Cancelling insurance - WWYD

[Hormonal Filly]

My 6yo mare has been insured with NFU for 3 years, but we've claimed so much (and they've been great) so understandably the premiums will increase.

She has 2 open claims, neck and forelimb which have 9-12 months left. NFU will continue to pay out on those claims if I cancel the policy.

Her renewal has come through at £1,600. She is not insured for her hocks, liver and ulcers due to previous claims.

Would you continue to pay for NFU, or would you get something like Harry Hall Catastrophe insurance?

TIA x

 

[Barton Bounty]

I would cancel, the main things you may need are not covered so either HH or save some if you can?

 

[Aperchristmas]

Agree with BB but with one consideration: would you put her through colic surgery, and if so, could you find the funds to do so in the next year without insurance?

 

[Barton Bounty]

Agree with BB but with one consideration: would you put her through colic surgery, and if so, could you find the funds to do so in the next year without insurance?

Yeah, colic! Thats an important one. But in the grand scheme of things the surgery isnt even the expensive part its the aftercare.
You would be £2/3 k or thereabouts for the surgery and scans and rent of surgery etc. mine was maybe a little more than everyone elses as he had 2.5 weeks aftercare. Whereas most horses might have gone home after 5 days

 

[Birker2020]

Yeah, colic! Thats an important one. But in the grand scheme of things the surgery isnt even the expensive part its the aftercare.
You would be £2/3 k or thereabouts for the surgery and scans and rent of surgery etc. mine was maybe a little more than everyone elses as he had 2.5 weeks aftercare. Whereas most horses might have gone home after 5 days

Would you put Orbi through colic surgery if God forbid he needed it, given what happened to BB though?
I personally wouldn't put a horse through it myself but everyone is different.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Would you put Orbi through colic surgery if God forbid he needed it, given what happened to BB though?
I personally wouldn't put a horse through it myself but everyone is different.

Yes i would, BB was a complex case its not about putting your horse through it, its about giving them the best chance of life

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Agree with BB but with one consideration: would you put her through colic surgery, and if so, could you find the funds to do so in the next year without insurance?

I don't think I would.. its a major operation and have seen two PTS within a year of it.

Yeah, colic! Thats an important one. But in the grand scheme of things the surgery isnt even the expensive part its the aftercare.
You would be £2/3 k or thereabouts for the surgery and scans and rent of surgery etc. mine was maybe a little more than everyone elses as he had 2.5 weeks aftercare. Whereas most horses might have gone home after 5 days

A friend had a quote 2 months ago if her gelding needed colic surgery, about 4k and as you said, after care is a major cost.

 

[FlyingCircus]

I wasn't far off 10k for colic surgery with a 1 week stay at the hospital...and that didn't include the copious bedding, etc.



I think the choice to self insure is based on if you have the £ or means to get it to make sure the horse isn't suffering at any point.

 

[SEL]

I'm sure Harry Hall have a colic policy. It might be an add on to their external injuries one though

 

[SEL]

Just to add "colic" isn't always serious surgery. A friend's horse was in for a week with peritonitis - drips, antibiotics, close supervision etc. I wouldn't have PTS for that but the bill was big!

 

[criso]

With whether you need colic cover, might be worth checking if ulcers being flagged might mean you are not covered.

If you do decide to go with some sort of catastrophe cover, look at Seib core. I'm paying £18 a month for tack, theft, personal accident, public liability and £3k per year for external injuries. That was with me adding extras

Not sure if you can add colic surgery as an add on as had a previous incidence so didn't ask.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

With whether you need colic cover, might be worth checking if ulcers being flagged might mean you are not covered.

If you do decide to go with some sort of catastrophe cover, look at Seib core. I'm paying £18 a month for tack, theft, personal accident, public liability and £3k per year for external injuries. That was with me adding extras

Not sure if you can add colic surgery as an add on as had a previous incidence so didn't ask.

Thank you criso, just done a quote and seems very fairly priced. It is £32 a month for 3k per year external injuries, inc colic surgery but need to check that.

 

[criso]

Thank you criso, just done a quote and seems very fairly priced. It is £32 a month for 3k per year external injuries, inc colic surgery but need to check that.

They are helpful if you call up, I did mine over the phone as I was on their veteran cover and wanted to check the difference

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Thanks cirso.

