§ 60-4002 Affirmative defense of assumption of risk.

When someone takes part in an activity involving domestic animals, like horseback riding or working with livestock, the law says they automatically accept the normal risks that come with that activity. This means if you get hurt doing something like riding a horse or handling animals at a farm, you generally can't blame the person who organized the activity or the animal professional just because animals are naturally unpredictable and can cause injury.

If a person who sponsors this kind of activity or works professionally with animals gets sued, they can use this rule to defend themselves. They have to formally state in court that the injured person knew and accepted these basic risks by choosing to participate. This defense doesn't cover every possible situation, though. There's another law, K.S.A. 60-4003, that lists exceptions where this protection doesn't apply, such as cases involving carelessness or wrongdoing by the sponsor or professional themselves.

Basically, this rule protects people and businesses that offer animal-related activities from being blamed for injuries that happen simply because animals can act in unexpected ways. It puts the responsibility on participants to understand that these risks exist before they get involved.