how much to have set aside?

[Amylaurenx]

Just wondering how much everyone tends to have set aside for unexpected vet bills??
The insurance I looked at having is pay out of 3500 and the excess is 500, how much do you all tend to have accessible in case of an emergency?
I want to make sure I can afford owning a horse completely before I take the leap but this is the 1 thing I worry about!

 

[conniegirl]

I no longer insure as the costs got ridiculous. My pony is 20yrs old and I would not put him through any major surgery though. Pony only worth £1500 but they wanted £1200 per year to insure him with a £500 excess.

I have a credit card with a £9k limit on it that I keep for vet emergencies.

 

[Amylaurenx]

I no longer insure as the costs got ridiculous. My pony is 20yrs old and I would not put him through any major surgery though. Pony only worth £1500 but they wanted £1200 per year to insure him with a £500 excess.

I have a credit card with a £9k limit on it that I keep for vet emergencies.

I didn’t actually think about a credit card! Insurance does worry me as its 60 a month but I know they’ll try their best to wiggle out of paying if they can? I agree on any major surgery would have to be seriously thought about if they wouldn’t recover fully but at the same time I know if I was in love I’d want to try everything I possibly could, that’s something to think about though thank you!

 

[paddy555]

Just wondering how much everyone tends to have set aside for unexpected vet bills??
The insurance I looked at having is pay out of 3500 and the excess is 500, how much do you all tend to have accessible in case of an emergency?
I want to make sure I can afford owning a horse completely before I take the leap but this is the 1 thing I worry about!

I don't insure and my horse credit card is 15k. A lot depends on your attitude to problems. For example would you want to put a horse through colic surgery. I have only 1 out of 8 I would even consider it for. Do you live a long way from a vet hospital.. If you do it may be a non starter. If you live next do to one it may be the obvious choice. Colic surgery is one of the most important ones and you may not get much change out of 10k
What would you do about lameness. I usually turn away for 3 months and they often come right. Some people want every test and procedure possible.

Some people don't insure they self insure ie keep the premiums in a horse fund.
If you search there are lots of threads on insurance. Well worth reading and may give you some ideas.

you say the pay out is 3500. Is that for vet's fees in which case it won't go very far or for the loss of the horse? £500 seems a high excess for vet's fees.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

No insurance except public liability.
So, 1k in the pet pts account, 5k in the 'horse emergency' fund account, plus a credit card with 5k if I need it. (Only use the credit card 2 or 3 times a year to keep it active)

I have previously embezzled from the horse emergency account 18 months ago as cat and dog both decided vet visits and an op each for teeth were needed within a month of each other, rotters!

 

[milliepops]

Yeah you can shop around on the insurance. My excess is £350 which I think is fairly high but I have 5k per incident and more for colic surgery. I've been glad of my insurance over the years but I only insure 2 of mine.

 

[Amylaurenx]

I don't insure and my horse credit card is 15k. A lot depends on your attitude to problems. For example would you want to put a horse through colic surgery. I have only 1 out of 8 I would even consider it for. Do you live a long way from a vet hospital.. If you do it may be a non starter. If you live next do to one it may be the obvious choice. Colic surgery is one of the most important ones and you may not get much change out of 10k
What would you do about lameness. I usually turn away for 3 months and they often come right. Some people want every test and procedure possible.

Some people don't insure they self insure ie keep the premiums in a horse fund.
If you search there are lots of threads on insurance. Well worth reading and may give you some ideas.

you say the pay out is 3500. Is that for vet's fees in which case it won't go very far or for the loss of the horse? £500 seems a high excess for vet's fees.

I think I tend to be quite optimistic and if I believe I can sort it without a vet etc then I will, I’ve experienced a few situations where I’ve wondered if I need a vet out but have waited and the problems have fixed themselves which I think would be my approach to most things unless very serious.. I didn’t even consider no insurance if I’m honest but think I’ll definitely be looking into the insurance threads thank you!

