Horse boarding and keeping agreement in a stable: legal nuances no one talks about

The equestrian business in Ukraine is steadily expanding: racing, show jumping, horse rental, hippotherapy, private stables. Along with this, the number of disputes around horse boarding agreements is also growing — “the stable failed to provide proper care,” “the owner did not pay,” “who is liable if the horse fell ill or was injured.” Almost always, the root of the conflict is the same: an agreement concluded “verbally” or copied from the internet without any understanding of what exactly it governs.

If you board your horse for stabling, care or training — or, conversely, you run a stable and accept horses owned by others — a properly drafted horse boarding agreement is not a mere formality. It is your only real protection when something goes wrong.

Horse boarding agreement: not one contract, but at least two in one.

The main legal trap in the “sent the horse to the stable” situation is an incorrect determination of the nature of the relationship. Under the Civil Code of Ukraine, horse boarding may simultaneously fall under several legal regimes:

• Storage agreement (Chapter 66 of the Civil Code, Articles 936–955) — where the focus is on preserving the animal as property.
• Services agreement (Chapter 63 of the Civil Code, Articles 901–907) — where the stable additionally feeds, exercises, trains or treats the horse.
• Mixed agreement — which is the most common option, since actual boarding almost always combines both storage and services.

It is also important to keep in mind Article 180 of the Civil Code of Ukraine: animals are a special object of civil rights, and they are subject to the legal regime of things, taking into account the requirements of humane treatment; this directly affects how the parties’ liability provisions must be drafted.

The contractual structure you choose determines:

• which party must prove what in the event of a dispute;
• who bears the burden of liability for damage;
• which time limits and claim procedures will apply.

A mistake in the legal qualification of the contract is a case lost in advance, even if, in substance, you are right.

What you need to check before signing — and what people usually overlook

We will not set out here a full list of wording options (that is an individual task for a specific agreement), but the key risk areas you should focus on are the following:

1. Horse handover and acceptance certificate.
   Without recording the horse’s health status, weight, behavioural specifics, existing injuries or chronic conditions at the moment of transfer, it is almost impossible later to prove who is responsible for any deterioration.
2. Allocation of liability for death, injury or illness.
   The general Civil Code rules on storage allow the bailee to be released from liability under certain conditions — yet the wording in specific contracts is often either too vague or, on the contrary, unjustifiably shifts all risks to one party.
3. Standard of keeping and care.
   “Proper care” is not a legal term. The diet, number of feedings, exercise regime, veterinary support, vaccination and deworming must all be specified in detail; otherwise, the parties will have different understandings of what is included in the price.
4. Who pays for the veterinarian and who makes decisions.
   A typical conflict scenario: the horse’s condition deteriorates, the stable calls a vet without coordinating with the owner, and afterwards there is a dispute about who is to blame and who must pay.
5. 
   It is not always clear whose liability is insured — the owner’s, the stable’s or no one’s at all. This is critical when dealing with expensive sport horses or breeding stock.
6. Proof of ownership and horse documentation.
   The horse’s passport, pedigree data, identification chip — their absence or inconsistency creates risks not only in disputes with the stable, but also later upon sale or participation in competitions.
7. Liability for damage to third parties.
   If a horse injures a person or another animal on the stable’s premises, who is liable: the horse’s owner or the stable as the party that actually exercised control over the animal? This is a separate and quite complex issue that depends on the specific circumstances.
8. Force majeure and termination procedure.
   Epizootic disease outbreaks, fire, military actions, the stable’s insolvency — without clear conditions for the horse’s return and financial settlements, the owner may end up in a very weak position.

A common mistake of both owners and stables

Horse owners often sign a standard form agreement found online, without adapting it to the particular animal and conditions. Stables, in turn, frequently use templates that either excessively protect only their own interests (and are therefore easily found invalid or unfair by a court in contentious clauses), or, on the contrary, leave basic risks unaddressed — and at the first serious incident, the business loses both money and reputation.

In both cases, the result is the same: when a real dispute arises, the agreement fails to protect either party to the extent it should.

What should be done

Each situation — a specific horse, a specific stable, specific arrangements on training, competition participation or breeding — requires an individual approach to the contract. There is no universal template that covers everything, and that is precisely why a “downloaded from the internet contract” so often fails when a real dispute arises.

WINNER Law Firm provides legal support in drafting and reviewing horse boarding, keeping and care agreements — both for horse owners and for stable and equestrian club owners, from choosing the correct legal structure of the agreement to elaborating clauses on liability, insurance and dispute resolution.

If you already have a contract and doubt its reliability, or you are only planning to board your horse or accept someone else’s animal at your stable, contact the WINNER team for consultation and document review before signing, not after the problem has occurred.

WINNER Law Firm
📞 Phone: +380 96 574 81 02
✉️ Email: info@uk-winner.com
🌐 Website: uk-winner.com

Book a consultation — we will review or draft your horse boarding agreement so that it truly protects your interests.

Author: Ihor Yasko, Managing Partner of WINNER Law Firm, PhD in Law.