Does anybody not insure their horses and what do you do instead

Haven't insured for 19 years since my TB got cancer and the insurance only paid out the amount I'd paid in premiums that year. I had to cover some costs as they were excluded. He was insured LOU but as he lived longer than a year they wouldn't pay out on that either (he was rideable in the meantime). He died of the cancer 6 years later having been a field ornament for most of them. The insurance co ( a reputably bad one I now discover!) tried not to pay on the grounds he had had his wolf teeth removed and the vet didn't put it on his form but I had put it on mine.

I put £50 into savings every month. The horses I have had since then would have cost more than £14,000 to insure and in that time I have had one large vet bill that I could have claimed for £1000 for an eye injury.

I have 3rd party through BHS.
 
I have two. They are insured for public liability but not anything else. I did get a quote and it was just ridiculous in my opinion. I've never had any of mine insured before I just thought I would get a quote and see.

Neither are worth anything in terms of lou. If there was something seriously wrong then I wouldn't necessarily want to put them through major surgery anyway.

When I had a proper job I put some money aside each month as an emergency fund so minor vet bills could be paid from this. Since I was made redundant and am now working part time I'm not doing that. Luckily I've not had to access the emergency fund so that is still there but isn't increasing for the time being. I also keep an emergency credit card just in case.

Other advantage of not being insured for vet bills is you can ask the vet to do what you want, not wait and see what the insurance says.

I've been very lucky and in all my years of horse ownership we have only had one emergency call out (colic). My mum said she has only had two emergency call outs (horse hit by car, not sure what other was) since 1960.

In addition I have had the vet for a couple of minor incidents such as wheezing/allergies but they were straightforward and really no more cost than paying the excess on any policy. I did have a loan horse xrayed on front legs once, that wasn't as expensive as I thought it was going to be either.
 
I don't insure - big horse has sooooo many exclusions only his ears would be covered anyway!
I could find £000's if probability of sucess was good, I also have my own land so space/ time/ Dr Green so see how it goes are easy to do for me.

I find insurance co's getting more and more expensive and being more and more difficult to claim from - they gamble and only stay in business if you pay them more than they pay you, hence they have to tip the odds in their favour to ensure they pay out as little as possible.
 
celia said:
Our five aren't insured - I put money aside each month instead. We stopped because our premiums kept going up and I have a habit of acquiring extra ponies! I also agree that it enables you to have complete control of how your horse is treated, which is very important to me. They have a fairly low-risk lifestyle and although I couldn't afford a massive bill, e.g. several thousand for a colic operation, I would be unlikely to want to put a horse through something like that anyway. I know that there are some things that cost £££ and are pretty much essential and/or guaranteed to work and in that case I would borrow the money required.
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This is how I feel. I insure one who I want to travel to competitions so are at greater risk but not the others. I think having one horse insured if far easier than insuring 4 or more. At even a low premium of say £300 a year, 4 horses is £1200, over 3 years that is £3600! In over 40 years of horse ownership the biggest bill I have ever had is £400 (although my mother paid for ponies when I was little but I have no memory of anything major). I would not put a horses through colic surgery or major interventions.
 
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Iv never insured my horse luckily he isnt really the injury prone type and over 10 years he has got one splint and on absess both only requiring one vet visit each.
I think we have a certain amount of insurance if anything happened to him on the farm.
Iv probably gone and jinxed myself now and he will get a huge injury tomorrow!
 
snooples said:
Iv never insured my horse luckily he isnt really the injury prone type and over 10 years he has got one splint and on absess both only requiring one vet visit each.
I think we have a certain amount of insurance if anything happened to him on the farm.
Iv probably gone and jinxed myself now and he will get a huge injury tomorrow!
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Feeling that you will be jinxed without insurance is what the insurance companies rely on. I feel the same.
 
I have £3,000 sitting in Premium Bonds and add £150 a month, because I can. (If I have an expensive horsey month I don't).