 

[Amylaurenx]

No insurance except public liability.
So, 1k in the pet pts account, 5k in the 'horse emergency' fund account, plus a credit card with 5k if I need it. (Only use the credit card 2 or 3 times a year to keep it active)

I have previously embezzled from the horse emergency account 18 months ago as cat and dog both decided vet visits and an op each for teeth were needed within a month of each other, rotters!

Think a credit card is something I’ll definitely be looking at, I’ve only ever full loaned and not ever needed a vet so I’ve no idea what sort of bills may come in.. I’ve done research but there’s sooo many problems that can crop up and unfortunately I don’t have a spare 15k in the bank?

hahaha they definitely know when to pick their time!! was one feeling left out ?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

The first thing to decide is how much you would be prepared to spend. Would you want to put your horse through major surgery and/or prolonged box-rest? Would you want to top up what your insurance co will spend, or will you make their limit, your limit? Do you actually want/need vet fees insurance?

We don't insure, we have PL through BHS Gold and are absolutely certain that we will not have invasive surgery such as for colic or KS, nor would we put a horse through prolonged box-rest e.g for laminitis. 3 weeks for a pulled shoulder muscle was more than enough!

 

[Amylaurenx]

The first thing to decide is how much you would be prepared to spend. Would you want to put your horse through major surgery and/or prolonged box-rest? Would you want to top up what your insurance co will spend, or will you make their limit, your limit? Do you actually want/need vet fees insurance?

We don't insure, we have PL through BHS Gold and are absolutely certain that we will not have invasive surgery such as for colic or KS, nor would we put a horse through prolonged box-rest e.g for laminitis. 3 weeks for a pulled shoulder muscle was more than enough!

I don’t think I’d want to put them through any major surgery and wouldn’t like to have them on box rest for more than a couple of weeks max but then I have in my head is that selfish and not fair ? I think I’ll definitely be looking at options not involving insurance though thank you!!

 

[conniegirl]

I don’t think I’d want to put them through any major surgery and wouldn’t like to have them on box rest for more than a couple of weeks max but then I have in my head is that selfish and not fair ? I think I’ll definitely be looking at options not involving insurance though thank you!!

It depends on the pony for box rest, my lad would rather be in than out and very happily did nearly 6 months box rest 2 years ago without a flicker of a problem!
Ive had others that i wouldn’t box rest at all

 

[Amylaurenx]

It depends on the pony for box rest, my lad would rather be in than out and vety happily did nearly 6 months box rest 2 years ago without a flicker of problem st all!

yes to be honest would depend on my horse I think I’m just basing it from my recent loan horse who hated being stuck in and wouldn’t cope on box rest she’d go insane I think I just assume my next will be the same!

 

[SO1]

On that basis you would have PTS my pony for having a broken splint bone and for having a suspensory injury both which required long periods of box rest. Not many horses like box rest anymore than we like being on self isolation for coronavirus but most horses do cope. He hates box rest but he did cope well in the end, however he does like eating, and there were other horses also on box rest he could see so he was not on his own and he had plenty of attention so not left for long periods of time without interacting with people during the day to break up the boredom.

My lovely boy recovered well from both injuries and enjoys field time and I can ride him as normal.

I have insurance and as he is an older pony now with several large claims it has gone up to nearly £80 a month but I have 5k vets fees plus a £150 excess.

The insurance has paid out over the last 13 years more than I have put into it so I have felt it has been good value. I have had three large claims plus one smaller one.

I don’t think I’d want to put them through any major surgery and wouldn’t like to have them on box rest for more than a couple of weeks max but then I have in my head is that selfish and not fair ? I think I’ll definitely be looking at options not involving insurance though thank you!!

