Horse people know how to appreciate beauty, especially when they can find it in their four-legged companions every day. While there are many who can see the beauty of horses and revel in their friendship, there are few who can transpose that appearance and personality onto paper. One such person is Kimberly Kaminski.
A resident of Michigan, Kimberly has been working with watercolor portraits for several years. Though most of her work is centered around horses, she also does portraits of dogs and cats, and is not adverse to trying other animals along the way. She does do commissions, and they are well worth the money. After all, what better way to keep a beloved friend with you through the years? They make excellent Christmas or birthday gifts as well. All she needs from you is a photo of your animal and a description of his or her personality, and off she goes.
For those of you who may not be interested in watercolor portraits, check out Kimberly's metal work. She can work with brass, copper, or sterling silver. The metal work portraits make great additions to wall boxes, tack boxes, stall signs...even mailboxes or doors! Oddly enough it was a solitary pumpkin carving that led her to start her work with metal designs. A friend that spotted the pumpkin portrait enjoyed it so much she commented that it could last forever. Thanks to that simple comment Kimberly was able to find a new way to express herself artistically.
If you've looked at her page and decided that a personalized portrait isn't for you, then check out her shop on CafePress.com. Here you can find all of the portraits shown on her website and more. These portraits can be placed on shirts, mugs, calendars, hats, clocks and other items for a unique twist. With any questions or requests please contact Kimberly by clicking here. A quick note for anyone who might live in her area...she is available to take photos of your horse or pet for an additional charge. Anything to make sure the portrait is exactly what you want.
Once you're done perusing her website and making your decision about purchasing a portrait, head over to Kimberly's "Links of Interest" page. Here you'll find fun and informative sites relating to friends, family, personal interests, and animals. If you're a Mastiff lover you'll find plenty of sites about mastiffs of all shapes and sizes. All in all, this is definitely something you should check out!
While you might not find her there yet, there have been people who have often told Kimberly she should set up a booth at horse shows to promote her artwork. Speaking of horse shows...on to the more serious topic of discussion.
There are several horse shows held in the United States every year, ranging from your in-house barn and schooling variety all the way up to the likes of the Winter Equestrian Festival, Horse Shows In The Sun, and the National Western Stock Show. Horses and riders prepare for these shows by riding in lessons, attending clinics, and spending plenty of quality time together. What often gets forgotten as these people prepare for their competition is that someone has to take the time to get everything set up. They need to find someone to man the ingates, someone to judge, someone to take entries, someone to hand out ribbons, and someone to provide the liability insurance. That's where we come in.
Should I have liability insurance for my horse show/event/clinic?
Absolutely. No one should be without it. Most arenas or facilities that will allow you to lease their place for such an event will require proof of that liability insurance. That proof can be given with a certificate of insurance or an insurance binder.
What limits of liability should I choose?
That really is up to you. Check with the facility you are using, if you are leasing a place, to be sure that they do not require certain limits of liability. If you have a larger show then you will have more exposure, and it might be smart to choose a higher limit of liability, such as one million per occurrence and two or three million for the aggregate. If it is a smaller you and you don't feel there is as much risk then you might be safer with $500,000 for both occurrence and aggregate. Talk to your agent and see what they would recommend as well.
How far in advance of the event can I purchase the insurance?
Again, talk to your agent. Some companies require the signature on the application to be within 30 days of the event. Others can bind the coverage more than a month in advance. Of course it is best to look into these things sooner rather than later. If you wait until the week before your show or clinic it might be too late to get everything put in place.
Will this be an annual policy?
Most companies only provide coverage for shows or events for the days that it will be needed. For example, a horse show held on November 20 would have a policy that will start on November 19 and will expire on November 22. That allows coverage to provide for one set-up day before the show and one take-down day after the show. If you were to hold a show on November 23 and did not tell your agent then there would be no coverage provided.
What types of events will be covered?
This depends on the insurance company. Some companies will not provide coverage for events like trail rides. Most companies will cover most types of horse shows, but may not cover rough stock events, such as bull riding. Clinics are usually covered without a problem, and occasionally benefit shows or events will be covered, depending on the activities taking place.
As always, there is more to be said, but never enough time to say it all. If you have a question please post a comment, or give us a call at our office. We will be more than happy to help you.
"A horse which stops dead just before a jump and thus propels its rider into a graceful arc provides a splendid excuse for general merriment."
~Duke of Edinburgh
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