Frequently Asked Questions about Horse Insurance
Click on one of the questions below.
Getting Started
- How much will it cost to insure my horse?
- Why should I insure my horses?
- What kind of insurance do I need to let other people ride my horse?
- Can I purchase just the Medical & Surgical insurance?
- What are the ratings of the companies you write with?
- When will my policy take effect ?
- Can I make monthly payments ?
- What do I need to establish the value of my horse ?
- Equine Appraisers - where can I find a horse appraiser?
- What is the oldest age my horse can be insured at?
- Must I give my address, phone number & other info?
- I'm just leasing the horse, but want coverage - how do I do this?
- Is a Vet check required?
- How do I report a claim?
- May I continue to use my current Vet?
- Are regular Vet checks covered?
- Is there a deductible ?
- Do I need prior approval for emergency treatment?
- Is my horse covered during transport?
- I'm just starting a pony ride business, how much should I budget for insurance?
- Boarding: What is Care, Custody, & Control.
- Trail Rides: What is Trail Ride Liability?
- Club Liability?: What is it, and why do we need it?
- Personal Horseowner's Liability?:: What is it, and why do I need it?
- Loss of Use: What is this?
- Is coverage available for pre-born horses?
- Must I have colic surgery coverage?
- Can you insure my reindeer?
- Ask a Lawyer your questions on contracts, releases, or other (link to attorneys)
- What are Halter Bloodlines, and why must I disclose if my horse has them?
Disclaimer: All of the following is for general informational purposes only. Though this website is updated regularly, the following may not be current, may contain inaccuracies, and is subject to change without notice. Examine your policy for the most up to date and accurate information, or contact the Jorene Mize Insurance Agency with any questions or clarifications. None of the following is intended as legal advice. For legal advice, contact an equine attorney or other attorney.
How much will it cost to insure my horse?
While this question is asked almost more than any other, there's really no way to answer it without filling out the appropriate form to request a quote. Premiums will vary depending on the breed and age of the horse, the value of the horse, the use, the residence, etc. Mortality coverage is similar to 'Life Insurance,' and is for the value of the horse should it die, or need to be euthanized, in addition to providing for colic surgery coverage of up to 60% of the value of the horse, with a maximum coverage of $3,000. Extended coverages are available for increasing the surgery & medical coverage, as well as loss of use, infertility, or named perils.
Additionally, there are different types of insurance available. For instance, Personal Horseowner's Liability insurance protects you should your horse cause damage to a person or property (if, for instance, they kicked an innocent bystander) by providing payments for bodily injury, property damage, and/or legal defense.
Why Should I insure my horses?
The cost of insurance is minimal when compared to the overall costs of maintaining your horses, paying for colic surgery, or paying a lawsuit. It'll probably cost more to enter your horse in a show than to insure it.
If you've just purchased a horse, it may be a good idea to carry the optional Major Medical & Surgical in addition to the standard Mortality, just because you don't know what medical problems the horse may have. After a year, you might decide to carry just the standard Mortality. Note that Medical & Surgical is an optional addition to the mortality - it can't be purchased as a stand alone item.
You should insure your horses to protect you against the possibility of losing them to various causes, which may put you in a financial bind to attempt to cure an illness, or pay for an accident, theft, or death. Too often, a horse is injured, or colics, therefore requiring expensive surgery which would save its life. However, due to the unexpected nature and cost, this isn't always possible, and ends with the horse suffering or dying.
The standard Mortality insurance provides some colic surgery coverage. With mortality insurance, the company will give you money for colic surgery (up to 60% of the value of the animal, with a maximum coverage of $3,000). Further, if you wish to add the Major Medical & Surgical insurance, additional colic surgery or other surgery coverage is provided, as well as coverage which will pay for nearly any medical problem other than regular checks or maintenance. The standard Mortality insurance also covers against theft.
Personal horseowners liability insurance is also available. This insurance covers up to five horses, with coverages ranging from $300,000 to $1,000,000 at affordable premiums. It provides legal defense should you be sued, and/or payments should your horse cause damage or bodily injury.
