Horse Insurance: Insurance For Horses

Horse Insurance

Horses make great pets and are an extremely popular animal to own. However, these pets are typically a lot more expensive to care for than traditional pets like dogs or cats for example. Insurance for horses is a simple way to get cover for any treatment fees that may crop up, either as a result of an illness or even an emergency with your horse.

There are a number of companies offering horse (or equine) insurance across the country. When choosing the company to go with, bear in mind a few important factors before signing up. The cost may be an important factor for you, but cheaper policies will insure you for less, and may even have a fixed limit on the cost or even the length of treatment. Be sure to read the small print so that there are no unwanted surprises regarding treatment of your horse.

No matter how well you take care of your horse, the medical expenses involved in owning one are far higher than a traditional pet. This may even include the regular vet fees. The truth is that many horse-owners face losing their horse simply because they cannot meet the vet costs, and this is where horse insurance is a valuable asset, right from the first day you own your horse.

To find the best deals on insurance for horses, you can use the internet to compare prices and policies. It is important to remember that each policy will be different, and the cheapest isn't necessarily the best. Spend some time to find out what is (and what is not covered) before signing up.

Horse Insurance: Pet Insurance Horse Coverage

Horse Insurance

Many people board horses and often pay high expenses to cover the pets. Dogs, cats, and other household pets often go without care because the owners cannot afford to pay the medical treatment and medicines to care for the pets. Horses are more expensive than common pets, but the laws state that these creatures need medical treatment and vaccines, thus what can an owner do. Owners can take out pet insurance policies that will cover the pets 80/20 in most instances. Horses undergo various different ills than common pets, thus, special coverage is needed for these beautiful creatures.

The Internet has a wealth of resources that specialize in pet insurance, including horses’ coverage. Few owners may have other types of pets that will need specialized coverage, including goats, cows, hermits, pigs, mice, guinea pigs and so forth. While most insurance coverage plans will not cover many of the different household pets, few will offer coverage to common pets, including horses.

Horses are high maintenance critters that require special coverage. Thus, the Internet is open to suggestions, making available horse policy that will offer a generous amount of coverage to owners. Few policies will cover dental work, including coverage for both pet and owner. The policy will offer “personal accidental” coverage, and so forth. The downside is these insurance policies often cost more in premiums than standard insurance policies. Since we are dealing with a huge high maintenance animal, the premiums are higher, since the company will be paying out a fortune for vet care.

One of the common laws regarding horses that apply to owners in various states is the Equine Warning Laws. These laws protect horses and owners against liability, damage, and so forth. The owner is responsible to put up Warning Signs to warn the visitors that accidents/incidents can happen and direct them to safety, plus telling them, they are not reliable if the visitor fails to adhere to the warnings. Not every state has this law to protect homeowners; therefore, the owner would be wise to look for Pet insurance that will cover liability. Pet insurance coverage for horses will often cover the pet and the objects used for the pets needs, including horse trailers. The policies will cover theft, damage, loss, and so forth.

What horse insurance covers

Each policy is different, but few company’s will cover liability, death, stables, personal accidents, theft, riding liability, ‘loss of entry fees,’ hire in for horse maintenance, dental, straying, saddles, tack, vets charges, and so forth. Some of the leading claims filed for horse care are death accident/illness, vet fees for accident/illness, tack and saddler fees. Few providers offer comprehensive coverage to horses extending the coverage to more than forty different states. Thus, pet insurance for horses can offer advantages to owners that transport their horse out of state for shows, trades, and so forth.

Filing Claims

Many of the claims are similar to standard forms, however few companies’ present claims that target the specific incident and/or accident, including illness. For example, if you horse is ill then the company may send a form for that specific need. The company will recommend that you immediately contact the company via the toll-free hotline provided to you and immediately seek treatment for your animal. After you are done at the vet, the company will encourage you to make contact with the company. The claim forms are often downloadable online, thus making it convenient and easy to get the claims to the insurer immediately. Of course, you must go through the same procedures as standard health insurance, by sending receipts to the company. The hotline is setup so that you can get immediate disbursement if necessary.

Advisory: horse insurance may come with higher premiums if your animal is a high-risk. If your horse is used at Rodeos, Racing and so forth, there may be additional coverage needed, and you should expect to pay higher premiums. Few insurance companies may offer generous rates even if your pet is high-risk, so again shopping around are the best solution for getting great rates and comprehensive coverage.

Horse Insurance: Equine Horse Insurance

Horse Insurance

Choosing the Best Insurance for your Horse

Its estimated that in the UK the horse population is almost one million. Due to the greater value of horse compared to dogs, cat or other common pets and the fact that vet fees are greater too has made the UK equine insurance market is very competitive. Most horse owners will have some form of horse medical cover as a way to cover the high horse treatment fees.

