Equine Law Home

It is common for people in the equine world to do the majority of their deals verbally. Deals of this nature are often agreed between familiar parties, whom are believed to be honourable and trustworthy. However, this is not always the case; horses are valuable and sometimes irreplaceable and it is important to protect your investment becoming a legal liability.

Written agreements can be drafted to cover a range of situations from buying and selling, loaning your horse or leasing your land. These can be tailored to meet your specific requirements. We can draft agreements to cover:

• Buying and selling horses.
• Loan and part share arrangements.
• Livery arrangements.
• Supply and purchase of goods and services such as feed, tack, farrier services and livery facilities.
• Running an equine business such as riding stables, livery yards, stud farms and racing stables.
• Running events such as competitions, rallies or camps.

If you own land or property we can provide comprehensive advice such as:

• Livery and grazing agreements and leases for stabling facilities.
• Purchase and sale contracts for commercial properties.
• Planning issues.
• Responsibilities for the welfare of horses on your land and their owners.
• Fencing responsibilities.
• Responsibilities to those with land neighbouring yours.

Legal advice may also help to minimise your exposure to financial or other risk in the event that things don't go smoothly and you end up in a dispute , such as:

• Veterinary negligence.
• Liability under The Animals Act 1971 or The Animal Welfare Act 2006.
• Damage caused to property.
• The sale or purchase of a horse on false pretences.
• Breach of contract.
• Debt recovery.