Its a bit scary to think with external only cover, any type of other injury will be funded by myself.. but seems like it will be that way anyway going forward with her history.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I don't think I would.. its a major operation and have seen two PTS within a year of it.


A friend had a quote 2 months ago if her gelding needed colic surgery, about 4k and as you said, after care is a major cost.

I can send anyone the detailed bill £80 every time they put their hand up BBs bum lol

 

[Barton Bounty]

I was £10k with a 3.5 week stay for BB

 

[Fieldlife]

KBIS catastrophe cover is better than WHW / Harry Hall etc. I would go with that. I think it is 400 per year. I have Public Liability with British Dressage. Tack with Barclays Sports Insurance (only it is now another company maybe Aviva).

I think but check that KBIS is £7K cover in total.

 

[Lamehorses]

Having been in a similar situation; open claims at insurance renewal I would renew this year.
In my case more things came to light & I ended up with a euthanasia claim.
I think cancelling whilst investigating is a bad idea. Give it another year & then re- assess.
I generally self insure, but always insure for the first year of ownership & then re-asess based on my learnings over that year.

 

[criso]

KBIS catastrophe cover is better than WHW / Harry Hall etc. I would go with that. I think it is 400 per year. I have Public Liability with British Dressage. Tack with Barclays Sports Insurance (only it is now another company maybe Aviva).

I think but check that KBIS is £7K cover in total.

When I first went down the catastrophe route, I actually reduced the cover to 3k from 5k as external injuries would be less likely to reach such a high level. It's usually a case of stick back together, drugs and some x-rays. My highest 2 even with multiple visits and a hospital stay which was claimable were under £1500.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Having been in a similar situation; open claims at insurance renewal I would renew this year.
In my case more things came to light & I ended up with a euthanasia claim.
I think cancelling whilst investigating is a bad idea. Give it another year & then re- assess.
I generally self insure, but always insure for the first year of ownership & then re-asess based on my learnings over that year.

Sorry to hear that LH. I have 2 open claims with NFU, which I've confirmed with them they will continue to pay for 12 months even if I don't renew the policy but I see what you mean in terms of another claim.

I'm not sure what else we could claim for, possibly her back.. but she has had clear x-rays and ultrasounds of that.

 

[Zoeypxo]

I was in a similar situation and i got KBIS catastrophe insurance. Mine is about 50pcm covers up to 7500.
Havent had to claim for anything *touch wood* so cant comment on the claim process

 

[criso]

Sorry to hear that LH. I have 2 open claims with NFU, which I've confirmed with them they will continue to pay for 12 months even if I don't renew the policy but I see what you mean in terms of another claim.

I'm not sure what else we could claim for, possibly her back.. but she has had clear x-rays and ultrasounds of that.

And maybe not even that. I had back legs excluded because of back issues and i think I they sometimes do it the other way round.

I went through what wasn't excluded in my head .

Allegies and respiratory system but at 12 less likely to develop now Laminitis but that would be more about long term management. Eye issues but then he banged his head, needed eye treatment on the external injury policy so they are excluded too. Ulcers possibly but maybe excluded after mild colic episodes.

And as an accident prone tb he can imjure himself on nothing and likes to escalate even small cuts so many of my previous claims were this sort of thing so external injuries works for us.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I was going to not renew Arabi's insurance as his hardly covered for anything now so was gonna get a basic cover which is about a third if the price per month, I have a credit card for anything else I want to pay for for them for anything else vet related.

 

[BSL2]

Its so very hard. My boy is 20. My other lad is 16. Certain things are now excluded. Those that remain covered are not necessarily things i would want to proceed with anyway. Its the old saying re vets and the progression of science. For me. "Just because you can " doesnt mean "you should". I know one day im going to have to make some really hard decisions. I now only have external injury insurance.

 

[Birker2020]

I don't think I would.. its a major operation and have seen two PTS within a year of it.


A friend had a quote 2 months ago if her gelding needed colic surgery, about 4k and as you said, after care is a major cost.

After speaking to a vet about the subject whilst killing time monitoring Bailey on an out of hours call years ago I made the decision there and then I wouldn't.

I appreciate everyone's different and you don't always do what you day you'll do in the heat of the moment.