Equine Law Blog
Julie Fershtman is speaking at the National Conference on Equine Law in Lexington, Kentucky on May 1, 2025. Her topic is Products Liability in the Equine Industry.
Foster Swift shareholder Julie Fershtman is a speaker in a national CLE webinar program titled “Equine Law Essentials: Liability, Risk Management, and Tax Strategies.”
The United States Hunter-Jumper Association (“USHJA”) has asked Foster Swift shareholder, Julie Fershtman, to present a webinar on equine-related liability issues. Her first presentation is titled: “Understanding Equine Liability and How to Avoid Disputes with Insurers.”
June 28th is National Insurance Awareness Day. Certainly, people in the equine industry may be aware that they have liability insurance, but they sometimes forget to assess whether they have the right insurance. National Insurance Awareness Day offers an annual reminder to review, understand, and update your insurance policies.
Courts nationwide have grappled with the meaning of equine activity liability laws – especially their exceptions. Exceptions in the laws are important as they could potentially allow certain lawsuits to proceed. Although all of the equine activity liability acts (referred to as “EALAs”) differ, many share common characteristics. Several include an exception for a “dangerous latent condition of the land.” This article explores how the exception has been faring in the courts.
Equine sales are on the upswing these days, and many believe we’re now in a seller’s market, with high prices and eager buyers. As a busy lawyer with over 35 years of experience, my phone rings frequently with calls from horse buyers or sellers who are considering a lawsuit or who have been threatened with one.
Presented by Equestrian Professional, equine attorney Julie Fershtman will be speaking on How Equine Professionals Can Avoid Payment Disputes and Handle Them Legally if They Occur.
Your club or association wants to organize a horse show or clinic. These events, your group believes, will boost publicity, increase membership, and generate extra money. Usually the event is a success, leaving happy memories and satisfied participants. But sometimes, things can go wrong, such as:
What happens when people give veterinary or legal advice online – but they’re not even veterinarians or lawyers? In the horse industry, this is a surprisingly common occurrence.
Learn more by reading a new Horse Illustrated article on the subject, quoting our own Julie Fershtman: horseillustrated.com/veterinary-advice-online.
When Sam was about to leave for a weekend horse show, he discovered that his horse trailer had a broken tail light. Realizing that the problem could not be repaired in time, he asked his neighbor, Jo, to borrow her trailer. She agreed. Within minutes, Sam hitched his truck to Jo’s trailer, unaware that her trailer’s tongue ball socket and his truck’s hitch ball were not compatible – Jo‘s trailer required a hitch with a wider ball. Later, while Bill drove down the highway, the trailer broke away from his truck, injuring his horses, breaking a fence, injuring motorists, and destroying Ann’s trailer.
Lending your trailer may seem to be a simple and friendly accommodation, but accidents can occur and the risk of liability is always present. Insurance issues add to the complexity. Never assume that everyone’s insurance policies protect them against the worst case scenario.