Companies that offer Insurance for Horses

PetPlan is one such company that offers Equine Insurance in the UK, horses are often referred to as the elite animals of the world and a thoroughbred is one of the most finely tuned animals in the world, but all horses can be susceptible to injury and strains. There are many factors to consider with regards to equine insurance which include:

Equine Insurance policy options

* Cheap Horse Insurance - The cheapest equine insurance policies will give you the basic of protection for your horse, with a fixed limit on both the length and cost of any treatment. Due to this any long term illness will mean the owner will have to pay the bill and as a result will not be able to take out any new horse insurance to cover existing ailments. With the high cost of the horses and the treatments involved horse owners tend to look to the more higher value insurance for their horses.

* Mid Range Horse Insurance - This is the next step up from the cheaper horse insurance, the basic differences are the longer length and cost of treatment their not much other differences. Again, long term illness would be uncovered after the initial timescale has been exceeded and it would be near impossible to obtain insurance for that treatment elsewhere.

* Lifetime Equine Insurance - When you consider the cost of buying and owning a horse, most people feel safer with lifetime horse health insurance. This takes away much of the pressure with regard to vet fees and while there is a maximum funding amount per year, this will begin again when the policy is renewed, even for existing ailments. Lifetime also mean the full term with no small print excluding horses after a certain age.

Equine Vet Costs

No new horse owner should be without Equine insurance as the costs involved compared to other animals. Horses cost a substantial amount to house and feed and their regular vet costs can be substantial to say the least. As with all pet insurance cover it is essential that you compare horse insurance quotes. Online horse insurance quotes are available ready though the interest and you can find most of the prominent horse insurers online.

Equine Quarantine Costs

While the overall cost to quarantine a horse can be large, it will depend on if the horse travels overseas or may come into contact with a condition which requires the isolation. Horse quarantine fees can be substantial to say the least and many people not in a position to cover them at short notice. This is where the best equine insurance policies will come into play and offer much needed assistance.

Lost Horse / Horse Theft

Horse theft and the number of lost horses are very substantial and while many are returned unharmed and fairly quickly it can be hard work find and retrieving them. Many of the better equine insurance policies will offer assistance towards the cost of advertising for the return of a lost horse as well as a reward for their safe return. Therefore it is essential that you check out what horse cover you have with your policy.

Horse Treatment Costs

Equine insurance UK is a substantial market which has shown signs of further growth over the last few years with his comes the increase in costs and horse insurance premiums which has attracted many of the larger issuance companies. There is an obvious need for specialist accommodation and veterinary equipment when dealing with horses, something which is reflected in both the maximum payouts and horse health plan premiums.

Horse Accident Cover

Horses are finely tuned animals which are susceptible to strains as well as serious injury. Even the cost of a small strain can prove to be expensive when taking into account vet call out, transport, medicine and time, something which has attracted many to the ever competitive horse insurance UK market. While the increased cost of care is reflected in the premium levels, this is a market where a comparison of horse insurance cover on offer can yield rewards.

Lost Equine Passport

The Equine passport market is one of the largest in the country and as more and more horses travel overseas it is essential to keep a check of their movements and ensure that the correct procedures are adhered to. Equine passports can be very expensive to replace although many equine insurance policies will have provisions to ensure that replacements are sought as quickly as possible, with the costs covered by the horse insurance companies.

Horse Insurance: What You Must Know Before Getting Horse Insurance Quotes

Horse Insurance

Of all the types of animal we consider as pets in the UK the horse requires the most attention, dedication and training from an individual. It is also the most expensive to look after, the cost of feed and stabling means that only those that truly have an affinity with horses can afford to indulge.

Aside from the expense and dedication required to look after a pet horse there are also the insurance considerations. Unlike other pets your horse or pony is usually not just a pet but a training animal where you are also learning good horsemanship.

From an insurance point of view you have many things to consider, most important of which should be the health considerations of such a large animal. Veterinary fees if you do not already know can be very expensive. Even the simplest of veterinary procedures can land you with a bill for hundreds or pounds.

When you get horse insurance quotes you need to make sure you are getting good health coverage which should also include dental care. An important consideration is the age of your horse, the older they get the more expensive the premiums will become. Some insurers will give you a discount for insuring over consecutive years such as insuring your horse from a foal.

If you are going to take part in riding activity of which many owners are also riders you will need to consider the public liability part of your insurance cover. Not only can your horse become injured but it can also injure you or a member of the public. In these circumstances liability cover will protect you from claims resulting from such accidents.

With any horse insurance quotes you get there will be a component for the loss or theft of tack and equipment. It is important that you first check any stipulations relating to this cover, particularly the theft option. More often than not the insurer will require that any equipment you have is stored in a secure location, this can often mean you will require a locking mechanism that is of a certain standard such as a 5 point mortis lock.

You can get a very competitive quote online as you are able in many cases able to specify different options in your policy. This means you can exclude parts that are not relevant to your particular circumstances and thus reduce the premiums that you would be paying.

Horse Insurance: Types, Benefits and Disadvantages

Horse Insurance

This section discusses the various types of horse insurance, common mistakes and how to avoid them, and tips for horse insurance.

