Equine Activity Statutes
Equine Activity Statutes



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Rhode Island

GENERAL LAWS OF RHODE ISLAND
TITLE 4. ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
CHAPTER 21. EXEMPTION FROM LIABILITY ARISING FROM EQUINE ACTIVITIES

4-21-2. General provisions

Except as provided in s 4-21-3, an equine activity sponsor, an equine professional, or any other person, which shall include a corporation or partnership, shall not be liable for an injury to or the death of a participant resulting from the inherent risks of equine activities unless such equine activity sponsor, professional or other person shall be demonstrated to have failed to exercise due care under the circumstances towards such participant and, except as provided in s 4-21-3, no participant nor any participant's representative shall make any claim against, maintain an action against, or recover from an equine activity sponsor, an equine professional, or any other person for injury, loss, damage, or death of the participant resulting from any of the inherent risks of equine activities unless such equine activity sponsor, professional or other person shall be demonstrated to have failed to exercise due care under the circumstances towards such participant.

4-21-3. Exceptions

(a) This Chapter shall not apply to horse racing meetings to which Chapter 3 of Title 41 is applicable.

(b) Nothing in s 4-21-2 shall prevent or limit the liability of an equine activity sponsor, an equine professional, or any other person if the equine activity sponsor, equine professional, or person:

(1) (A) Provided the equipment or tack, and knew or should have known that the equipment or tack was faulty, and such equipment or tack was faulty to the extent that it did cause the injury; or (B) Provided the equine and failed to make reasonable and prudent efforts to determine the ability of the participant to engage safely in the equine activity, and determine the ability of the participant to safely manage the particular equine based on the participant's representations of his or her ability;

(2) Owns, leases, rents, has authorized use of, or is otherwise in lawful possession and control of the land, or facilities upon which the participant sustained injuries because of a dangerous condition which was known or should have been known to the equine activity sponsor, equine professional, or person;

(3) Commits an act of omission that constitutes willful or wanton disregard for the safety of the participant, and that act of omission caused the injury; or

(4) Intentionally injures the participant.

4-21-4. Posting and notification

(a) Every equine professional shall post and maintain signs which contain the warning notice specified in subsection (b).
Such signs shall be placed in a clearly visible location in the proximity of the equine activity. The warning notice specified in subsection (b) shall appear on the sign in black letters, with each letter to be a minimum of one inch in height. Every written contract entered into by an equine professional for the providing of professional services, instruction, or the rental of equipment or tack or an equine to a participant, whether or not the contract involves equine activities on or off the location or site of the equine professional's business, shall contain in clearly readable print the warning notice specified in subsection (b).

(b) The signs and contracts described in subsection (a) shall contain the following warning notice:

WARNING
Under Rhode Island Law, an equine professional, unless he or she can be shown to have failed to be in the exercise of due care, is not liable for an injury to, or the death of, a participant in equine activities resulting from the inherent risks of equine activities, pursuant to this chapter.

Enacted in 1993.
Reviewed by AAHS in April 2001.



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