 

[Amylaurenx]

On that basis you would have PTS my pony for having a broken splint bone and for having a suspensory injury both which required long periods of box rest. Not many horses like box rest anymore than we like being on self isolation for coronavirus but most horses do cope. He hates box rest but he did cope well in the end, however he does like eating, and there were other horses also on box rest he could see so he was not on his own and he had plenty of attention so not left for long periods of time without interacting with people during the day to break up the boredom.

My lovely boy recovered well from both injuries and enjoys field time and I can ride him as normal.

I have insurance and as he is an older pony now with several large claims it has gone up to nearly £80 a month but I have 5k vets fees plus a £150 excess.

The insurance has paid out over the last 13 years more than I have put into it so I have felt it has been good value. I have had three large claims plus one smaller one.

I think if I could be more sure than not that after the box rest they could return to normal then I don’t think I could PTS I’d feel far too guilty, I suppose it would depend on the issue and probability of recovery etc! That’s good to know about insurance working well for you though thank you!

 

[Michen]

I have insurance and have never been out of pocket from it.

But you still need to have the money, some vets want paying direct and you may have challenges with getting insurance to pay etc so you need to make sure you can still cover the costs yourself even if you can claim it back.

I also have a few credit cards which I could bung 10K on if I needed to.

 

[TPO]

I used to insure and only stopped because just about everything was excluded on my last horse.

I've never insured current horse because I've had adequate savings. However they are about to be depleted so I'm shopping for insurance

The bills add up pretty quickly. My last horse still wasnt fixed after the insurance claim ran out (1yr). It wasn't something that was severe enough to pts but a low grade rumbling on thing that meant at one stage I was seeing the vet at least once a week.

He got his second surgery on his hoof out of my pocket and that was fine but it was the cost of vet wrap, nappies, poultice, duct tape etc that was well into the hundreds then add in regular vet check ups while he recovered on box rest and it was thousands in no time.

Mum just lost one of hers in February that ended up with cellulitis out of the blue. The vet thought that there was a chance for recovery so we did 5wks of trying to cure him before the infection returned and he had to be pts. There was no change from 5k.

While the "wait and see" approach might work for some ailments it's not a tact that I would use when I sont know 100% what is wrong. I've had horses for over 30yrs and am pretty confident with certain things but if I didnt know I wouldn't wait.

The horse that died with cellulitis didn't present like typical cellulitis initially. Vet was called as soon as the lameness was noticed and I even posted in here (unusual for me) because I'd never seen a swelling higher up a leg like that and thought it was a fracture. So did vet initially but treated for cellulitis just in case and horse rapidly went downhill.

My point is that costs can spiral in the blink of an eye and waiting isnt always a good tactic, especially if it's to hopefully reduce costs.

If you dont have access to £5000 I'd advise that you insure. If you don't have immediate access to £500 I'd advise against getting a horse until that is available as insurance excess.

 

[Amylaurenx]

I used to insure and only stopped because just about everything was excluded on my last horse.

I've never insured current horse because I've had adequate savings. However they are about to be depleted so I'm shopping for insurance

The bills add up pretty quickly. My last horse still wasnt fixed after the insurance claim ran out (1yr). It wasn't something that was severe enough to pts but a low grade rumbling on thing that meant at one stage I was seeing the vet at least once a week.

He got his second surgery on his hoof out of my pocket and that was fine but it was the cost of vet wrap, nappies, poultice, duct tape etc that was well into the hundreds then add in regular vet check ups while he recovered on box rest and it was thousands in no time.

Mum just lost one of hers in February that ended up with cellulitis out of the blue. The vet thought that there was a chance for recovery so we did 5wks of trying to cure him before the infection returned and he had to be pts. There was no change from 5k.

While the "wait and see" approach might work for some ailments it's not a tact that I would use when I sont know 100% what is wrong. I've had horses for over 30yrs and am pretty confident with certain things but if I didnt know I wouldn't wait.

