By 5 pm Tuesday, March 14, we need as many equine organizations, businesses, and events that utilize liability waivers to sign onto this letter. Please contact brandi@oregonhorsecouncil.com to add your name/logo.
MHAO has signed onto this letter. Please sign on for yourself if approriate and share this info with any businesses, organizations, trainers, etc. that you know.
Re: SB 754 Recreational Liability Reform
Chair Prozanski and Members of the Committee:
We represent the broader Oregon equestrian community, and collectively we write to emphasize our strong support for Senate bill 754, which would allow recreational businesses and organizations to enforce releases of liability.
Our coalition of equestrian groups provide a wide variety of safe recreational activities, from volunteer trail building groups, horse riding and training centers, and local and regional fairs, to legacy rodeo events, outfitter guides, and competitive jumping and show horse competitions. The breadth of our organizations underscores the deep economic impacts and tax revenues we generate in Oregon, especially from smaller, independently owned equestrian businesses in rural
communities. Importantly, our organizations provide affordable recreational access for Oregonians, and we are suffering from steep increases in insurance premiums, in part due to the fact that Oregon, unlike other western states, does not enforce releases of liability.
Oregonians want affordable, safe, and reliable access to recreation, and this bill would allow our equestrian groups to provide such opportunities. We are aware of other recreational businesses closing or cutting back opportunities due to the lack of affordable insurance.
Also, we write to stress that while Oregon’s equine laws passed in the 1990s seemingly allow our organizations to use releases—see, e.g., ORS 30.687 through 30.697—that statute has instead created significant uncertainty about the viability of enforceable releases, in turn limiting expansion and growth opportunities for such recreation. Since that legislation passed in the 1990s, we are not aware of a single court case where a judge has enforced a liability release under these equine laws.
Senate bill 754 would provide far better liability protection from unmeritorious lawsuits, ensure affordable insurance, and expand recreational opportunities for Oregonians. We urge your support.
Sincerely,
Oregon Horse Council
Backcountry Horsemen of Oregon
Oregon Equestrian Trails
Click here to go to the Oregon Horse Council webpage
The Morgan Horse Association of Oregon does not normally work on legislative items. But this is an important issue for all of us and for all the events we offer. Please lend your support to this request, and if you can, become a member of the Oregon Horse Council who watches out for us. They need your support.
