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Horse Insurance

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Do I need horse insurance?

Owning a horse is a serious financial commitment not to be taken lightly. If anything goes wrong, the costs associated with an emergency can be especially expensive, so it’s worthwhile to consider protecting yourself against unexpected situations.   

If you’re concerned that you couldn’t afford emergency vet fees or if you could manage without the income your horse brings, horse insurance can give you peace of mind. Insurance for horses can cover the loss of your horse, veterinary fees, equipment and more.

Is horse insurance worth it?

Here are some reasons why it may be worthwhile to insure your horse:

  • If your horse is valuable, such as a high-priced competition horse or a rare breed, insurance can help protect your investment

  • If you participate in activities that carry a higher risk of injury or liability, such as horse shows, events, or riding lessons, insurance can provide coverage in case of accidents

  • If you're not capable of covering unexpected expenses, insurance can help you cover such as emergency veterinary care or legal liabilities, without insurance

  • Insurance can offer peace of mind knowing that you have financial protection in case of unforeseen circumstances

What does horse insurance cost?

A basic horse insurance policy for a fit and healthy horse can be very affordable compared to some of the other expenses for horse owners.  However, that cost is going to be affected by several factors: 

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    Age

    Insurance for horses will increase in cost as your horse gets older. Foal insurance is usually available from when your horse is 30 days old, although some providers will even offer cover before it's born

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    Medical history

    If your horse has a history of medical problems or is currently experiencing any health issues, providers may increase the cost of insurance or exclude pre-existing conditions

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    Breed

    Certain breeds of horse may be more prone to medical or behavioural problems. If you have one of these breeds, your insurance premiums may be more expensive than is standard

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    Voluntary contribution

    You can volunteer to cover a proportion of your horse’s vet bills. This is called 'excess'. Most policies will have a pre-determined excess, but you can increase your excess to lower your premiums

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    Cover level

    Insurance providers will usually have options to increase or decrease the level of cover you get from your policy. Choosing add-ons or a greater pay-out from your policy will affect your premiums

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    Income you earn

    If you earn income from your horse - through competitions, riding lessons, or renting out your horse - your insurance will be more expensive and premiums increase the more you earn

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    Activities

    The activities you take part in with your horse can affect your policy and whether they are leisure, commercial, or competition

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    Where your horse is kept

    You may see a change in the cost of horse insurance depending on if you keep your horse at a livery yard, stable, or on your own property

What does horse insurance cover?

Horse insurance works slightly differently to standard pet insurance. If your horse is lost or dies, horse insurance will primarily help you cover the cost of recovering your horse or compensate you for your loss.

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    What is covered?

    • Death of your horse 

    • Theft or straying of your horse 

    • Vet fees (optional) 

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    What is not covered

    • Pre-existing conditions 

    • Routine vet fees 

    • Failure by you to provide proper care for your horse 

What else can horse insurance cover?

There are a lot of cover options to choose from that give greater protection to you and your horse:

  • Riding equipment

    Cover will help you repair or replace your riding equipment and saddlery if it’s ever lost, stolen, or damaged

  • Horsebox/ horse trailer cover

    Cover will contribute to the cost of repairing or replacing your horsebox if it is lost, stolen, or damaged

  • Personal accident cover

    This cover will pay out compensation if you suffer from accidentally injury while riding your horse

  • Vet and surgical fees

    Cover will pay out to help you cover the cost of non-routine vet fees associated with injury or illness

  • Public liability insurance

    Cover will help with legal fees for liability claims if your horse causes accidental injury or damage

  • Loss of use

    If you use your horse as a source of income, cover will protect you from completely losing your income

  • Horse rider cover

    Some policies allow you to add cover for horse riders to save you from taking out separate insurance

Does a horse trailer need insurance?

Your motor insurance is capable of giving you some basic insurance cover for your horse box or trailer. It will be included under your third-party liability cover, which means that if it breaks free and damages another vehicle or injures someone, your vehicle insurance will help you cover the costs.

However, standard car or van insurance won't offer any cover for the horse trailer itself. If your trailer is damaged, lost, or stolen, your vehicle insurance won't offer any help.

While there are some specialist policies to cover specifically your trailer, horse insurance offers optional cover to give you basic protection for your horse trailer. With this added to your policy, your horse insurance will help you cover the cost of replacing or repairing your lost or damaged horse trailer.

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Get tailored horse insurance quotes with MoneySuperMarket

One of the great things about equine insurance is that it can be easily customisable. There are lots of cover options for you to choose from, which is one thing to keep an eye out for as well as cost when you compare horse insurance. 

  • Compare providers

    Click through to our list of UK horse insurance providers to see who they are and what they have to offer 

  • Click through to provide your details

    Your chosen horse insurance provider will ask you for some personal information about you and your horse

  • Choose/ build your policy

    Choose from a list of cover options to add your policy and buy through your chosen provider’s website

Buying a horse can be a huge financial commitment. The cost of owning a horse can add up over time and health problems are just one of the many reasons why caring for a horse can be so expensive. Horse insurance can be worthwhile protection if you are concerned that you can’t afford your horse’s emergency treatments, if you rely on your horse as a source of income, or if you have valuable equipment that would be difficult to replace.  

Horse riders can get insurance of their own to protect against accidental injury. Horse rider insurance can be a valuable protection if you regularly ride your horse or rent out your horse for others to ride. It will pay out a set amount to cover the cost of medical treatments and even offer some third-party liability cover if someone else is injured while riding your horse.  

If you often ride your horses on public roads, it is worthwhile to consider third party liability insurance at the very least. If your horse is ever spooked while you’re on the road it’s quite easy for them to accidentally hurt someone or damage a car, and if that happens you may have some expensive legal fees to pay. 

Third party liability cover will help you cover the legal costs associated with either defending yourself against a claim of liability or covering the cost of compensating the person making the claim. Most horse insurance policies will either include liability cover as standard or offer it as an optional extra to add to your policy. 

Even though your horse may have turned 15 and is now classed as a veteran, it doesn’t mean they can’t live a fit and active life. The premiums for veteran horse insurance may be slightly higher for an older horse, but by comparing policies from different providers you should still be able to find a cost-effective deal that is right for you. Veteran horse insurance is likely to include cover for vets’ fee, personal liability and features such as loss of a horse by death by accident, theft or straying. Cover can also be extended to the age of 30 and even beyond.

If your horse is going to take part in competitions such as dressage, show jumping or eventing, it would be wise to look at more specialist competition horse insurance to cover the additional risk. It’s not just the events that your horse takes part in to consider, but also transportation to and from competitions and when they are training in the paddock and menage. While more expensive, competition horse insurance tends to offer higher payouts per incident than standard horse insurance and covers additional costs such as complementary treatment and hospitalisation fees.

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