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Illinois Compiled Statutes

745 ILCS 47/15 (2026)

Participant's responsibility

✓ current as of May 2026
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(745 ILCS 47/15)
    Sec. 15. Participant's responsibility. It is recognized that equine activities are hazardous to participants, regardless of all feasible safety measures that can be taken.
    Each participant who engages in an equine activity expressly assumes the risk of and legal responsibility for injury, loss, or damage to the participant or the participant's property that results from participating in an equine activity, except in specific situations as set forth in Section 20, when the equine activity sponsor or equine professional may be held responsible. Each participant shall have sole individual responsibility for knowing the range of his or her own ability to manage, care for, and control a particular horse or perform a particular equine activity, and it shall be the duty of each participant to act within the limits of the participant's own ability, to maintain reasonable control of the particular horse or horses at all times while participating in an equine activity, to heed all posted warnings, to perform equine activities only in an area or in facilities designated by the horseman, and to refrain from acting in a manner that may cause or contribute to the injury of anyone.
    Each participant, or parent or guardian of a minor participant, may execute a release assuming responsibility for the risks of engaging in equine activities. The release shall give notice to the participant, or parent or guardian, of the risks of engaging in equine activities, including (i) the propensity of an equine to behave in dangerous ways that may result in injury to the participant, (ii) the inability to predict an equine's reaction to sound, movements, objects, persons, or animals, and (iii) the hazards of surface or subsurface conditions. A release shall remain valid until expressly revoked by the participant or, if a minor, the parent or guardian.
(Source: P.A. 89-111, eff. 7-7-95.)

    
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 8 cases, 1999–2005 · leading case: Kush v. Wentworth, 790 N.E.2d 912 (Ill. App. Ct. 2003).
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Kush v. Wentworth, 790 N.E.2d 912 (Ill. App. Ct. 2003). · cites it 4× “) 745 ILCS 47/15 (West 2000). Section 15 provides for an assumption of risk defense to liability and then provides that there are exceptions to that defense enumerated in section 20 that apply only to equine activity sponsors and equine professionals.”
Smith v. Lane, 832 N.E.2d 947 (Ill. App. Ct. 2005). · cites it 2× “” 745 ILCS 47/15 (West 1996). The term “participant” is defined in section 10(g) as “any person, whether amateur or professional, who engages in an equine activity, whether or not a fee is paid to participate in the equine activity.”
Carl v. Resnick, 714 N.E.2d 1 (Ill. App. Ct. 1999). “” 745 ILCS 47/15 (West 1996). In her motion for summary judgment, defendant did not argue that plaintiff was engaged in one of the six categories of activities listed in section 10(c) of the Equine Act at the time of her injury.”
Lessman v. Rhodes, 721 N.E.2d 178 (Ill. App. Ct. 1999). “” 745 ILCS 47/15 (West 1998). However, section 20 of the Act provides an exception to the general rale, permitting liability for equine activity sponsors that commit “an act or omission that constitutes willful or wanton disregard for the safety of the participant, and that act…”
Kush v. Wentworth (Ill. App. Ct. 2003). · cites it 4× “) 745 ILCS 47/15 (West 2000). Section 15 provides for an assumption of risk defense to liability and then provides that there are exceptions to that defense enumerated in section 20 that apply only to equine activity sponsors and equine professionals.”
Smith v. Lane (Ill. App. Ct. 2005). · cites it 2× “" 745 ILCS 47/15 (West 1996). The term "participant" is defined in section 10(g) as "any person, whether amateur or professional, who engages in an equine activity, whether or not a fee is paid to participate in the equine activity".”
Lessman v. Rhodes (Ill. App. Ct. 1999). “" 745 ILCS 47/15 (West 1998). However, section 20 of the Act provides an exception to the general rule, permitting liability for equine activity sponsors that commit "an act or omission that constitutes willful or wanton disregard for the safety of the participant, and that act…”
Carl v. Resnick Modification of Mar. 31, 1999 (Ill. App. Ct. 1999). “" 745 ILCS 47/15 (West 1995). In her motion for summary judgement, defendant did not argue that plaintiff was engaged in one of the six categories of activities listed in section 10(c) of the Equine Act at the time of her injury.”
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