Best horse insurance companies (recent experience only please)

[ginatina]

If anyone has had to make a claim within the last 18mnths or so, was your insurance company any good?

I know historically NFU were meant to be great but I’d heard negative experiences recently

any suggestions of good helpful companies welcomed - or ones to definitely avoid!

I’d rather pay a bit more for a decent company

thanks all

 

[HashRouge]

My sister was with SEIB with her loan horse (he only went back to his owners about 2 months ago, so this is recent!). I think they were pretty good - she had payouts for ulcer treatment and lameness investigations and didn't have any trouble. She was with them for two years.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I know they have the historically worst reputation ever but horse-insurance which is underwritten by E&L. I paid £28 per month for full insurance on a low level riding horse, £3k vets fees and public liability. They have just paid out a few thousand on a claim where no definitive diagnosis was made, but lots of contributory factors resulted in PTS, which a lot of companies would back out of. They processed everything quickly, they made sensical enquiries, they kept me up to date every step of the way, they were easily contactable and got back to me in a timely manner - even when my vets were being difficult and causing delays. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

I have also used isnurance-emporium, which is essentially the same company but different website and had a successful claim with a very similar experience, they also paid out on a claim they could have wriggled out of (;ymphangitis, when cellulitis was an exclusion)

 

[Fluffypiglet]

I have been with NFU for 5years and first claim was good. Going through another claim currently and rather unimpressed with lack of action. Sent them info on 21/6 and again on 23/07 and not even had an acknowledgement. Checked with vets and they've not heard anything from them. I will be calling tomorrow to find out what they are doing but I shouldn't bloomin have to. Grrr.

 

[shortstuff99]

I have had 2 recent claims with Insurance Emporium for very large bills, and they were very good!

 

[teddypops]

The thing with insurance companies is you need to know what you are covered for. Lots of people don’t read their policy then are surprised when the insurance company won’t pay out. They then slate the insurance company when all along, they just aren’t covered for what they are claiming. Insurance companies will also not pay out for pre existing conditions. This includes conditions that you haven’t claimed for. I often see people say they never claim on their insurance as they want to keep their premium down but then They are furious when they do make a claim and the insurance won’t pay out as it’s a pre existing condition. The vet has to give the insurance company a full history when you make a claim, so if there is anything on there at all, they will probably exclude it. I use Petplan and I have made loads of claims which have all been straightforward and they pay my vet direct.

 

[Loubidy]

I can't complain about Scottish Equestrian - only wish I had better cover when I did claim (my fault hadn't ever really paid attention to how much per claim). End of 2019 noticed some issues, got referred to Dick Vet. Diagnosed with Navicular by MRI and mild Kissing Spine from a back X-Ray. SEIS very easy to deal with and accepted both claims as separate issues and paid out quickly.

Obviously now have exclusions but insurance didn't go up to drastically and I actually dropped my horses value by £700 so that I was paying the same. (Realistically with Navicular and KS he's probably not worth as much anyway)

 

[Julia0803]

I had a similar experience with horse insurance.co.Uk- part of e and l/ insurance emporium.

The claim was for our loan horse and paid out about 18m ago. They agreed to split a claim into 3 - so fronts with coffin joint arthritis/ hocks with arthritis/ SI pain- so each area could claim the full £3k.

I’d use them again.

 

[Emilieu]

KBIS were excellent with my enormous claim last year.

 

[PSD]

I’m with animal friends and had no issues with my last claim last year which was a big one!

I pay £37 a month at the moment for 6k vet fees (250 excess) death and third party

 

[Bernster]

Recent to earlier this year, nfu have been good on the claims front throughout. Have another Horse with KBIS - no claim history there but they have been keen to find exclusions to the cover based on the vetting, which I have challenged, with no response as yet, so am less impressed by that start to things.

 

[05jackd]

I have had 2 claims this year for two different horses with Horseinsurance.co.uk. Both accepted and paid very quickly. No hassle.

I have subsequent add ons to the first claim for recent treatment so will see if they quibble but overall very impressed and well priced. However I do really read the small print and ensure I have everything just right before submitting.