While many states do have some "limited liability" laws to protect horse owners, in many cases you can be liable for damage done by your horse, even if you're at a boarding stable or at a horse show. Even people who board their horses can be liable for damage a horse does, unless the stable owner can be proved negligent, such as by not fixing a fence or letting a known biter near the public.
Often you'll be asked to sign a waiver at shows or other horse-related events. According to legal experts, the waivers generally hold up in court unless there are extraordinary circumstances, such as a stable putting a novice rider on a known problem horse.
If you're running a boarding business, trail or pony ride business, provide horse training, or operate a riding club, you should insure the business for liability should a horse or rider cause damage to another party. Note that club insurance provides liability for spectators or others, but doesn't cover the club members, or their horses, as they should each carry their own insurance. For boarding stables, an individual's home owner's insurance will sometimes cover you, although if you sell or train more than one horse, the home owner's insurance may not apply. Be sure to check your individual Home Owner policy.
Mortality insurance is sort of a "life insurance" policy on your horse. It covers death from virtually any accident or sickness, and our policies include humane destruction by a veterinarian.
The bottom line is, how much are you willing to lose, should you have to replace your animal, pay for surgery, or defend yourself in a lawsuit? Use that as your basis for deciding if you need insurance, and what coverage levels you will require.
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What kind of insurance do I need to let other people ride my horse?
You may be asking about several different issues in this question, such as protecting yourself from liability if your horse should injure someone, and providing medical coverage for them.
Liability coverage such as a personal horse owner's policy will typically not cover someone who rides the horse, because anyone who rides knows the risks involved. This type of insurance is used to cover you for something your horse does for which you are found negligent. In other words, if you did nothing wrong, and you're not legally liable, then then you owe nothing (and they won't cover a rider in any case). Horses and accidents often go together, unfortunately.
So, your riders would need to have their own medical insurance, or perhaps your homeowner's insurance might cover any accident (then again, some home owner's policies specifically exclude horse related accidents - contact your home owner's insurance agent to be certain, and read your policy carefully).
You might consider speaking to a lawyer, because they can better explain the laws in your state regarding your risks, liability exposure, whether you should use release of liability forms or warning signs, etc.
Can I purchase just the Medical & Surgical insurance?
No. The Medical & Surgical is only offered as an added option to the standard Mortality.
Coverage of up to a maximum of $3,000, up to 60% of the value of the horse, for Colic surgery may be automatically provided under the standard mortality. The maximum coverage is $3,000 under the standard mortality, and this coverage is added to the coverage provided by the Major Medical & Surgical Option. For example, if your horse is valued at $10,000, then you may receive as much as $3,000 under the standard mortality if your horse requires colic surgery. If you also purchased the optional MM&S, with (for example) $7,500 coverage levels, then your total payout for colic surgery would be $10,500 (which is the $3,000 from the Mortality plus the $7,500 from the MM&S).
What are the ratings of the companies you write with?
We write with A+ rated companies only.
When will my policy take effect ?
If you request an application, I can email or fax it to you. Upon completing this, you can fax it to (801) 365-8264 or use a scanner to scan it in and email it to us with your Visa or MasterCard number and expiration date. We can then place coverage in force immediately. OR you can mail the application with your check payable to Jorene Mize Insurance, P.O. Box 340 , North Fork. 93643. Coverage will be effective the date the above is received in our office. We will confirm coverage is in force by email, followed by a written binder. The policy will arrive from the insurance company in 30 days or less.
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Can I make monthly payments ?
Yes, and no. It depends on the type of insurance (simple mortality varies greatly from other types, such as trainer insurance, or club insurance). Generally, however, some type of payment plan can be arranged.
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What do I need to establish the value of my horse ?
