Insurance

You’ve decided to insure your horse, now what?

You own a horse. You dread the possibility of anything happening to him. You worry about the financial responsibility if he needs colic surgery or if he can no longer be ridden. But you also wonder if it’s worth the expense to have insurance on him. After talking to others, you decide you want to insure him. But which company, which policy and how much will it cost you?

What kind of insurance do you want/need? There are different types of coverage and a company will even customize a policy just for you if you want, but the most common are:

• Mortality: Paid if the horse dies. Many companies offer a percentage of coverage for colic surgery.
• Loss of Use: Paid on a percentage basis if horse is permanently incapacitated for its intended use or purpose.
• Major Medical: Like health insurance, offsets costs of veterinary care for catastrophic conditions.
• Surgical: Policies that cover only specific procedures such as colic surgery.
• Breeding Infertility: Covers stallions or mares for reproductive failure.
• Specified Perils: Includes any number of things such as lightning, fire or transportation.

Remember that each insurance company and the policies they offer are different so you need to decide what kind of coverage you most want, and how much you’re willing to spend. While individual policies vary from company to company and circumstance to circumstance, it is important to know your policy and the terms, conditions and requirements, that apply to it and you. You may need to do certain things in a certain order to collect if that become necessary. For example, your horse colics and you rush him to the clinic. He needs surgery and you okay that to happen. Some policies require you to get ‘permission’ before the doctor does surgery, while others require you to inform them of the decision within 24 hours. You must know what your responsibility is so that you will be able to collect if needed. To better safeguard yourself and your horse, follow these guidelines from the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP):

• Read the contract thoroughly before you apply for coverage.
• Ask the insurance representative to explain any words, phrases or provisions you do not understand completely.
• Know your responsibilities. What is required should your horse fall ill, become injured or die?
• Understand any specific guidelines for emergency situations. A crisis is not the time to be trying to interpret your policy's fine print or to look for contact phone numbers.
• If euthanasia is recommended, know what steps must be taken in order for a claim to be valid.
• Make a list of questions to ask your insurance agent or company.
• Define your needs.
• Comparison shop. Besides cost, buyers should look at the longevity and reputation of both the agency and the insurance carrier.

For more information about equine insurance, ask your equine veterinarian, trainer, other horse owners and research on the internet to decide if equine insurance is something you should pursue. Additional information is available on the AAEP’s horse-health Web site, [url=http://www.myHorseMatters.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]http://www.myHorseMatters.com[/url].

***FREE consultation with Tanya Buck regarding which insurance may best suit you with mention of this article and [url=http://www.285Bound.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]http://www.285Bound.com[/url] email ; must be within 20 miles of Conifer, CO.
--Tanya Buck is not an insurance agent and has no affiliation with any insurance company.



Happy Trails!

Tanya Buck
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Tanya Buck was born and raised in Carmel, California, where she grew up on a small ranch. A graduate of UC Davis, she majored in Animal Science with a concentration in Equine Reproduction, and a minor in English.

She is certified through UC Davis as an Equine Breeding Manager, is a certified horse show judge, and a Reiki Master. Currently, Tanya and her husband live in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with five horses, three dogs, three cats, a couple of parrots and a bunch of fish.

Besides her passion for horses, Tanya is an avid Scuba diver, an active bicyclist, and loves to hike, snowshoe, read and write. She is currently working on two books, one fiction that needs an agent now, and a creative nonfiction about training horses written from the horse's point of view.

Tanya has been helping to bridge the communication gap between horses and humans for over 35 years.