Types of Horse Insurance

Most horse insurance plans allow you to choose what you want to insure against, such as:

• Third party insurance (also known as 'Public Liability', sometimes known as 'horse liability insurance'). This is insurance for injury to other people or damage to their property. For example, if your horse goes onto a road and causes an accident, you might be liable for damage to cars and injury to people. This insurance is to pay for any such financial liability. In some countries, horse owners are legally obligated to have this insurance. Note that this is insurance only for financial liability, not for criminal liability (e.g. if your horse causes serious injury or death due to negligence on your part, you could still be at risk of a jail sentence).
• Personal Injury. Insurance in case you are injured yourself by your horse.
• Vet Costs. Insurance for vet costs is one of the most common types of horse insurance. Normally, it does not pay for routine costs (e.g. yearly inoculations) but is intended for costs associated with injury or illness. Keeping in mind that a severe case of colic requiring surgery can cost $10 000 or more, this type of insurance is seriously worth considering.
• Death (also known as 'mortality'). Insurance to be paid out if your horse dies. Normally more of interest to people with valuable horses, rather than inexpensive ones.
• Permanent Loss of Use. A horse might survive a serious injury or illness, but as a result be unable to continue to perform its function. For such insurance one needs to specify the use of the horse (e.g. riding, show jumping, international competition).
• Theft. A particular risk with valuable horses and those in the public eye (e.g. show, competition, racing and stud horses).
• Tack and Trailer. These items can be insured against damage (e.g. damage to trailer in a road accident) or theft. You may wish to check with the local officials if horse trailer insurance is a legal requirement.

Different insurers offer a number of variations on these. For example, in the event of theft, some advertisers will pay the cost of advertisements and rewards (up to a maximum amount) aimed at recovering the horse.

You can choose the types of insurance you want your policy to cover, and how much insurance for each item (i.e. how much do you insure your horse for, how much do you insure your trailer for). Many companies have online horse insurance quotes, which allow you to specify your requirements and receive an immediate quote, then change the insurance levels and receive a new quote. You can use this facility to determine how much each item of insurance costs, which is useful when deciding which items to insure and which not to.

It is usually cheaper to combine different types of insurance into a single policy, rather than have separate policies. For example, it is cheaper to have a single horse and trailer insurance, rather than insure your horse under one policy and your trailer under another.

Tip: If you only want 'Third Party Insurance', you can sometimes do this less expensively under your house insurance than under a separate horse insurance.

Current Value or Replacement Value

One should check if the insurance is for current value or for replacement value. For example, a high quality saddle may cost $2000 or more, but if it is worn and scuffed may have a resale value as low as $200, even though this is just cosmetic damage and the saddle would be good for many years. An insurance policy which paid 'current value' would give you only $200 whereas an insurance policy which gave you 'replacement value' would pay the cost of an equivalent new saddle.

Policies which pay replacement value are consequently better, but more expensive as well. If you choose the less expensive 'current value' option, when asked the value of the items being insured you should specify the current value rather than the replacement value. Otherwise, you could be paying a premium calculated on a $2000 value saddle even though the potential payout is based on a $200 value saddle.

Conditions

It is absolutely important to check carefully the conditions under which the policy will pay out and the conditions when it will not. Some examples:

• Personal Injury insurance. Policies vary in terms of what is covered in the event of an injury. Is it a fixed price (e.g. so much money for a broken leg, so much for a missing tooth), or medical costs? Does it include loss of earnings? Is it just injury while you are riding the horse (i.e. horse riding insurance), or does it cover all riders of the horse (i.e. horse rider insurance), or does it cover injury to you by the horse under all circumstances?
• Permanent Loss of Use. What is use defined as? For example, if you had a competitive jumping horse which could no longer be used for jumping but could still be used for other purposes (breeding, normal riding), would you receive a full payout, a partial payout or none at all? Are you insured for a fixed amount, or for an amount based on the decreased value of the horse?
• Location. Is your horse ensured everywhere (e.g. stable, riding out, transport, shows, competitions) or just certain locations (e.g. on owner's property)? A breeder friend of ours took a $20 000 horse to a clinic for urgent colic surgery but the horse died in transport; had it died at home he would have received full payment but as his insurance did not include transport he received nothing.
• Vet Costs. Which type of vet costs are included and which are excluded? Any special conditions? Are you required to obtain approval in advance (if so, in the event of an emergency outside of working hours, you may not be insured for treatment done prior to approval).
• Amounts. What are the maximum amounts which will be paid? Under what conditions would reduced amounts be paid?

Conclusion

There are three main reasons for insuring:

• To protect your investment (e.g. horse, trailer, saddle and tack)
• To protect yourself (from public liability claims, or injury costs)
• To protect against large vet bills

However, horse insurance is a substantial cost, so one needs to look closely at what one insures and for how much, balancing protection provided against costs.

One also needs to look very closely at the terms and conditions of the individual policy. In some cases, it may be worth paying more, in exchange for more favourable conditions.