Horse liability waiver template
A horse liability waiver is a form riders sign before lessons, trail rides or other horse activities. It includes rider details, covered activities, safety information, emergency contacts and signature lines. Florida's equine activity statute limits sponsor liability for injuries from inherent risks, providing a legal basis for a horse liability waiver [1].
Download the horse liability waiver template (PDF) Download the horse liability waiver template (Word)This template is a general starting point and is not legal advice.
What goes on a horseback riding liability waiver?
A horseback riding liability waiver identifies the rider, stable, activities, safety plan and risks. Add details that help each rider understand the activities covered before signing.
- Rider details: Record the rider's name, contact information and emergency contact. Include a place to note the participant's age where relevant to your intake process.
- Activities covered: List each activity the stable offers, such as lessons, trail rides, boarding or horse handling. Identify the horses or activity areas when that helps define the booking.
- Inherent risks: Describe risks such as a horse's unpredictable reactions, a fall, uneven ground or a collision. Use examples that match the activities on your property.
- Rider experience and ability: Ask the rider to state their experience level and any limits they want the instructor to know. Leave space for additional details.
- Helmet and safety rules: List the safety equipment and stable instructions for riders. Explain rules for mounting, supervision and staying within designated areas.
- Health and emergency contact: Provide space for relevant health information and an emergency contact. Tell riders how the stable will use those details during the activity.
- Release of liability: Give the release its own heading and identify the parties and activities it addresses. Keep the wording clear enough for a rider to review before signing.
- Warning notice: Leave a clearly labeled space for a notice connected to the activity.
- Parent or guardian signature: Include a line for a parent or guardian when a minor participates. Record the adult's name and relationship to the rider.
- Signature and date: Provide a dated rider signature line and a staff countersignature line. Keep the completed form with the rider's record.
An equestrian waiver can also be called a horseback riding waiver form or horseback riding release form. Use the same document for covered activities only when the clauses describe those activities clearly.
How to fill out a horseback riding waiver
Complete the activity, rider and safety details before the participant signs the horseback riding waiver.
- Add the stable's or instructor's name and contact information.
- List the activities and horses covered by the form.
- Print your state's warning notice where one applies.
- Have the rider state their experience and any relevant limits.
- Collect health details and an emergency contact.
- Review the clauses with the rider, then collect a dated signature and a parent or guardian signature for a minor.
- Keep the signed copy with the stable's rider record.
State rules that change this form
Florida's equine activity statute requires a signed participant document to carry the warning notice [5]. The liability limit also does not protect a sponsor who supplied the horse and failed to make reasonable and prudent efforts to assess the participant's ability [6].
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Florida: The signed document carries this warning notice: [5] [7]
WARNING: Under Florida law, an equine activity sponsor or equine professional is not liable for an injury to, or the death of, a participant in equine activities resulting from the inherent risks of equine activities [5].
The liability limit does not protect a Florida sponsor who provided the horse and failed to make reasonable and prudent efforts to assess whether the participant could take part safely [6].
This page covers Florida only, so check your own state's law before using the form.
Who needs to sign
The rider signs and dates the horseback riding waiver. In Florida, an equine activity sponsor or professional gives the participant a written document with the warning notice printed on it, which the participant signs [7]. A stable staff member can countersign. Add a second signature line beside the rider's line.
Can you sign a horseback riding waiver online?
Yes, if the transaction is in or affects interstate commerce: under the federal E-SIGN Act, a signature or record on a horseback riding waiver can't be denied legal effect solely because it's electronic [2]. An electronic signature is a sound, symbol or process attached to a record and adopted by a person with intent to sign [3].
Where a law requires a record to be retained, an electronic copy meets that requirement if it accurately reflects the record and stays accessible to people entitled to it [8]. Louisiana's Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) says an electronic signature is attributable to a person if it was that person's act [4]. That act can be shown in any manner, including by showing that a security procedure worked [9].
Read about online waiver signing software for collecting signed forms before a ride.
Frequently asked questions
What is a horse liability waiver?
A horse liability waiver is a form a rider signs before a lesson, trail ride or other equine activity. It records the activities, rider details, risks and agreement with the stable or instructor. The template includes a place for the rider's signature and a state warning notice. Florida's equine activity statute addresses injuries from inherent risks [1].
What should a horseback riding waiver include?
A horseback riding waiver can identify the rider, stable, instructor, covered activities, horses, safety rules, emergency contact and rider experience. It can also explain inherent risks and include signature lines. If you operate in Florida, the signed document carries the statute's warning notice [5]. Check other state requirements before adapting the form.
Does a Florida horseback riding waiver form need a warning notice?
Yes. Florida's equine activity statute says the written document signed by the participant carries a warning notice stating that an equine activity sponsor or professional isn't liable for injury or death from inherent risks [5]. The template includes a space for the notice. This page covers Florida, so check the rules where you operate.
Is an equestrian release form the same as a horseback riding liability waiver?
An equestrian release form and a horseback riding liability waiver are names people may use for a similar document. The template covers rider and stable details, activities, risks, safety information and signatures. A stable can adapt the clauses to lessons, trail rides, boarding or handling, then add any state-specific warning notice that applies.
Who signs a horseback riding release form?
The rider signs and dates the horseback riding release form. In Florida, the sponsor or equine professional gives the participant a written document with the warning notice printed on it, and the participant signs it [7]. A stable representative can countersign. For a minor, consider adding a parent or guardian line.
Can you sign an equestrian waiver online?
A rider can sign an equestrian waiver online. For transactions in or affecting interstate commerce, the federal E-SIGN Act says an electronic signature or record can't be denied legal effect solely because it is electronic [2]. The page explains how to keep a record accurate and accessible and links to information about online signing.
Sources
- Florida Statutes chapter 773, Equine Activities, fetched 2026-10-29.
- 15 U.S.C. 7001, E-SIGN Act, fetched 2026-10-29.
- 15 U.S.C. 7006, E-SIGN Act definitions, fetched 2026-10-29.
- Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:2609, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, fetched 2026-10-29.
Related templates
- General liability waiver template: use it for activities with physical risks beyond horseback riding.
- Gym waiver template: use it for exercise at a fitness facility.
- Volunteer waiver template: use it for volunteer work involving physical activity.
- Hold harmless agreement template: use it to set out a separate agreement about responsibility for claims.
- Photo release form: use it for permission to share a rider's or stable's photos.