Horse-Insurance.co.uk - too cheap to be true???

[FizzyBum]

Hi all,

I'm a newbie on both the H&H forums and insurance for my boys...so please forgive me if I come across a bit dense! :-/

I'm moving to a new yard in the next few weeks and it's about time I got myself some proper insurance for my boys and myself (usually I just squirrel a few bob away in case something bad happens...) but having read many posts on this subject, I realise that taking out insurance is a much better and more responsible idea! Plus, they require third party insurance as a minimum so I guess if you're going to do it, do it properly!

Having had a look around, the premiums vary greatly. My yard friend is with Horse-Insurance.co.uk but has (thankfully) never had to claim. They are cheapest for me too...I think however, they are underwritten my EandL who I have heard nothing but bad reviews about. Is anyone on here with Horse-Insurance.co.uk? Or have any first or second-hand reviews?

Sorry to be a bit naïve but is there anything in your experience that I should be aware of with any insurance companies that they may try to slip into the smallprint?

Your help is very much appreciated!

 

[Amye]

i'll confess I'm not the most knowageable on horse insurance - i've never had to claim and have had it for around a year. BUT I was always told not the scrimp on insurance. Have a google, and see what others have said. I heard bad things about EandL when I was looking (there were a couple of people who liked them but the majority not great) so i steered clear.

The ones that seemed to come out top were NFU and Petplan - so i took out petplan, it might be more expensive but at least i'll have peace of mind if anything does happen and i need to claim on an expensive treatment/surgery they are more likely to pay out

ETA: I'm sure someone will come along with better advice but I would go with reviews and who seems to pay out best

 

[doodle]

My friend used them. Had loads of issues when it came to making a claim. Once claim was eventually settled she changed companies.

 

[ester]

They are E&L under a different name and that should tell you all you need to know, ie go elsewhere.

 

[jewel]

its E and L under another name, barge pole springs to mind

 

[ponydi]

If you decide you only need third party insurance I believe it comes as part of the benefits of BHS gold membership

 

[Archangel]

E&L - *shudder*

 

[JulesRules]

The only companies I would consider for Horse Insurance are:

KBIS - I am with them and they have paid our no quibble on a big claim
NFU
SEIB
Petplan

Hope this helps

 

[Skewbaldbow]

I've got mine insured with Four Counties (got it through H&H i think). I had to claim for colic and they were easy to deal with and kept me updated on how it was proceeding. They paid out no problem.

 

[Shay]

If you opt for only 3rd Party its better to get it through BHS Gold membership. Membership of the Countryside Alliance or by giving an annual donation to World Horse Welfare. (And probably others as well!)

The list above of reputable insurance companies is spot on. I've experience with SEIB and KBIS - I'd recommend either. NFU has got a bit expensive recently. I've not had a policy with petplan but yardmates have and have had good service.

 

[PorkChop]

If it seems too good to be true it usually is!

If you are going to the trouble and expense of using insurance, you are far better going for a recommended reputable one.

If you need to use it the last thing you want to be worried about is if they are going to dodge paying up.

The two I use are Equicover and Petplan - both have been fantastic and paid out quickly with no issues.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I had 2 horses insured with them and didn't know it was E & L at the time and I claimed for both horses, one was almost the full amount of the limit and I had 2 claims on the same leg for different things which included an mri and they paid it, the second claim was for a considerable amount which they also paid, so for me it was not a bad experience to be honest I had more of a nightmare with petplan some years ago.

 

[ROMANY 1959]

Have you had quote off animal friends, ? They are good as is amtrust ..

 

[VikingSong]

I'm with NFU and would highly recommend them. I've heard good things about Petplan too.

 

[rachk89]

I found them too when googling but the prices seemed too good to be true so i left quickly.

Tried to get petplan but they messed me around for over a month before i even paid them money so i abandoned ship too.

Got kbis in the end. I would have gone for nfu but their opening times were awkward for my working times to be able to phone to just get a quote so i didn't like that. Nfu need a website with online quoting.