There are lots of ways to prove the value of your horse, including but not limited to: a bill of sale, equine appraisal, 1/2 of prize winnings or training costs, performance level, etc. If you have a copy of your cancelled check, this is good proof. You can also look in a horse trader magazine and try to find a similar horse. If you do, then I would clip out the ad and keep it with your papers. I doubt you'd ever have a problem, because our companies really keep up on values, but my personal opinion is that it's best to be prepared up front, rather than try to prove something after the fact, like in a claim situation, where you're already upset over the death of the horse.
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Equine Appraisers - where can I find a horse appraiser?
We've searched the internet for a listing of appraisers. Note that we aren't affiliated with, or endorse, anyone on this listing. Click here to see the list.
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What is the oldest age at which I can insure my horse ?
The companies begin putting restrictions on horses aged 16 and older. At 15, you can obtain full mortality, medical, & surgical. But at 16, you can only obtain mortality & surgical, without the medical. Then, at 18 and beyond, mortality only - and, the mortality insurance will only cover theft, or death due to certain accidents and acts of God (earthquake, flood, fire, lightning, etc). Actually, some of the 'named perils' are almost comically obscure, such as death from objects falling from airplanes, burning boats, attack by wild dogs (someone in Los Angeles joked that this was highly unlikely in his area) and accidental shootings (and we replied back jokingly that he would be covered for drive by shootings). Others, which may be more common, include vehicle accidents during transportation, building collapses, and accidental electrical shocks.
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I'm just leasing the horse, but I want coverage - how do I do this?
You complete and sign the Mortality Insurance application as the owner, because you're the one who's purchasing the insurance, and you put the owner's name as additional insured.
Is a Vet check required for major medical & mortality insurance ?
Generally a vet check is not required for standard Mortality Insurance. However, some circumstances may require it, such as the age of the horse, special circumstances, or the value of the horse (generally, no vet check is required for horses valued below $50,000).
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How do I report a claim?
When you have a claim, you call the 800 number. They will get the name and phone number of your vet and between the vet, the insurance company and you, they will pay for the best care for your horse. Note that if the horse is so seriously injured that in the vet's opinion it needs to be immediately put down to avoid further suffering, the adjusters will take that into consideration, (they don't want to have an animal suffer). So in that case, the vet may want to put down the animal right away, and call the 800 number afterward.
May I continue to use my current Vet?
Yes. If properly licensed.
Are regular vet checks covered?
Under the major medical & surgical, nearly every illness or injury that requires calling a Vet out for emergency services is covered, (ie: your horse needs stitches, or develops sudden lameness, and needs diagnostics to find the cause, etc.). This coverage applies to emergency services, so it would not include regular vet checks for worming, shots, etc.
In other words, something has to be wrong with your horse for coverage to apply.
A claim is one occurrence. Let's say your horse comes down with strangles, and the vet has to come out every other day for a month. If you've purchased the major medical coverage, you pay the deductible, and his charges after that are covered by the insurance company. Diagnostics, meds, etc. are covered, but again, when you have a claim, you call the 800 number. They will get the name and phone number of your vet and between the vet, the insurance company and you, they will pay for the best care for your horse.
However, your vet can't charge an unreasonable fee. For instance, if most vets charge $50 a visit and he decides to charge $100, the insurance is only going to pay the reasonable fee; they're not going to pay an accelerated fee, just because the vet knows insurance is paying the bill. Additionally, the insurance does not pay for the call charge, transportation, or any routine medical care of your normal, healthy horse.
Note that if the horse is so seriously injured that in the vet's opinion it needs to be immediately put down to avoid further suffering, the adjusters will take that into consideration, (they don't want an animal to suffer). So, in that case, the vet may want to put the animal down right away, and call the 800 number afterward.
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Is there a deductible ?
There is no deductible for the Mortality & Theft including the colic surgery. There is no medical coverage, except for the colic surgery, included in the mortality. The major medical and surgical coverage, which is available as an option with the Mortality, has a deductible. Some of the equine business insurance (i.e. CCC insurance, for boarding stable businesses) have deductibles.
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Do I need prior approval for emergency treatment?
In an emergency situation, you should get treatment for your horse, and call the 800 number afterward. The adjusters don't want an animal to suffer, or have an injury worsen.
