The Importance of Horse Insurance
Taking on a horse is a huge responsibility and commitment to undertake, not only in time dedicated, but also financially. On-going costs such as; livery, feed, farrier, bedding and routine worming and vaccinations are all financial commitments which any horse owner will have to consider before purchasing a horse or pony. The thought of a large vet bill out of the blue is nothing but a nightmare.
Unfortunately our Equine Friends do become ill, or have accidents which require treatment costing a large amount of money. Without horse insurance, you would have to fork out for these bills, or even worse, compromise the treatment of your beloved equine friend if his is not insured.
Nowadays, with advanced veterinary techniques and medicines, vets are able to treat and cure many equine conditions such as ruptured tendons, colic or kissing spine. This is fantastic for us horse owners, however, these procedures and treatments come at a high cost. An MRI scan for your equine companion could cost as much as £1200 and that’s just to help diagnose the problem. This is why horse insurance policies are there to help us horse owners.
A comprehensive horse insurance policy would help you by paying towards, or even pay all of your horse’s veterinary treatment so that you just have to worry about looking after your equine friend and give him plenty of tender loving care without the stress of financial implications.
Vet fees are not the only benefit of horse insurance.
Mandatory cover on any horse insurance policy will cover death, theft and straying. This is the most basic level of cover for your horse, at a minimal cost.
Public liability cover is required on many yards, whether they are DIY or at livery. It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that they have taken out public liability insurance on their horse, should he kick another horse in the field or a car whilst out hacking. This level of cover is vital as we are living in such a “compensation culture”.
Other options available on horse insurance policies are personal accident cover, should you fall off and injure yourself riding your horse.
Tack and saddlery can also be covered on your horse insurance, should it be lost, stolen or damaged. Good quality tack is an investment in its self, so ensuring this is covered adequately on your horse insurance will save you wondering how you will cover the cost of new tack in the worst case scenario.
Permanent Loss of Use is an additional element to your equine insurance, mainly for competition horses. If your horse cannot fulfil his job such as Show Jumping because of a severe condition such a Navicular, then this is when Loss of Use would be applicable.
At Animal friends we believe that it is important that you and your horse have the correct level of cover on your horse insurance. If you would like to talk to one of our experienced and knowledgeable equine team, then please call us on 0844 57 32 100.
