| A good insurance for keeping and driving a horse is a | | | | Catastrophic Vet Fees |
| must. The driving sport is a very hazardous sport: we | | | | These are veterinary surgeon's fees up to |
| are dealing with a relatively slow moving vehicle and | | | | £5000 (in the UK) per incident. |
| our "engine" is a rather unpredictable one that might | | | | The premium for this type of insurance is extremely |
| at any time accelerate or change direction without | | | | worthwhile. Buying this type of horse insurance might |
| our permission. We are taking part in public traffic and | | | | enable you to decide for treatment of your equine |
| all general traffic rules also apply to us. On the other | | | | friend instead of euthanasia for financial reasons. |
| hand is modern traffic becoming faster and denser, | | | | Loss of Use |
| resulting in careless and impatient motorized vehicle | | | | Loss of use is classified into two categories: |
| drivers. A lot of drivers simply are overwhelmed with | | | | - Accident or External Injury (=AEI) |
| the presence of a horse drawn vehicle taking part in | | | | - Causes other than AEI (e.g. spavin, arthritis, |
| traffic and simply do not know how to deal all of a | | | | navicular disease) |
| sudden with this new situation: accidents will happen. | | | | The premiums for loss of use against AEI are very |
| Consider the following options for your horse | | | | competitive and therefore worth to consider. |
| insurance: | | | | With premiums for loss of use other than AEI it may |
| Third party liability insurance | | | | be difficult to proof facts of a certain condition; |
| This is an absolute must: due to a decision in the | | | | insurance companies require usually a full (5- level) |
| Houses of Lords a horse keeper or owner is now | | | | vetting certificate at the time of application for a |
| liable for any injury or damage that his/her horse | | | | policy. |
| causes or does to other people regardless, whether | | | | (And then again, a horse that gets a full vetting |
| s/he is negligent or not. Check, if this is covered and | | | | certificate will probably also in the near future not |
| included in your household insurance policy. | | | | suffer from a condition that causes loss of use.) |
| Veterinary fees: | | | | Mortality Only Insurance |
| In case of an accident or a disease/medical condition | | | | To insure a horse for this sort of cover, the insurer |
| that needs to be investigated more thoroughly, e.g. in | | | | usually requires a 2-level-vetting certificate. To claim |
| a specialized clinic can hit horse owners unforeseen. | | | | for an insurance case it is required that the insured |
| Medical costs usually grow sky high in a very short | | | | horse suffers from an injury or disease or illness that |
| time; veterinary examinations and visits, referrals to a | | | | is so severe that immediate destruction will be |
| clinic, special diagnostics, OP's and stay over days to | | | | necessary to relieve incurable and excessive pain and |
| weeks in a horse clinic, expensive treatments and | | | | that at that time no other option of treatment was |
| drugs etc...and finally a long recovery time, where a | | | | available. In case that immediate destruction is not a |
| horse cannot be used. | | | | justified option, the veterinary surgeon under whose |
| It is recommended to insure your horse against: | | | | care the horse is, should provide first-aid treatment, |
| All Vet Fees | | | | then request to contact the insurance company or, if |
| If you get a vet bill, you, the insured, will usually have | | | | this would fail, ask for a second opinion from another |
| to pay an excess or a percentage of it and in general | | | | veterinary surgeon. |
| the amount of the cover for any particular condition | | | | Note: |
| is limited. After a condition was treated it may be | | | | Before purchasing an insurance policy, please get |
| excluded from the insurance policy in future years, | | | | advice from an insurance expert and read carefully |
| especially if it is a recurring condition. | | | | the Terms and Conditions of your policy! |