29/08/2025
๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐
Deciding whether to insure your horse is a complex business. Please refer to this post as a checklist when considering your own circumstances.
Some questions you should ask yourself:
โ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฏ๐๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ?
โ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐?
โ๐๐จ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ?
โ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐จ ๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฌ๐?
โ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐?
โ ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ?
Letโs break each question down.
โ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฏ๐๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ?
Insurance is exactly that: a financial safety net for you, if your horse were to become injured, ill or need expensive veterinary treatment. If the worst were to happen, and your horse were to need expensive treatment, the insurance company would foot the bill - often paying up to ยฃ5000 per condition.
โ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐?
Loss of use insurance is a bolt-on to the insurance above. If your horse were to sustain an injury so great, so the horse would no longer be able to fulfil the purpose of what the horse was purchased to do, if insured for loss of use, then you could claim an addition financial compensation. This however, has an increased cost to your premium. Also, the horse will need to have had at least 12-18 months off, before the insurance company would pay out; a vet would then need to certify that the horse is no longer fit for purpose. Another consideration is that mares will often not get a โfullโ pay out, as they can be considered breeding animals.
โ๐๐จ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ?
All horse owners should have, as a minimum, insurance for third party liability. This covers the owner, in case the horse causes damage to other peopleโs property, for example escaping from the field and causing a road traffic accident. If you were to insure for vetโs bills, you would have this part of your policy. British Horse Society membership covers you for public liability.
โ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐จ ๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฌ๐?
This is personal preference โ however watch cheaper monthly premiums compared to other companies! They are cheaper for a reason! You really need a minimum of ยฃ5000 for vetโs bills โ as any referral to a hospital is likely to cost ยฃ1500+.
โ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐?
This can vary massively from ยฃ25-150 per month per horse, depending on the type of cover you are after.
โ ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ?
You must read the small print very carefully when taking out the policy. Some companies will not cover for breeding related activities. Others will only cover your horse to certain levels of competition.
They will not cover you for pre-existing conditions, and often have a cooling off period of 14 days too. So taking out a policy after the horse is showing lameness would not be covered. You are asking your veterinary surgeon to commit fraud if you ask them to change their clinical notes to make it more โinsurance-friendlyโ. Please donโt do it, refusal often causes offence.
If you do not wish to insure, we would always encourage owners to put money away into an account to be used if unexpected veterinary treatment was required.
๏ฟผ
In conclusion, we would strongly recommend clients to insure their horses, unless they are able to pay, sometimes very large bills, at short notice. This gives you peace of mind, and ensures that your horse is able to have the best care available.
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ค ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ. ๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐จ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฎ๐ฌ, ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ฌ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐. ๐
This does take a large amount of time though for our office team, so we regrettably have had to introduce a ยฃ20 charge per claim for us to ensure this efficient service continues. This will come into force from 1st September 2025.
For any questions regarding insuring your horse or an ongoing claim, please give us a call.
01738259427
