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What type of horse insurance should I get?

that will pay for medical bills: Such as injury, colic, regular vet visits? These are the reason why I haven't bought a horse yet. I just don't want a huge vet bill and not be able to pay for it. How do you horse owners handle the vet bills. In case of an emergency. Would insurance be a good idea. What does the Equine Mortality/Major Medical Insurance cover? How much does it usually cost.

Public Comments

1. Insurance is an eminently good idea! I am so glad you have thought about it. It may seem like paying out good money but believe me, when the time comes it will have saved you hundreds if not thousands. Insurance premiums vary enormously depending on the value of the horse, what you do with him - a hack will cost less to insure than a 4 star eventer for example. His age and condition will also be taken into account, how much you paid for him etc. and how much you are willing to insure him for. I do not know of any insurer who will pay for regular visits such as dentistry, vaccination etc, but they should pay out - eventually for emergencies. It can take years. Try confused.com or ringing around different insurance companies and comparing prices.
2. Insurance is a must for any riding horse. I have Larry Viegas Insurance http://www.larryviegasinsurance.com/mortality_insurance.asp
3. Regular visits, vaccinations, etc. are usually not covered by insurance, at least with mine. However, the visits are only $50 unless you ask for something more, like a lameness exam. Also most extra items, like hock injections, are items you have to pay for. Equine Mortality covers replacement costs of the value of the horse. So say you bought a horse for $5,000 and he has to be put down for some reason that is not your fault (breaks his neck on a cross country jump, a twisted gut, etc.) then you will be paid that $5,000 that will go towards another horse or anything else you wish to use the money on. Major Medical Insurance covers major injuries or sickness, or little injuries and sicknesses that could lead to a major issue. My mare was ill with a tiny virus and recovered nicely in a few days, but because there is always the possibility of a virus getting bad, we filed a claim on it because we wanted to be covered if we had to go to an Equine Hospital for surgery. However, if you know that you're horse has navicular or some other long-term illness or injury before purchase, then you will not be covered for any medical bills concerning that particular issue. Those are called pre-existing conditions and regardless of what insurance company you use, there will always be that issue. Not being covered for pre-existing conditions is one issue that Obama wants to eliminate, at least for humans. Whether this insurance reformation will cover horse health insurance as well, I don't know. It is best if you contact your local insurance agency and speak to a representative about your situation and your needs. Insurance varies from customer to customer so I can't really say how much you will pay.
4. Each equine insurer offers varying degrees of cover, you need to shop around and compare Horse Insurance companies until you find the policy that suits you. You will need to look into the 'Vets Fees' section of your policy details and look at the financial limits that the cover is capped at. For example you may only be able to claim up to £10,000 per year for your horse. If your horse has an accident or falls ill the first thing you do is obviously get the vet out but the second is to contact your insurance company and tell them that you may be making a claim. They will then send you a claims form. In some cases the vet will deal directly with the insurance company which speeds things up a little. Do make sure that you have some money set aside for your 'excess' which you will have to pay for up front when you make a claim. I would always recommend a minimum insurance level of public liability and some vets fees, vets bills can be so expensive with horses and can rise quickly. Cost and Choice You can look on Equine Compare to compare equine insurers side by side, it clearly shows you what each insurer provides and is a quick way of getting tailored quotes for your horse. You can also read horse insurance reviews which will help you find out what customers think of each equine insurer. It will save you heaps of time! Good luck :)
5. Major Medical covers injuries and disease (like colic) but does not cover regular vet visits for maintenance. Mortality is just like life insurance. The cost varies based on the horse, so you will need to contact insurance companies for quotes to get a cost estimate.