# Horse liability insurance in Germany: you are liable even when someone else is riding

> Under German law, the keeper of a leisure horse is liable for the damage it causes, whether or not they did anything wrong, and without a cap. Personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflicht) excludes horses. Nothing makes horse liability cover compulsory, which is exactly why some owners only find out they lack it after an accident.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-horse-liability.php  
Updated: 2026-10-31

## Do I need horse liability insurance in Germany if it is not compulsory?

Yes. Section 833 of the German Civil Code makes you liable for damage caused by your horse even when you took every care, with no upper limit. A horse that gets onto a country road can cause a crash with serious injuries. Your personal liability policy will not pay. According to Finanztip, good horse policies cost roughly 35 to 280 € a year.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** no, in none of the federal states
- **Liability:** without fault and without limit, Section 833 Civil Code
- **Guide price:** good policies about 35 to 280 € a year (Finanztip)
- **Cover amount:** at least 10 million € combined
- **Trickiest point:** other riders and shared riders (Reitbeteiligung)

## Leisure horse or working animal: why German law treats them differently

German law splits animals into two groups. If you keep a horse for pleasure, you are strictly liable for any damage that results from typical horse behaviour, however careful you were. Only someone who keeps the horse for their job or livelihood, such as a farmer or a riding school, can escape liability by proving they supervised it properly.

Almost every private owner falls into the strict group. It is enough that the horse shies, kicks or wanders from its paddock onto the road. Whether your fencing was sound matters for the argument afterwards, not for whether you are liable.

## Shared riders and other riders: where good and weak policies part ways

In Germany it is common to share a horse with a rider who pays towards its keep, known as a Reitbeteiligung. Legally that rider is a third party. If they fall and are hurt, they can claim against you as the keeper, and their health insurer can recover its costs from you too. In one case a higher regional court split the loss and made the keeper pay half, because the rider had taken over part of the supervision.

Good policies therefore cover claims by other riders and also protect those riders if they injure someone while riding. Some insist that the shared rider is named in the policy or wears a helmet. One gap remains with almost every policy: if the shared rider injures your horse, your own liability cover will not pay, because the horse is yours. The rider needs separate cover for that.

## How this differs from dog liability and horse surgery insurance

If you keep both a dog and a horse, our page on dog and horse liability insurance explains the state rules for dogs. This page is about horses only, because the questions are different: height and use instead of breed lists, other riders instead of dog sitters, crop damage and carriages instead of lead rules.

Liability cover never pays for your own horse. Colic, injuries and clinic treatment are covered by horse surgery insurance, which complements liability cover rather than replacing it.

## What is covered

- Injury, property damage and resulting financial loss your horse causes to others
- Checking claims and defending unjustified ones, including in court
- Claims by other riders and shared riders against you, depending on the policy
- Liability of other riders towards third parties while riding your horse, depending on the policy
- Damage to fields, meadows and tracks
- Damage to a rented stable, box, indoor arena or borrowed trailer, depending on the policy
- Foals at foot up to a set age
- Unwanted covering of another owner's mare, depending on the policy
- Shows and carriage driving, if included

## What is not covered

- Damage to your own horse, saddle, tack and trailer
- Damage a shared rider causes to your horse
- Commercial use such as paid riding lessons or running a livery yard
- Races and competitions, unless the policy includes them
- Damage caused deliberately
- Vet and surgery costs for your own horse

## Who needs it

- Every private horse and pony owner, including companion horses that are not ridden
- Owners who have a shared rider or let friends ride
- Competition riders and carriage drivers, with the right add-on
- Owners with a foal or a mare that is to be bred

## Who does not need it

- Riders without their own horse: no horse liability needed, but cover for damage to the horse they ride
- Pupils at a riding school: the school is the keeper

## What it costs

Horse liability costs more than dog liability but is still a small item next to livery and the farrier. Policies differ widely in price and even more in how they treat other riders.

| Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- |
| Horse not ridden, 150 € deductible | from about 35 € a year |
| Leisure horse with other riders, good cover | about 35 to 280 € a year |

**What drives the premium:**

- Number of horses and height
- Use: leisure, competition, breeding or not ridden
- Whether other riders and shared riders are covered
- Cover amount and deductible
- Add-ons such as carriage driving, shows, unwanted covering

_Ranges from the Finanztip horse liability comparison, 2026. Your premium is fixed only in the quote._

## The policy levels on the market

- **Basic:** Lower cover, other riders excluded or tightly limited. Only suitable if nobody but you ever rides the horse.
- **Standard:** At least 10 million € combined, other riders and shared riders, rented stables, crop damage and foals included. Right for most leisure riders.
- **Premium:** Higher cover, shows, carriage driving, unwanted covering and cover for claims you cannot collect. For sport riders, drivers and breeders.