The horse that died with cellulitis didn't present like typical cellulitis initially. Vet was called as soon as the lameness was noticed and I even posted in here (unusual for me) because I'd never seen a swelling higher up a leg like that and thought it was a fracture. So did vet initially but treated for cellulitis just in case and horse rapidly went downhill.

My point is that costs can spiral in the blink of an eye and waiting isnt always a good tactic, especially if it's to hopefully reduce costs.

If you dont have access to £5000 I'd advise that you insure. If you don't have immediate access to £500 I'd advise against getting a horse until that is available as insurance excess.

Thank you for this, if it was a situation I wasn’t familiar with and didn’t know what was happening and looked like they were struggling I definitely wouldn’t leave it and my vet would be called!
And that’s my worry with not having insurance and paying out for a vet bill for it to not work and them be put to sleep anyway.

 

[Amylaurenx]

I have insurance and have never been out of pocket from it.

But you still need to have the money, some vets want paying direct and you may have challenges with getting insurance to pay etc so you need to make sure you can still cover the costs yourself even if you can claim it back.

I also have a few credit cards which I could bung 10K on if I needed to.

thank you this was another of my questions if most vets want the money up front and the claim would come later! Better to be prepared for this being the case then. Would you mind letting me know what insurance company you have used? I’ve been looking at pet plan

 

[Michen]

thank you this was another of my questions if most vets want the money up front and the claim would come later! Better to be prepared for this being the case then. Would you mind letting me know what insurance company you have used? I’ve been looking at pet plan

I’ve used a few. Pet plan were good when I used them before.

I personally don’t think it’s fair to expect vets to wait for insurance money if there’s a delay for example or you have an issue with a claim. The contract is with you and the vet not the vet and the insurance company.

Also many referral hospitals for colic for example will require upfront payment. So you do need to have a way of accessing money yourself, quickly.

 

[Amylaurenx]

I’ve used a few. Pet plan were good when I used them before.

I personally don’t think it’s fair to expect vets to wait for insurance money if there’s a delay for example or you have an issue with a claim. The contract is with you and the vet not the vet and the insurance company.

Also many referral hospitals for colic for example will require upfront payment. So you do need to have a way of accessing money yourself, quickly.

yeah I did think this would be the case at most places as it’s not really the vets problem and they need paying!
Thank you !

 

[Bellaboo18]

I've insured my one mare with pet plan for the last year. I wont be renewing as too many things will be excluded so will self-fund going forward.

Our premiums are £35 a month and they've paid out the best part of £10k. These weren't things that would have been solved by turning away and the choice would have been paying or pts.

Each bill I've paid the vet first and then waited for the insurance company to pay me. They've never argued anything and I've been very impressed with them.

On the one claim, ulcers relating to back pain, we went over the £5000 limit and have self funded.

I've been very grateful that we're in the position we are and have savings. Money is definitely not unlimited but it hasn't had to be a deciding factor in the care this (very special to me) mare as received.

Previously I have had uninsured horses but theres been a reason why I wouldnt do extensive investigations or big operations like temperament and age.

After the year we've had, if I bought a new horse tomorrow I'd insure and have a credit card or savings.

 

[Amylaurenx]

I've insured my one mare with pet plan for the last year. I wont be renewing as too many things will be excluded so will self-fund going forward.

Our premiums are £35 a month and they've paid out the best part of £10k. These weren't things that would have been solved by turning away and the choice would have been paying or pts.

Each bill I've paid the vet first and then waited for the insurance company to pay me. They've never argued anything and I've been very impressed with them.

On the one claim, ulcers relating to back pain, we went over the £5000 limit and have self funded.

I've been very grateful that we're in the position we are and have savings. Money is definitely not unlimited but it hasn't had to be a deciding factor in the care this (very special to me) mare as received.

Previously I have had uninsured horses but theres been a reason why I wouldnt do extensive investigations or big operations like temperament and age.

After the year we've had, if I bought a new horse tomorrow I'd insure and have a credit card or savings.