My thinking is that if necessary, I can afford to have veterinary care, but I also might become a millionaire.

I also have 3rd party insurance through BHS gold - couldn't sleep without that.
 
I did with NFU and then after age 14 it rocketed so just BHS for liability. Would pay out of pocket etc if needed. I like the premium bonds idea though...thinking good idea.
 
I have BHS gold membership for public liability insurance, tack cover under the house and card insurances (stored in the house, transported to the yard and back in the car) and a credit card with a huge limit locked in the safe for everything else. I have a 20 year old horse, if I paid insurance premiums the likelihood for them coughing up for anything is remote
 
Cortez said:
I have four horses which work as part of my business; I don't insure them - if they need vet treatment I pay the bill. If it's too expensive/doesn't make economic or practical sense I put them down.
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Completely Agree with this. None of mine are insured (apart from bhs 3rd party) think only 1 has ever been and that was years ago and that was purely for death (Pony only worth £650!) and the sods still wouldn't even pay out then.
Complete waste of time, I work on the basis that minor injuries can be paid for, anything dramatic i.e colic surgery etc I wouldn't put mine through anyway and anything that involves a huge bill usually means the horse isn't quite right afterwards anyway (don't shoot me as a cruel owner, just imo!)

I've known 1-horse owners insure the poor things up the the eyeballs, and each insurance has kept claiming they need 'so and so' treatment and keep dragging the horse through it when it would have been kinder to pts. Maybe growing up where horses are meant to do a job, rather than purely be over-grown pets gives a different perspective on things like this I don't know? (*Disclaimer not saying everyone has over-grown pets!!*)
 
No, I don't. When I got my quote (again from PetPlan) a few years ago there were so many exclusions I felt they were unlikely to pay out for anything at all. I had a good think about things and as I wouldn't put my pony through most of the things that were still covered eg colic surgery I felt insuring was just money down the drain. Also my vet at that time did change his treatment ideas as soon as he found my pony wasn't insured which just confirmed my opinion that a lot of vets will treat insured horses differently.

I have put the money aside so I do have a pot of money to use in an emergency and there's always the credit card.
 
I dread to think how much my 11 would cost to insure.

As they are the short hairy variety, I figure I'd be mostly paying to sort out the thoroughbred down the road, so I don't bother.

In 15 years my insurable vet bills would have been:

2 incidents of moderate lameness (same horse). One was a rabbit hole whilst riding - 1wk field rest each time £0

One HUGE sarcoid, euch! - tied off with horse hair, and fell off £0

One major RTA - 4 hours of stitching, tons of X-rays and bute. 6mths box rest, nappies, honey, vasaline and salt water for the wound, and 18mths field rest. £900 (only!)

One acute onset cushings, aged 26 - a quick bullet with a mouthful of grass and the sun on his back. £250

Oh, and a silly shetland that got a piece of sheep-wire off his leg, and had to be sedated by a vet to get it off! £30 (a long time ago)
 
I stopped insuring two years ago, when the current insurer and then new one refused to lift exclusions that I felt were unreasonable. One vet visit for laminitis (low grade) in 2008 resulted in exclusion for lami, EMS and Cushings. I had the Cushings test done and it was negative, last year, but they still had it on there, so I carried on with BHS Gold membership. I save regularly, anyway and do have the finances set aside for any surgery, although I wouldn't put either of them through hospital surgery I don't think. You never know until it happens, though, so I feel confident that whatever I decide, I can do it and the only people making the decisions would be me and the vet.
 
When I bought my boy I wanted to take out insurance however it is just not common in France and the excess is high.
If I moved back to the UK I would 100% take out insurance. Given what I have just spent on 3 nights in hospital and all the associated costs it seems worth it.
 
