How to start a horse camp?
I want to start a camp where kids that don’t normally have the opportunity to ride horses or even learn to ride horses. I have all the horses that I need and all the tack and stuff but don’t know how to get it started. Do I have to get certified for anything….What about insurance……Just things like that I don’t know how to go about doing. I have talked to both of my parents and they are supportive of what I want to do.
If you just want a small camp, there is no need for all this stuff. You can find a rider release online somehwere and get there parents to sign it so you can’t get sued. Also I know in some states there are mandatory WARNING equine activity signs. I would just put some signs up places with your number and people are bound to call. Once you get started up you might wanna think about the insurance and stuff, but i dont belive it is necessary for just a small camp, in my opinion its slightly overkill.
Horse Insurance by Oak Springs Insurance
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Tom, Thank you for including our video in your blog. We have a lot of experience helping folks with youth ranches/camps as well as other equine owners & businesses at Oak Springs.
One thing to always consider about insurance is the level of risk you are willing to shoulder & the layers of protection you put in place.
While many people start with a liability waiver & state law signs it doesn’t mean you “can’t” get sued, it is just a deterrent & a show of your diligence in disclosing the risks of being around & riding horses. It may reduce the likelihood that a judge would consider your actions negligent. But it is just one layer of highly recommended protection in addition to the positive relationships you strive to build. If you can afford to do nothing else, this is very important.
Equine Personal Liability insurance is another layer of protection and coverage can be purchased for as little as $150-$250/year including up to 5 horses you own or lease. This coverage allows either $300,000 or $1,000,000 of coverage per occurrence respectively. Quite affordable to help provide defense in the event of an accident or accusation from another party.
Once a camp or ranch begins to move toward a more “commercial” organization like fund-raising, bringing on volunteers, hosting events, advertising, even filing for a business id & non-profit status – the risk shifts from personal to commercial. Equine Commercial General Liability policies can also be very affordable & costs will vary by state & by type of activities planned by each non-profit. At this stage founders would want to contact an insurance agency to complete an application, include photographs of the horses & facility which is then submitted to underwriting specialists by the agent & a quote is returned.
Overall there are many options for protection & many resources online for those with this passion to start equine non-profits. Hope this added info is helpful to your readers.