Our Equine Law Services

Our breadth of expertise allows us to provide pragmatic, clear, commercial advice backed by our personal understanding of the equestrian community, to clients both in the UK and internationally. We are a full-service firm, advising both on commercial and corporate matters and disputes and regulatory issues.

Areas of work include:

• Co-ownership and syndicate agreements for bloodstock and sport horses.

• Sponsorship and brand ambassador agreements.

• Event organiser agreements.

• Business structure and commercial agreements.

• Professional rider agreements.

• Regulatory and Governance (including compliance with the UK Code for Sports Governance).

• Stud agreements.

• Auction terms.

• Employment contracts and related issues.

• Yard agreements, including livery and training agreements.

• Sale, lease and loan agreements.

• Manufacturing, supply and “white labelling” agreements.

• Consultancy agreements.

• Advertising and promotion.

• Disputes over sales and ownership arrangements.

• Disputes between owners and trainers, riders or other equestrian professionals.

• Professional negligence claims including claims against vets and farriers.

• Selection Appeals.

• Disciplinary proceedings.

Who Do We Advise?

We work with all participants in the equestrian industry, from young professionals starting their businesses to established brands, and governing bodies to start-up companies offering all types of services to the equestrian market. With extensive experience of operating within businesses at a senior level, we are also well-placed to advise companies, owners and professionals on strategic matters, with discretion being paramount at all times.

We also offer advice and support in relation to any disputes or disagreements our clients may encounter, from mis-sales to dissolving ownership arrangements, defending and bringing professional negligence claims, and all other commercial contentious matters from inception to representation in court.

Why Choose Our Team?

Aria Grace Equine Law combines top class legal advice with a pragmatic commercial understanding of the equine world. We each have excellent legal knowledge, skills and experience gained in top-tier law firms and in house, within large PLCs. We are also each directly involved in equestrian sport.

The quality of our advice is recognised in our Chambers’ ranking: in 2024, Jodie was ranked as Tier 1 (following ranking at Tier 2 in 2022 and 2023), and the department was also ranked in its first year of operation.

The breadth and depth of our client roster evidences our consistent provision of top quality pragmatic commercial legal advice, with a sound understanding of the context that our clients are operating in. We count amongst our clients leading owners, riders, trainers, studs, national governing bodies, corporates, events, global brands and start-up organisations.

We provide comment to the equine press on legal issues and contribute to a number of industry publications including Horse and Hound and Equestrian Trade News. We deliver educational content to industry leaders such as The National Stud, the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA), the Performance Mentoring Programme and the Wesko programme. Hannah is also a member of the British Horseracing Authority's Independent Judicial Panel and the British Equestrian Federation's Judicial Panel.

In 2025 we agreed a unique partnership with British Eventing, whereby both the organisation and its members benefit from discounted legal advice – and 5% of all revenues from this advice are donated to The British Eventing Training Foundation.

We also continue to support other important charities with our work: 5% of all other revenues from the Equine Law team are being donated to Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) in 2025. All charitable donations to RoR are treated as core funding, supporting their key activities, including educating owners of former racehorses, raising awareness of their versatility and potential for second careers through public awareness opportunities and competitions, and providing a vital welfare safety net.

What Recent Work Have We Completed?

Commercial and Corporate

• Advising BETA on the sale of the BETA International Trade Fair to Raccoon Media Limited

• Advising British Eventing as its preferred legal partner

• Advising 5* riders in the Olympic disciplines on owner and rider arrangements

• Advising on high-value international sales and purchases of horses in all disciplines

• Advising on co-ownership, syndicate and club supporter agreements for elite athletes and racing supporters

• Advising brands on their sponsorship arrangements with riders and events

• Advising on both the drafting and application of auction terms and conditions

• Advising innovative disruptor start-up businesses on their terms of business and data management

• Advising on high-value bespoke lease, loan and trial arrangements

• Advising on terms of business for content creators (including protecting IP rights)

• Advising on polo player and professional rider agreements and associated arrangements

Contentious

• Securing substantial damages for the owner of two valuable show horses electrocuted and killed by a bowing electrical cable.

• Acting for the owner of a talented show jumper valued at approximately £1 million which suffered career-ending injuries following treatment by a farrier. Secured a substantial payment for the horse’s owner.

• Acting for the owner of a GB team dressage horse which drowned in a slurry pit whilst having embryos taken at an embryo transfer facility. Secured a substantial payment for the horse’s owner.

• Acting for the purchaser of a valuable broodmare which transpired to have a male karyotype and therefore being genetically male. Secured a substantial payment for the buyer.

• Acting for a party to a lease agreement allowing the taking of an embryo from a world-class mare, who had been denied that embryo. Secured the party the option of a foal on the ground out of the mare or an embryo for implantation.

• Securing the immediate release of a prospective Paris 2024 team horse which had been wrongfully detained by its former rider, on behalf of its owner.

• Securing a substantial out-of-court payment on behalf of the purchaser of a dressage horse in relation to a radiographic abnormality not detected by a vet conducting a pre-purchase examination.

What Our Clients Say

Feedback from Chambers’ 2024:

“Aria Grace houses a notable treasury of horse racing and equestrian expertise. The team is noted above all for commercial and corporate matters within the unique ecosystem of equestrianism, from issues concerning turf-based businesses to those regarding professional riders, associations and the media world the sport interacts with.”

“I respect Jodie's understanding of the sport and her technical knowledge. She is very approachable and gets to the heart of the matter quickly.”

“Probably the most professional and best-informed lawyer I have worked with. She offers a great service and a high level of knowledge regarding the market.”

“Jodie really understands the challenges we face as an industry.”

“Jodie provides prompt, well considered and commercially sound advice, informed by both her equestrian knowledge and business acumen.”

“Hannah handled a sensitive dispute superbly with sound legal judgment and just as importantly, very helpful practical advice. I very much appreciated her help in coming to a quick and favourable resolution.”

“This was a difficult instruction which had a considerable impact on our business but we had complete confidence in Hannah being able to lead us to a successful conclusion and she did just that.”