I do insure. Now for loss of use too. Just lost one horse and no payout for being pts but could have claimed loss of use. He is also insured for full value as could afford another like him if it all went wrong

I dont think I would insure a horse under 1k (my pony isnt insured)

I would insure anything for vets fees over 3k I think
 
Cortez said:
I have four horses which work as part of my business; I don't insure them - if they need vet treatment I pay the bill. If it's too expensive/doesn't make economic or practical sense I put them down. I used to have a largish stud farm/competition set up, I didn't insure then either. Insurance companies are profit making businesses; where do they get their profits? From YOU. Why are your vet bills so high? Why are there so many esoteric treatments? Because of insurance. Vicious circle.
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I don't have much experience with horses, this being my first one, but couldn't agree more in terms of cats and dogs. The whole vet business is geared up for insurance - animals kept in on drips and having endless tests. It is actually quite hard to get the vets to come down to earth and work within a normal budget.

For instance, cats who have only another year to live, with expensive treatment. All my instincts would be to put to sleep, but it is hard to argue with vets who are used to the insurance paying out.
 
Put a thousand each horse (5) into an account as a rainy day, would never put a horse through treatment just cos it was insured. Would think then decide what was bedt
 
ann-jen said:
I've just had a quote of nearly a thousand pounds a year to insure my new horse with pet plan. Seems extortionate!
I'm wondering whether to just invest the equivalent money into a high interest account instead to use for emergencies.
Does anyone else do this and what are the pros and cons.
I will still have 3rd party insurance from bs and bd membership but wonder if there are any other implications of going uninsured!
Or just to man up and pay it!
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no!!! I do not / will not insure now ............
I do not insure mine anymore. After my mare with lami , I found they do not cover her or any illness only injury , I stopped mine. I worked out over 3 years of paying out all of them my policy I paid £ 5.300 of policy and claimed none of it. Then they would not pay out for lami I thought forget it. Now I opened a back account and all the policy money going to them is now in an account for that time. At least this way when paying a vet bill I do not have to fill any forms etc before payment sent and the money I pay is always mine not gong to a broker and lost if I do not claim.. That is what I do

I am also BHS Gold member

You pay your months 30 or so pounds a month and rarely claim its amazing what ends up in the account when you don't claim but its stored. I just call my account vet account

Most people do not read the fine print. When I thought of changing from SEIB to Kbis when they did not insure her lami. MY hubby read that if your horse is ill and under vet care and you treat or do follow up care and it goes wrong. Kbis wont insure you , as you have caused the problem to get worse. And then your stuck with the bill, also other things within the print that you do, you find you are not covered. When he went through it from front to back of it all there was so many exclusions your covered for, its worded good , but the fine print shows you more detail.
 
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I have 3rd party only, via BHS gold membership.
I used to insure, but won't anymore. I'll ask vet to treat, and box rest, field rest, painkillers and antibiotics if necessary, but that is all.
 
BHS Gold member. We are in a position to pay vet bills as necessary but won't be putting any of them through major surgery or treatment which includes prolonged box-rest.
We've had poor experiences in the past of having paid more than the horse was insured for in premiums but not being able to get anything back.
On a slightly different note, I was horrified the other day when PetPlan quoted me almost £80 per month to insure two Rottie pups on their basic plan, when I only really wanted cover for public liability - needless to say, I haven't taken up their kind offer.
 
BUS Gold for public liability only. Horse was cheap and I put £25 a month away just in case. I like the premium bonds idea a lot - especially as they seem to pay out more when you buy new ones!
 
Agree with all the above, I self insure too as I have four and found that due to exclusions building up over the years it was better to just build up savings in the bank. Also no one has mentioned that many/most vets will accept monthly instalments in case of a real disaster; mine have said they would happily do so anyway. So why pay the insurer ££ per month for something that might never happen (then might be excluded) rather than just paying the vet monthly for an unlikely incident?
 
Agree completely. I have no insurance for any of my three and am happy with this as I know my horses will always get treatment needed with cost not being a factor, having said that I also wouldnt send for surgery for health and well being reasons not financial.

Having just had the worst happen and my mare on box rest for six months accruing a bill of over £3500 which has left things a bit tight I still would not pay a penny to the people who only treat for what they see fit. Insurers don't know your horse or what they are capable of dealing with only know how to crunch the numbers.
 