 

[Mari]

I've been with EandL for years, all 3 horses. They're strict but fair, have paid out 2 large claims on 2 horses. You have to keep them informed regularly when making a claim & keep your own records - dates, time, who you spoke to, etc. Also make sure all treatment is authorised & within the 12 month period.

 

[soulfull]

Agree with others about 'barge pole'

However you are going to find it difficult if not impossible to insure horses you already own, without having 5 stage vettings.

The only company I have ever heard of doing this was NFU but friend had bee. With them many years with previous horse and due to loss of her husband she just forgot. The did however have a copy of her vetting from 8 months previous.

It is there to stop someone hang a horse for months or years without insurance then realising there is possibly something wrong so take out insurance

 

[Melody Grey]

I've been with EandL for years, all 3 horses. They're strict but fair, have paid out 2 large claims on 2 horses. You have to keep them informed regularly when making a claim & keep your own records - dates, time, who you spoke to, etc. Also make sure all treatment is authorised & within the 12 month period.

I too have had a substantial claim paid for my last horse by E&L. It did take a long time to process and I did have to keep to-ing and fro-ing information between them and the vets and vice versa, but settled up ok in the end. They did put some silly exclusions on the policy after the claim and the veterinary notes had been examined, but got most of them lifted with a letter from the vets.

I have gone again with e &l with my current two- I have confidence in them now I know the system. I did get NFU quotes but they were unfortunately nearly double! A small downside is that with my policies the excess is something like £150 plus 17.5% of the cost of the claim......not funny when it was a kissing spines op and complex gastric ulcer problem. I didn't realise this when I took out the original policy.

So, be aware that they're not totally straightforward, but if they fit your budget I don't think they're a complete no-go.


ETA- none of mine had ever been vetted, but are insured for low values. There is a ceiling of what they will insure for unvented, but I don't know what it is.

 

[Sparkles]

Agree with others about 'barge pole'

However you are going to find it difficult if not impossible to insure horses you already own, without having 5 stage vettings.

The only company I have ever heard of doing this was NFU but friend had bee. With them many years with previous horse and due to loss of her husband she just forgot. The did however have a copy of her vetting from 8 months previous.

It is there to stop someone hang a horse for months or years without insurance then realising there is possibly something wrong so take out insurance

Really depends on the insurer and their requirements. Some have vetting requirements for different factors (owned and uninsured for 12+ months, value, cover needed etc) and some don't. If it's owned and uninsured some companies are happy having the full clinical history since ownership as it can show just as much, if not more, than a recent vetting which shows just one days findings they normally word it as full veterinary treatment history and reserve the right for a vetting if anything major is found within it and will deduce their exclusions from the history.

With regards to horse-insurance. Echo the others. Barge pole! Awful under writing.

 

[Elbie]

One important tip from someone who works in equine insurance...Make sure you fully read the terms and conditions. Yes they are pages long but you need to understand exactly what your premium is paying for, what won't be covered and any obligations you need to fulfil.

 

[Kafairia]

I have mine on NFU Mutual and Petplan. Never fortunately had to make a claim with the horse on the Petplan, but NFU I rate highly. I'd had the pony 2 weeks and insured two days of having him, and then he broke his leg in a gate. Not a single quarm or problem. Paid out near 5k to have the pony fixed up. They've never given me any problems since so I can say that they are extremely reputable. Can't speak of the insurer you say, but I just thought I may be able to shed some light on a definite good insurer, however their premiums might be seen as a bit costly - but I'm insured for a lot of different things so IMO it's worth it if that makes sense.

The pony did make a tremendous recovery too.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

I've got mine insured with Four Counties (got it through H&H i think). I had to claim for colic and they were easy to deal with and kept me updated on how it was proceeding. They paid out no problem.

I'm also with Four Counties underwritten by Towergate and have found them really easy to deal with. They've paid out in full on a horse I'd only owned a month at the time.

A friend on the other hand is still fighting with E&L to get a claim paid, even though they've already agreed to pay out. She also found she had to pay 15% of the full claim on top of an excess. Would have been in her t&c's somewhere but wasn't something she noticed until she had to make a claim.

