Posted: 3rd August 2022 | Back to news feed
Owning a horse is a huge financial commitment, not only in the initial purchase but the ongoing costs of care as well. However, it can be the unforeseen costs that rapidly spiral out of control and cause significant stress and worry for owners. Having horse insurance is a way of limiting your financial burden should your horse, or pony, suffer an illness or injury. Here the industry experts at Shearwater Insurance break down the key areas of horse insurance, available to horse owners in the UK.
What does horse insurance cover?
Different insurers will offer a different range of policies with different levels of cover and different key benefits. Getting a policy that suits your own individual needs and personal situation is key. Whether you are looking for a policy with all the bells and whistles, or a policy that is more restricted, whether you are looking to cover the family pony or an Olympic hopeful, having horse insurance can offer peace of mind and ease the burden in a stressful situation.
Some of the common policy inclusions can be broken down into the following key areas:
- Mortality
Mortality insurance provides cover should the worst happen and your horse either dies or needs to be destroyed due to an accident, illness or disease. Owners could receive a pay-out that equates to the insured value or market value of the horse and can receive financial compensation for disposal and removal costs.
- Theft and straying
No owner wants to think of the situation where their horse is stolen. Insurance for theft and straying can provide financial support for trying to locate you horse, and if not found within a certain time frame it could also pay the sum insured or market value of the horse.
- Loss of use
Possibly one of the most debated elements of a horse insurance policy with many questioning what constitutes loss of use and whether it is worth it. Permanent loss of use is an optional extra and will provide cover should your horse no longer be used for the activities you insured it for. An agreed sum will be paid by the insurer with the aim that another horse can be procured for that value.
- Veterinary fees
The most common reason for owners wanting to insure their horses – cover for vet’s fees. This can be cover for investigative actions should your horse suffer a loss of performance or become lame for a reason that is not immediately obvious. Vet’s fees cover can also be limited to accidental and external injury, such as being kicked by another horse, or an external injury caused by hitting a cross-country fence. Depending on the policy selected insurance for vet’s fees can up offered, typically up to £7,500, with additional top us for life saving surgery also available. This can include alternative treatments, livery charges whilst at the vets and transportation costs to and from surgery.
What is co-insurance?
As the cost of veterinary treatment rises, so have insurance premiums. One of the newer, and more popular, routes to limiting your insurance premium has been for insurers to offer co-insurance alongside an excess.
Co-insurance means that an owner will pay an agreed percentage of any claim, in addition to the excess. This limits the insurers exposure, but also continues to protect the owner.
Co-insurance is typically 10-20% of any claim.
Why use a broker to arrange my horse insurance?
A specialist equestrian insurance broker, like Shearwater, will have access to a range of horse insurance policies to suit a variety of client’s needs. They will act on behalf of the client to secure the best possible pricing on a policy, and should a claim arise they are on-hand to support the client in the claims process.
For more information visit www.shearwater-insurance.co.uk
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