Hay Steamer on Insurance?

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Dizzle

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Has anyone ever tried to claim for a hay steamer on their insurance? My policy includes £1000 worth of alternative therapy and so I was wondering if they would include a hay steamer within this as it would really help my newly diagnosed COPD horse.

Vet has said they've never done it but when I spoke to a couple of companies at HOYS they said they've had success with insurance companies buying them.

Finally, is there a difference between hay steamers? Which is best?
 
Why though? He has COPD and steamed hay would help this (long term costing the insurance comapny less in drugs to treat it). I can't feed him haylage as he needs forage ad-lib and over winter is only ridden at weekends, he can be sharp at the best of times let alone with a gut full of haylage!! :D

Do you have any direct experience of trying to claim for a hay steamer?
 
I think you'd be very lucky to get a steamer on insurance tbh.

If you only need to steam hay for one horse, buy a wheelie bin and a wallpaper stripper and put the stripper tube in a hole cut into the bottom on the bin.

Fill bin with hay, wallpaper stripper with water, switch on and leave for 30 mins or so, then switch off and (best of all imo :)) you can wheel the steamed hay straight to the stable so you don't cover the yard in hay :)
 
YasandCrystal said:
Definately worth the ask imo. As suggested if the insurance say no then make one yourself, but I reckon you may just get one on your insurance. Good Luck!
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^^^ This! I have to say that the one I made with a huge water butt and a wallpaper steamer worked far better than the professional haygain that the YO bought for the yard. The only benefit of the professional one is that you can fit in 4 nets at a time rather than one.
 
Hi, why don't you ask your insurance?

Mine has COPD and I bought a Happy Horse hay steamer. I can't remember exactly how much it was but I think about £145 with postage. It holds about 10kg of hay.

Sadly it didn't work, he still coughed and my hay steamer is now gathering dust in the garage.

I've been feeding green Horsehage for about 7 years and he was fine on it but I've just changed him to the low energy blue one because he went loopy and was dangerous and unrideable. I think the green horsehage is the cause of this, although my vet is not convinced.

It's early days (6 days on new haylage and cereal-free hard feed) and I still haven't got back on him yet, but he seems a lot calmer already on the blue stuff and I'll get on him this weekend.

Good luck.
 
I'm sorry but IMO a hay steamer shouldn't be covered on insurance. Premiums are high enough as it is without routine horse managment coming into it.

Steaming hay may help symptoms but it will not cure COPD. You can also soak, feed haylage or steam using a kettle & bin.
 
I got an expensive magnetic rug on my insurance and a pulsed magnetic therapy unit - it all depends on how well your vet can argue your case ;)
 
Mine does when the copd is playing up. He can't have hay at all - not soaked or steamed. The blurb on the steamer seems soundly based but it just didn't work for him. And it was a right faff too. Not as foul a job as soaking but it was still a pain. Mine coughs on normal haylage too. Only horsehage works for me. And he doesn't always cough when he's bad - sometimes he just breathes hard. But he normally coughs when it's playing up.
 
Get a steamer on trial before you bother your insurance company - yard I work at trialled one, then bought one, then still ended up sending everything back for a refund. It is bliss to be soaking again after sodding around with the steamer. Big name brand, may well work for many but didn't suit us and our horses at all.
 
I'm in my 3rd winter with my Happy Horse steamer and love it! So does the cat, sitting on top of it when it's warm! Horse happy too :-) If it breaks down I would probably cobble together my own next time but have never regretted buying it. Much cheaper than the Haygain ones and just as good imho.
 
why not ask your vet if he will write a covering letter explaining why he wants you to have one and the benefits etc. At the end of the day if you dont ask you dont get!
 
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