Sorry I haven't read the whole thread.

I can barely afford to pay tens let alone hundreds or thousands of pounds out on vets fees!

Boyo is insured via his owner for vets fees, my co-loaner and I are BHS gold members to cover us and the GP.

I wouldn't dream of going uninsured, and I would always go for a reputable well known company such as Pet Plan or NFU - its worth the extra few quid a month for peace of mind. Especially if you are unable to drum up a few quid at short notice! Plus safe in the knowledge that our vets will deal directly with insurance company rather than asking for upfront payment.

I am a happy hacker and share Boyo's loan with a friend - we are on a budget.

If I had land I owned outright, a successful equine business, a large disposable income, any of the above, basically if I could afford to look at insurance in a different way, then I would do. But at the moment it is an essential part of horse loanership for me :)
 
bluewhippet said:
The whole vet business is geared up for insurance - animals kept in on drips and having endless tests. It is actually quite hard to get the vets to come down to earth and work within a normal budget.

For instance, cats who have only another year to live, with expensive treatment. All my instincts would be to put to sleep, but it is hard to argue with vets who are used to the insurance paying out.
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You need to change vets

After 12 years as a vet nurse I only met one vet, a vile man, who would treat according to what he deemed his client's financial status to be when they walked through the door! I didn't last 8 weeks at his practice!

It is against RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct to charge more for insured clients, it may not be a criminal offence but they can be struck off and left with no livelihood.

Medical treatment for any species is expensive... Us humans are lucky we have the NHS...

If you don't agree to extensive invasive treatment of your critter then tell the vet so! Most will applaud you and be more than happy to assist you with your furry one's passing in a peaceful manner

If they refuse or get awkward then call the RCVS - difficult I know.

'Bad' vets are few and far between, my heart goes out to anyone who has encountered the rare 'Bad 'Un' in a time of need :( x
 
I have money in Premium Bonds, which are my horses insurance. That way, there is a chance I will get big payout and I am not putting money into the insurance companies pocket.

Vets do ask if you are insured and treat accordingly. I prefer to take a conservative, pragmatic approach to treating my pets, not just throw treatment at it, because the insurance will pay. My animals all seem to live forever, so this works for me.
 
I do insure my pony but only because the yard where I keep him insists on insurance for all animals on the premises. But I agree with many of these posts that it is, essentially, something of a fools errand! Adding premiums over the years and subtracting claimable costs leaves me out of pocket by quite a sum.

When my insurance was due for renewal recently, I shopped around for quotes and Petplan were literally twice the price of others p/a. (NFU £395, SEIB £380, Petplan £795 !!). So if you must insure, shop around, but think carefully about what you need.
 
nope.

waste of time.

Have a credit card for emergencies and make enough i could pay a real whopper of a bill in installments (which our vets do allow for large bills).

Horses market value is low, as although competing PSG he is a naughty unreliable git, so LOU is pointless,should anthing terminal happen ill buy another naughty cheap unreliable git and start over!

he'll never go without treatment because of not being insured, but :touchwood: he's absolute nails and hardly sees the vet except for jabs :)
 
Reg is uninsured.

If he needed huge surgery we'd be seriously considering his quality of life post-op, and if it seemed good there's credit cards and things.

And I reckon if I put a 'how much' post, 90% of you would say under £1k. He's completely irreplaceable, but realistically who would value him at much? He's 13, competing at BE100 and showing with success, but he's an ex-racer who needs hock injections...
 
I dont any more, I am fortunate to have enough savings to pay a large bill if I had to and I do put £50 aside each month, if I havent dipped into it at the end of 12 months it should be enough to tax and insure van for 12 months plus pay for the winters hay. Then I will start the saving fund again and so on. I have BHS gold membership to cover 3rd party liability as well. I just decided it was becoming more expensive to insure than it was worth to me.
 
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