 

[seaofdreams]

I have been with Petplan (horses and dogs) for many years and have always been extremely happy with the service, claims forms are easy to fill out and decision and payment have been quick, then any further treatment claims for the same injury or illness have been very simple and fast. I wouldn't hesitate to insure with them.

On a side note, I moved my retired horses from Petplan in February as my old girl was 25 this year and was going to be covered for injury only with PP from June and so I decided to move both horses to the Harry Hall insurance which is SEIB, for injury only as it was a lot cheaper, I had to claim last month for an infected kick and although the claims form was much more complicated and lengthy they paid out without hesitation albeit a lot slower than PP.

 

[outdoor girl]

I've just started a claim with NFU for Cushings and laminitis and they've been great. Processed the initial notification very quickly and once my vet had sent them the full history (which again was done quickly) I'm up and running. They paid my vet directly for the first claim and I'm now just asking the vet to send any invoices directly to them for payment. I've certainly got no complaints at the moment.

 

[ycbm]

Friend had a £5000+ loss of use claim paid without difficulty (except from the vet!) by E&L last year. I was impressed as they took her word for it that the horse was unrideable, nobody made anyone get on it and prove it would dump them. They really seem to have got themselves sorted.
.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

Another who has had good experiences with NFU. Have paid out for Henry with no issues at all, despite the rather hefty bill. They paid vets and referral centre directly and quickly. So no complaints from me!

 

[SEL]

Petplan paid out without argument for my pony's wind operation but took AGES! Premium has gone up a lot this year though.

KBIS were very good with the Appy's long list of problems and never seemed to increase the premium by such a large amount as petplan.

 

[SEL]

The thing with insurance companies is you need to know what you are covered for. Lots of people don’t read their policy then are surprised when the insurance company won’t pay out. They then slate the insurance company when all along, they just aren’t covered for what they are claiming. Insurance companies will also not pay out for pre existing conditions. This includes conditions that you haven’t claimed for. I often see people say they never claim on their insurance as they want to keep their premium down but then They are furious when they do make a claim and the insurance won’t pay out as it’s a pre existing condition. The vet has to give the insurance company a full history when you make a claim, so if there is anything on there at all, they will probably exclude it. I use Petplan and I have made loads of claims which have all been straightforward and they pay my vet direct.

^^^ this is a really good point. I had no idea a vet had written something 3 years ago about a right fore lameness on my mare's records so when I tried to claim for her navicular x rays it was refused

 

[NLPM]

NFU were excellent for me just before Christmas. It wasn't a huge claim (in that it wasn't an operation or something chronic), but did involve a lot of investigation and overnight stay at horse hospital.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

We’ve unfortunately had to raise a claim this week with SEIB and they’ve been fantastic. Super quick turnaround on approvals for treatment which was a massive relief when the vet doing diagnostics today suggested operating tomorrow morning ? I’ve been really impressed with them so far.

 

[Wizpop]

Very positive experience with Insurance Emporium. Had two horses insured with them over the past three years and they paid out for ulcer treatment and other diagnostics on both of them without question. I paid just over £40 a month and would definitEly use them again.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

£1.8k tooth extraction paid for by petplan with no quibble. Premium didn’t go up tooooo much either. Did find the claims form a bit laborious tho in this day and age.

By comparison, dog and cat are with bought by many and the claim form online is such a breeze and paid out within weeks. I keep saying if they did equine I would swap to them in a heartbeat!

 

[Fluffypiglet]

Further to my previous comment, I've just spoken with NFU and it appears that the hold up is at the vet's end ?. So my only slight quibble with NFU is the lack of acknowledgement of receipt of all the invoices I had emailed. ?. I've chased the vet instead....

I use Petplan for the cat and whilst they pay out with no bother I really don't like the process they use. It doesn't feel like it's anything but computer responses and they don't seem to be able to respond with anything but a standard template. I had to ask them to pay some medication they'd missed and asked a question. no answer to the question, just a payment ?. But they do pay out so that's the main thing.