Call it a coincidence, but I came across an article last week that so speaks to why we are hosting an Equine Law seminar for horse professionals, that as much as I hate any negative press about the horse industry - I feel compelled to mention it.

It appears a Texas trainer is being sued by two of her clients.

The article states that the clients "allege that they had disagreements over training methods, as well as which trainer was riding the horses in preparation for shows." However, the lawsuit itself seems to revolve around payment. "They maintain that [the trainer] would not release the animals until full final payments were made. Consequently, the suit requests the return of the horses and personal property to [the clients] unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial."

It appears that there were no written agreements in place, only an oral agreement that "the center would provide proper care for the horses in exchange for monthly payments. In addition, either party could terminate the relationship upon a 30-day notice to the other." So, when the trainer attempted to hold the horses until the bills were paid - all hell broke loose!

First of all, I can't believe this actually made print. Secondly, a jury trial? Holy cow! That seems pretty excessive (and expensive) However, when it comes to people and their horses, emotions can run pretty high. It appears in this case that emotions may have trampled any voice of reason - reasonable people don't typically spend thousands of dollars on a jury trial over a bill dispute. Unfortunately, these costs aren't solely born by the clients who initiated the lawsuit. At a bare minimum the trainer will have to pay for her own legal defense - and who knows what else should the plaintiffs prevail.

Clearly, there is more going on here than meets the eye. At the same time, I can't help but notice that there was no written agreement. Had the trainer had an agreement in place and known what actions she could legally take (or not take) this lawsuit (and the negative publicity that it has created) could very well have been avoided.

Not "knowing" the law has never been a successful defense strategy in the courtroom. As a horse business owner, you can't afford to be uninformed about equine laws. Not only can misunderstandings lead to legal trouble, they can wreak havoc in your relationships with your customers and damage your reputation.

Enough said? If you are in the horse business, please don't miss Equestrian Professional's next seminar Equine Liability Laws and Exposures - What Every Equine Business Owner Needs to Know.  It takes place Nov 15^th at 5:00 pm Pacific time. You can attend via your phone or computer. The seminar is free to all horse professionals but you must register to attend.
 

Elisabeth McMillan is an equine business consultant, public speaker and the owner/editor of EquestrianProfessional.com, a website that provides business education and career support to horse professionals.  For more information please visit www.EquestrianProfessional.com or you  may email her at lizzy@equestrianprofessional.com.