Competition Horse Legal Planning: Protecting Your Horse as an Asset

By Lara Davies

Protecting a Competition Horse as an Asset

For riders who compete, a horse is never just a hobby. Alongside the partnership and emotional bond sits something else entirely: a high-value asset shaped by years of training, financial investment, and specialist care.

As an accomplished equestrian, I know how easy it is to focus solely on performance, progression, and day-to-day management. Legal planning is rarely top of the list. Yet equestrian sport carries real risk, and when the unexpected happens, a lack of clear arrangements can leave families – particularly those with little horse knowledge – facing difficult decisions about a horse’s future.

Why competition horses require legal protection

Competition horses often represent one of a rider’s most valuable assets. The purchase price is only the starting point. Ongoing costs such as livery, training, veterinary treatment, transport, competition fees, and professional support all contribute to a horse’s true value.

In some cases, horses may also produce income through prize money, breeding, or sponsorship. Without formal legal arrangements, uncertainty can arise around ownership, control, and decision-making, often at times of emotional or financial pressure.

Forward planning helps protect both the welfare of the horse and the value of the investment.

How riders can safeguard their horse

1. Record ownership clearly

If a horse is jointly owned, loaned, or part of a syndicate, ownership should be confirmed in writing. Informal or verbal agreements can quickly break down when circumstances change.

Ownership details should also be consistent across breed societies, governing bodies, and the equine passport.

2. Separate ownership from control

In some situations, a trust arrangement can offer valuable protection. A trust allows trusted, knowledgeable individuals to make decisions about training, competition, or sale if the owner is no longer able to do so.

This approach can be particularly helpful where family members are not experienced with horses.

3. Review insurance as circumstances change

Insurance should reflect a horse’s current role, competition level, and market value. Mortality, veterinary fees, public liability, and loss of use cover all play an important role.

Policies should be reviewed regularly as a horse’s value or career develops.

4. Formalise care and competition arrangements

Where another rider competes or rides the horse, clear written agreements help avoid misunderstandings. These should cover financial responsibility, authority over decisions, and what happens if the arrangement ends.

The same principles apply to loan agreements, which should specify permitted use, care standards, and termination arrangements.

5. Address your horse in your will

A will should deal specifically with your horse, setting out who is to take responsibility and whether the horse is to be kept, transferred, or sold.

Without clear instructions, families may feel forced to make quick decisions without understanding the horse’s needs or true value.

A practical example

I have seen first-hand how effective simple planning can be. One amateur competitor made arrangements to ensure her sensitive but talented horse would pass to a trusted and experienced friend rather than being sold quickly to the first available buyer.

This clarity protected the horse’s welfare and gave her family reassurance at what would otherwise have been a very difficult time.

Final thoughts for competitive riders

Whether a horse is worth a few hundred pounds or a six-figure sum, the principle remains the same. Responsible ownership includes planning for the unexpected.

Putting the right legal structures in place helps preserve value, safeguard welfare, and ensure your horse’s future reflects the care and commitment you have invested.

If you would like advice on protecting a competition horse through ownership agreements, trusts, or wills, speak to a specialist who understands both the legal framework and the realities of equestrian sport and law