## How to recognise a good policy

| Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cover amount | 5 million € combined | 10 million € or more combined | A road accident caused by a loose horse can lead to injury claims in the millions. |
| Claims by other riders | excluded | included, no list of names required | A fall by a shared rider is one of the most expensive typical horse claims. |
| Helmet clause | pays only if a helmet was worn | no reduction without a helmet | Otherwise a rider's forgotten helmet decides whether you are covered. |
| Rented property | not included | box, stable, arena and borrowed trailer | A horse kicking through a stable wall is an everyday claim. |
| Foals | up to six months | up to twelve months | Otherwise a new foal is uninsured from day one. |
| Crop damage | not mentioned | included | Farmers claim when a hack crosses a sown field. |
| Uncollectable claims cover | not included | included | If an uninsured person injures you, nobody else will pay. |

## Insurers on the German market

Many German property insurers offer horse liability, and some specialise in animal cover. We also list direct insurers that do not work with brokers so you know the market.

- **Uelzener**: mutual insurer focused on animal and horse insurance
- **Haftpflichtkasse**: mutual insurer specialised in liability, sells through brokers
- **VHV**: broker-focused insurer with a wide liability range
- **Allianz**: agents and brokers
- **R+V**: insurer of the cooperative banks, strong in rural areas
- **Ammerländer**: mutual insurer from Lower Saxony, sells through brokers
- **Die Bayerische**: brokers and direct sales
- **Rhion**: property insurer selling through brokers

127 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Allgemeine Haftpflicht). Source: BaFin company database, 2026-09-18; EU insurers without a German office excluded.

## Typical claims and who pays

- **Loose horse hit by a car** (five figures, with injuries six or seven): The classic big claim. Every policy pays; what matters is whether the cover amount is high enough.
- **Shared rider falls and breaks a leg** (five figures, plus health insurer recourse): Without an other riders clause the keeper pays damages and recourse personally. Good policies pay without a list of names.
- **Horse kicks through the stable wall** (about 500 to 3,000 €): The box is rented, so this is damage to rented property. Not every policy includes it; good ones do, with their own limit.
- **Hack across a freshly sown field** (a few hundred euros): Crop damage is named in many policies but not always in basic cover. Strong policies say so explicitly.
- **Stallion covers the neighbour's mare** (about 1,000 to 5,000 € for vet and loss of value): Unwanted covering is a clause of its own. Without it the keeper pays.
- **Shared rider injures your horse** (vet bills up to four figures, more if the horse is lost): Liability cover never pays for your own horse. The rider's own cover or horse surgery insurance fills this gap.

## Myth or truth

- „If I keep my horse carefully, I am not liable for what it does." ✘ Wrong: for leisure horses German law imposes strict liability. You are liable because you keep the animal, not because you did something wrong. Only keepers of working animals can prove their way out.
- „A shared rider rides at their own risk and cannot sue the keeper." ✘ Wrong: German courts accept that only in narrow exceptions. Usually the loss is split, so the keeper still carries part of it.
- „There is no legal duty to insure a horse in Germany." ✔ True: no statute requires horse liability insurance. Because liability is unlimited, it is still standard among owners, and a livery yard may require it in its contract.
- „My horse liability policy will not pay if my shared rider injures my horse." ✔ True: liability insurance pays only for damage to others. Your own horse is not someone else's property. Only cover on the rider's side or your own animal insurance helps here.
- „A pony is small enough to be covered by personal liability insurance." ✘ Wrong: ponies count as horses and are excluded from personal liability policies just the same. Usually only the premium is smaller, not the risk.

## Common mistakes

- Assuming personal liability insurance covers the horse
- Not naming the shared rider when the policy requires a list
- Forgetting to add a foal or a second horse
- Choosing on price and missing the other riders clause
- Competing although the policy excludes shows

## FAQ

### Does my German personal liability policy cover my horse?

No. Horses and dogs are excluded from Privathaftpflicht. You need a separate horse keeper liability policy (Pferdehalterhaftpflicht).

### How much does horse liability insurance cost in Germany?

Finanztip puts good policies at roughly 35 to 280 € a year. The low end is for horses that are not ridden, with a deductible. Other riders, shows and higher cover cost more.

### Is my shared rider covered by my policy?

Against third party claims, yes, if your policy includes other riders. If they fall themselves, your policy pays their claim against you when it includes that. Damage they cause to your horse is not covered by your liability policy.

### Does a shared rider need their own insurance?

Not their own horse liability policy if the keeper's policy includes other riders. They do need cover for damage to the horse itself, which some personal liability policies offer as an extension. Accident insurance protects them if they are injured.

### Do I have to name everyone who rides my horse?

Some policies only cover riders named in the schedule. Good policies do without a list. Check this before you take on a new shared rider.

### Are foals covered?

Many policies cover foals at foot free of charge up to a set age, good ones up to twelve months. After that the young horse needs its own cover.

### Am I covered at shows?

Not automatically. Many policies include shows, some only for an extra premium, races almost never. Check before you enter.

### Why use a broker?

Because horse policies differ in the clauses on other riders, helmets and rented stables, much more than in price. We read the small print on your behalf; the insurer pays our fee.

## Legal basis and sources

- [Insurance Contract Act (VVG, German)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/vvg_2008/)
- [BaFin company database (licensed insurers)](https://portal.mvp.bafin.de/database/InstInfo/)

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-horse-liability.php#anfrage

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