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Must I give you my address, phone number & other information?
We've recently relaxed our website requirements on these issues, and no longer require any more than your full name, state, and zip code for your free quote. Additional information is required on the insurance application. Please rest assured that we do not share any private information with any company or individual other than the insurance companies. Feel free to view our Privacy Policy.
Note that we will not call you without your permission. We do not give or sell email addresses, phone numbers, or any personal information, to anyone or any company, except to obtain the quote you requested.
Also note that information such as the value of the horse, or the annual income from your horse training or boarding business, are required to provide a quote One person wrote in that the value of her horse was "priceless;" which of course can only mean that the cost of her insurance must be "beyond measure." :) Seriously, though, the value of your horse, or the income from your equine business, is one of the main determining factors used to calculate the premium, and we can't even start the process without this information.
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Is my horse covered during transport?
Yes, he's covered in trailers under the Mortality insurance. If you're involved in an accident, and he's injured or killed, you're covered for the amount of the policy.
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I'm just starting a pony ride business, how much should I budget for insurance?
Due to the fact that very few insurance providers are offering this insurance any longer, the premiums have sky rocketed. Currently our insurance agency deals with only two providers for this type of insurance, and as a guestimate, $500,000 liability coverage for two pony's would start at somewhere around $1,400 per year. Helmets are required, and you are not allowed to strap the child to the pony. We prefer that the ponies are in an enclosed area; however, if you're doing birthday parties, this is not always easy to do, so some exceptions can sometimes be made.
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Boarding: Define Care, Custody, & Control.
Care, Custody & Control (CCC) covers boarded horses if one of those horses is injured or dies while in your care and you are found negligent. The policy provides for the mortality or medical care of the value of the horse, up to the limit of coverage you purchase.
For example, lets say the CCC coverage is $5,000 for a single instance, and $25,000 in aggregate. In that case, the CCC pays $5,000 for any horse not owned by you for illness, injury or death, caused by you unintentionally. Let's say you take a boarder's horse out to the arena or pasture for exercise and the horse bolts and runs into the road and gets injured or killed. This coverage then pays up to $5,000 for that accident, subject to a $250.00 deductible. On the other hand, if the owner is letting their horse out and the same circumstance arises, there is no coverage, because you had nothing to do with the occurrence. If several horses were injured, let's say by a fire, the maximum the company will pay at the coverage levels in this example is $25,000.
Trail Rides: What is Trail Ride Liability?
Trail ride liability - Provides bodily injury or property damage coverage caused by horse and/or rider. It does also provide bodily injury coverage to the rider. If you're just considering such a business, budget in that as a minimum the premiums will start at somewhere around $2,500+ per year.
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Club Liability?: What is it, and why do we need it?
Club liability provides for claims made by spectators, non-member participants in an event, or the public in general. It protects the Club by providing legal defense if a case is made against the Club - whether it's groundless or substantial. If the Club is found responsible for injury or property damage, it provides payment of claims, settlements and judgments.
It does NOT protect club members from each other and it does not pay claims or property damage happening to a club member. Each member must be sure to carry their own personal liability insurance. And, they need to have their own medical, accident, and disability insurance.
This insurance is designed to protect a club from using all of its money to defend the club in a lawsuit brought by a third party, or pay a settlement or judgment.
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Personal Horseowner's Liability?: What is it, and why do I need it?
In the event your horse breaks loose and causes a car accident, people are injured, and/or property damage occurs, this policy provides bodily injury and property damage coverage as well as cost of defense. If your horse kicks an innocent bystander, you have bodily injury and cost of defense. As with any kind of liability insurance, you need protection if someone were to sue you for bodily injury or property damage caused by your horse.
Note that this insurance does NOT cover someone riding your horse. When a person gets on your horse, they are aware of the inherent risks involved. Further, it is not a mortality policy, or a medical policy. In other words, it will NOT pay for any injury or death to your horse. For that type of coverage, you should obtain equine mortality insurance, which also provides the option of obtaining medical & surgical coverage.