IMO having an injured horse is stressful enough without the added hassle of dealing with a difficult insurer!

 

[ester]

One important tip from someone who works in equine insurance...Make sure you fully read the terms and conditions. Yes they are pages long but you need to understand exactly what your premium is paying for, what won't be covered and any obligations you need to fulfil.

And amusing when they say they will pay out for a barefoot trimmer as treatment but T+Cs say your horse must regularly see a qualified farrier and they confirm after 'treatment' this will need to be the case still!

 

[Elbie]

And amusing when they say they will pay out for a barefoot trimmer as treatment but T+Cs say your horse must regularly see a qualified farrier and they confirm after 'treatment' this will need to be the case still!

Sounds like they need to update their terms!

 

[hobo]

I do not know how you lot manage to get a horse insured with NFU, when I tried they would not insure a horse unless we gave them the farm insurance and cars even though they kept writing and ringing to give me a quote.

 

[mytwofriends]

E&L? Please don't utter those words in my vicinity. I used to insure my dogs and horses with them. They were so unsympathetic and rude when my 12 year old dog was hit and killed by a motorcycle. Dog dead. Motorcyclist had a lighty grazed elbow. They wouldn't pay out when he tried to claim damages (luckily didn't pursue any further.)

It was the attitude and rudeness which upset me more than anything.

Anyway, I'd highly recommend Petplan. Excellent customer service and promptly paid out when I claimed for my horse's tendon. My remaining horse, dog and cat are insured with them, and I have the utmost confidence in them.

 

[Kafairia]

I do not know how you lot manage to get a horse insured with NFU, when I tried they would not insure a horse unless we gave them the farm insurance and cars even though they kept writing and ringing to give me a quote.

I've been insured with them 6 years now, maybe policies have changed? I'm pretty sure I got an online quote or something. Could be wrong. Petplan was cheaper this time round but people still recommended them. Plus I'm insured for something stupid if he does something stupid like kick a car in, which was good for me as he can get nervous easily. From my own experiences though NFU are good.

However both of mine cost £750, insured for this much and both were unvetted. I assume many people will have the opposite case?

 

[webble]

I am with them and had two claims. First settled quickly no issue. Second took a bit longer but LeaHurst shocking customer service didn't help

 

[JanetGeorge]

I do not know how you lot manage to get a horse insured with NFU, when I tried they would not insure a horse unless we gave them the farm insurance and cars even though they kept writing and ringing to give me a quote.

I tried to get ALL my stud insurance with NFU initially - buildings, employer liability, public liability and theft. They didn't want to know unless I gave them house as well. So started with SEIB - and their cost was BIG! Swapped to KBIS and never had a claim in 8 years - but this year had a big tack room theft 2 months ago (they've paid with very litle grief) and have a possible public liability claim coming - they seem to be very competent with this although the claim hasn't come in (and probably won't because it's unlikely to be a 'proper' claim.)

Public Liability is a difficult one. BHS Membership can cover you (it wouldn't cover me because it's in the course of my business) - but whoever you are insured with, the claimant HAS to prove you are negligent.

I would recommend that anyone who owns horses be aware of what constitutes negligence - one of the best explanations I have seen is by alawyer I used to work with - and who IS a horseman. Worth a read! https://www.warners-solicitors.co.uk/article/2015/an-accident-waiting-happen.html

 

[Bav]

After recently scouring for insurance I took out a higher premium with KBIS then I'd been quoted at the cheaper insurance companies such as E&L. I know KBIS has a good reputation whereas the other hasn't. However upon speaking to a fellow livery, I would have probably gone with E&L. She and her husband are both insurance brokers (or deal with insurance) and said that E&L get a bad rep but they're not actually that bad at paying out etc it can just sometimes take longer. Only you can really decide who to go with and at the end of the day, fingers and toes crossed, hopefully you'll never even have to claim!!

Adding: I'm avoiding petplan and their astronomical prices which they jack up every year (atleast with my dog) even without making any claims.