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Re: [RC] Permission to ride on private property - D'Arcy Demianoff-Thompson

This is so true!  My last public facility, in Hayward, CA, was an insurance agents nightmare!  It was a 'pet' friendly facility.  Meaning that dogs were allowed.  The owner had to sign a 'waiver of liability' for the facility - holding us harmless.  There was only one incident in the four and a half years we operated that facility that we had to ask an owner to put their dog on lead due to potential violent behavior.  There were a number of dogs on the facility, including our own 5 dogs, at any given time.  My insurance agent cringed every time he came by!  Always citing dog biting payout statics from just his company alone!  The patrons worked really hard to insure there were not any aggressive behavior from their dogs to insure a safe facility so that their dogs could enjoy quality time.  Many of these people worked and their dogs were home by themselves all day.  It meant a lot for them to have their dogs with them and around horses. 
 
However, the same was true for aggressive horses.  We did not allow aggressive horses at the facility either.  Nor did we allow obnoxious and rude behavior from our patrons.  In the 4.5 years we were there we only had two insurance claims.  (1) I ran into the side of a landscaping guys truck, with my tractor, dumping (free manure compost) into the bed of his truck.  It barely creased his truck.  I stopped giving free manure.   (2) A woman that brought a horse in with laminitis (documented by her vet) barely took care of her horse.  Our boarding agreement gave us the authority to give primary and secondary care if the owner failed to act in the horses best interest.  She neglected the hooves for months.  I warned her to take care of it or I would.  I had to and she then said I was responsible for causing her horse to have laminitis!  The insurance company paid the $6,000.00 she was asking rather than pay the $8000+ it would cost to litigate the case!  Even with the PROOF that the horse came into the facility with laminitis!   We sold the facility right after that incident. 
 
I had a lot of plans for that facility.  A 3000 acre regional park bordered three sides of the property.  With 20 miles of designated riding trails.  There were three gates from our property right out into the park.  There were a handful of endurance riders at the facility.  I had hoped to turn it into a major endurance training facility in the heart of the Bay Area.  After those two insurance claims I lost my heart in that dream.  It seemed to show me what the potential writing on the wall could be. 
 
D'Arcy

Replies
[RC] permission to ride on private property, Marlene Moss
[RC] Permission to ride on private property, Karen Everhart