Our policies cover up to five horses on a single policy.
Be aware that your home owners policy may provide protection similar to personal horseowner's liability. However, you should verify this, as some home owner's policies do not, and some may only cover you if you buy and sell less than 1 horse per year, or if the horse's primary place of residence is your property - as opposed to a boarding facility.
Loss of Use: What is this?
There are two kinds: External Only, and Full Loss of Use:
External only loss of use means that in the event your horse is permanently no longer able to perform its insured function as a result of a visible, external, accidental and violent means injury, you will be paid up to 50% of the amount you insured him for. "External" comes from the fact that you have to be able to see the injury.
Full loss of use could be an illness that makes him no longer able to fulfill his insured function, or that the cost of surgical or medical support is not economically viable, in which case you would be paid up to 50% of the amount of insured value. In full loss of use, you don't necessarily have to be able to "see" the injury or illness.
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Is coverage available for pre-born horses?
You can't insure the foal until it is at least 24 hours old. You can insure the mare for mortality, major medical & surgical, but you cannot insure against a live birth.
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Must I have colic surgery coverage?
The colic surgery coverage is thrown in with the standard Mortality insurance at no additional premium. The reason for this, is because colic surgery is such a large expense that many people have their horse put down, or allow the colic to get so bad they have to be put down, because they can't afford the surgery. So, rather than have this happen, they throw in colic surgery coverage, at no additional charge, to help alleviate some of the expense, and to avoid having the animal die or put down.
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Can you insure my reindeer?
Well, even though this is not a "frequently" asked question, it was so cool that I just had to include it here. This came from a woman who had already insured several horses, and later purchased some reindeer as a novelty, and plans to offer sleigh rides. Unfortunately, none of the companies we contacted were willing to insure a "wild" animal for more than a 30 day holiday period. Sorry!
(Update: As of this writing, we now write with a company which will insure the following:)
- Elk
- Deer
- Camel
- Exotic Cattle
- Miniature Donkeys
- Ostriches
Additionally, we always could and do still insure cattle, including breeding cattle and 4-H or FFA Show Cattle.
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Ask a Lawyer your questions on contracts, releases, and other
Over the course of time, we've dealt with several lawyers who've contacted us for various reasons. We've found the following to be kind, helpful, and knowledgeable. Note that we have not contracted with them for any services, so we can't give an informed opinion about their abilities.
(From promotional material): The field of Equine Law is still relatively new, but the as the horse industry continues to grow, there is a great demand for expert council. One of the best known and highly regarded Equine Lawyers in the United States is Julie Fershtman.
She has extensive articles and a service similar to a "Frequently Asked Questions" page at http://clipclop.com/info/askexperts/lawyer/lawyer.shtml She even offers to answer your question if you don't find the information there already. Free information from a lawyer?!!!! That shows you how passionate she is about informing people of the need to conduct their horse sales, and business, with more than just a handshake.
She's also written several books which you might find useful. They're available on a limited (sometimes special order) basis at Amazon.com Equine Law and Horse Sense and More Equine Law and Horse Sense, or directly from the publisher by contacting Horses & The Law Publishing at (866) 5-EQUINE or send check or money order to Horses & The Law Publishing, P.O. Box 250696 Franklin, MI 48025-0696.
Another contact who we've had friendly communication with is Rachel Kosmal McCart, Senior Counsel at Equine Legal Solutions (ELS). She offers a monthly email letter which we subscribe to, because it offers good information. She also has offers a column which answers questions on the Bay Area Equestrian Network website.
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What are 'Halter Bloodlines,' and why must I disclose if my horse has them?
Quarter horses, Appaloosas and Paints must disclose whether they have an ancestor known to carry HYPP. This condition is prevalent in horses bred for halter use. HYPP is a condition characterized by intermittent episodes of muscle tremors (shaking or trembling, weaknesses, and/or collapse) and can often lead to death.
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*Information from the Jorene Mize Insurance Agency at www.mize-insurance.com