides have to add more insurance. Just never know with people these days and with horses there is bound to have something happen!

 

[RhineStone]

We have Rural Insurance and they have an equine rider policy that is very reasonable.

We used to have a different company until they found out that we had more than two horses. Then they dropped us. Rural has never even blinked twice. We have everything covered under them, house, cars, trailer, etc. And they will insure pole buildings, something other insurance companies won't even touch.

Myrna

 

[Katiean]

I was going to give rides at a church thing. It was the church that didn't have int insurance to cover the horse rides. They have not asked since.

 

[Cindy]

Hi Marsha,

It is your generous nature to consider this request; however, with 100 little kids milling all about your two minis, all it would take is one wrong move. Unfortunately, parents are not always so forgiving when their children are injured, even in minor ways.

In my opinion, you are definitely asking the right questions and these days, you do need to know the answers about liability since horses are still horses: unpredictable. And little kids are even more unpredictable. So, if neither of you has insurance these days, you are probably laying yourself wide open in the event of unforseen accident (either with cart or in hand.)

If the Church has some insurance, then how about a visit with one mini and a brief educational 5 minute approach to the kids BEFORE they all get excited about seeing the mini and hovering close and quick up to them. So many Minis are wonderful about this but it can overwhelm even the most seasoned veteran.

Personally, I would opt out of the driving component ....that just seems to add to more potential risks.

Good luck!

Cindy

 

[targetsmom]

We have liability insurance with Farm Family, which also covers just about everything else we own. I have done cart rides for a special after school program where the kids were learning about horses, but that was about a dozen kids and we went for about an hour and a half. We could have shortened the time with one loop instead of two, but we also stopped for photos after each ride. Anyway, I think 100 kids would be way too many for this.

For large numbers of kids we will set up a small corral and let the kids pet them. Not sure if this link will work, but it is on our website in the gallery section. Farm Fest photo

Photos of the cart rides are also on our website under Angel Horses.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I called the guy and got his voice mail (is that what the "answering machine" on a cell phone is called???). Told him we would do it with conditions. Have not heard back from him.

Shall I assume he got the message? Sometimes I wonder if people get the messages on their voice mail. I do not have a cell phone, so I'm not sure exactly how it works.

 

[ThreeCFarm]

Marsha, sometimes voice mails are delayed, but it wouldn't hurt to call him back just to make sure.

I agree with the others, this is something I'd be very, very hesitant to do. Too many things can go wrong. I know DD is a good boy, but even the best horses make mistakes, and with that many people, something could easily go wrong.

 

[susanne]

Nasty, litigious parents are not your biggest worry. They would have little to say if their insurance company goes after anyone they can to get their money.

A signed waiver is no guarantee that the injured party's insurance company won't sue you -- even if that person is a close friend or relative. They can be adamant that you are not at fault, yet their insurance company will do everything they can to recoup their losses.

I'd want proof that the church's insurance will cover this.