Life With a Pet: Horse Insurance is an Option

Horse owners want to protect their horse or horses from illness or injury. Horse medical insurance helps horse owners pay expensive veterinary hospital or surgical bills. If the owner already carries a full mortality policy on the horse, it’s a relatively simple task to add medical insurance now. Most insurance companies don’t offer horse medical policies as a stand-alone financial product.

If the horse is healthy, most insurers agree to cover his or her medical and/or surgical needs within a 24-hour period.

Some equine insurers cover the horse from the age of just 24 hours to 31 days. Most insurers won’t write equine medical insurance after the horse turns 20 years old. Some carriers won’t write medical insurance on a horse after he or she turns 18 years old. Premiums costs and coverage limits vary, so it’s best to compare several medical insurance policies at the start.


Equine Medical Insurance Coverage

Many insurance companies limit maximum coverage of the insured over a 12-month period. Typical horse medical coverage offers maximum limits of USD 5,000 to 15,000 per year. Higher maximum coverage usually requires the owner to pay a higher premium. Some equine policies start at about USD 200 per year.

• Like most insurance plans for people, the premium rises as the animal gets older. In other cases, the horse’s medical policy premium increases as his or her insured value increases.
• Equine insurance makes good financial sense for most equestrians. Annual deductibles are frequently modest, ranging from USD 250 to 500 per year.
• After a veterinary medical visit, it’s up to the owner to submit the claim to the insurance company for reimbursement during the policy period.

Equine Mortality Coverage

Mortality coverage is a life insurance policy for your horse. Typically, equine mortality insurance covers the insured if he or she dies from a disease, injury, illness, or covered accident. The owner is usually offered limited theft coverage if the horse is stolen during the in-force policy period.

Most mortality policies cover the insured horse in the continental 48 states and Canada. If necessary, some carriers extend coverage in other countries as long as the owner provides sufficient prior notice and receives underwriting approval. In most instances, the owner will pay a higher premium for this insurance service.

If you’re looking for equine liability or medical/surgical insurance, contact an experienced insurance specialist. Look for an agency with many satisfied customers. Your insurance agent can help you select the right equine insurance policy for your needs and budget.