That’s good to know thank you, I did notice I will pretty much need a horse that has no medical history and has never been lame etc or they won’t insure them!
Are things excluded just due to the things that they have paid out for this year that’s made your cover change?

 

[Bellaboo18]

That’s good to know thank you, I did notice I will pretty much need a horse that has no medical history and has never been lame etc or they won’t insure them!
Are things excluded just due to the things that they have paid out for this year that’s made your cover change?

Yes, I've had two claims so both those things will be excluded when it comes to renewing

 

[Amylaurenx]

Yes, I've had two claims so both those things will be excluded when it comes to renewing

I see! Thank you ?

 

[milliepops]

thank you this was another of my questions if most vets want the money up front and the claim would come later! Better to be prepared for this being the case then. Would you mind letting me know what insurance company you have used? I’ve been looking at pet plan

depends on who you register with, i'm registered with my local referral hospital and use them for everything so when my horse went in for surgery i was just a regular client and issued with the bill at the end of the month.

I did this deliberately after seeing a local vet delay referring someone else's horse for so long the horse was too far gone by the time it went in to the hospital, but it does mean they know me and my horses well, if there's an emergency.

 

[Amylaurenx]

depends on who you register with, i'm registered with my local referral hospital and use them for everything so when my horse went in for surgery i was just a regular client and issued with the bill at the end of the month.

I did this deliberately after seeing a local vet delay referring someone else's horse for so long the horse was too far gone by the time it went in to the hospital, but it does mean they know me and my horses well, if there's an emergency.

My plan is to use a local vet but they do have a sister practice 20 minutes drive away from me that does have an equine hospital so I’m quite lucky in that respect and fingers crossed they will take me on as a client when the time comes!

 

[The Jokers Girl]

I don't insure as I am excluded for all 4 legs, respiratory system, digestive system, renal system so was being charged £1200 a year for accidental injuries only and only ever claimed claimed the 1st bout of laminitis, which was £1400.
Even with insurance I wouldn't put mine through anything major like colic surgery but I do have £3000 cash and £7k credit card mostly to cover ongoing medication and disposal costs but just making sure you have a credit card with a few k limit that you only have for emergencies and putting what you would pay in premiums to one side each month should be sufficient if you chose not to insure.

 

[Amylaurenx]

I don't insure as I am excluded for all 4 legs, respiratory system, digestive system, renal system so was being charged £1200 a year for accidental injuries only and only ever claimed claimed the 1st bout of laminitis, which was £1400.
Even with insurance I wouldn't put mine through anything major like colic surgery but I do have £3000 cash and £7k credit card mostly to cover ongoing medication and disposal costs but just making sure you have a credit card with a few k limit that you only have for emergencies and putting what you would pay in premiums to one side each month should be sufficient if you chose not to insure.

oh yeah not worth it in your case then! I think I will definitely have a credit card for any emergencies still not sure about insurance!
I’m just stuck on how do you determine wether the surgery/treatment is worth it or the other option.. I wouldn’t like to put them through anything major and not have 100% guarantee they will be better afterwards which I know can never be the case

 

[The Jokers Girl]

It is hard to know what you should put them through and what you wouldn't but only experience and lots of research can help you decide.

Iknow 2 who have had colic surgery, one died during surgery and the other has never fully recovered, he permanently wears a sling to support the abdomen and has a very restricted and controlled diet to ensure he doesn't get any blockage etc, also bear in mind that colic surgery can cost £10 to 20k and most insurance has an annual and lifetime limit of 5k per condition.

Ulcers can cost £7 to 8k to treat if grade 3 during the initial diagnosis and treatment and for grade 2 are likely to use up your full 5k allowance and then you'll be excluded for rest of horses life and they are likely to reoccur so never rely solely on insurance to cover vet costs.

Whether you chose to insure or not always make sure you have a back up plan whether that be calling it a day with treatment or having cash to cover ongoing care and the shortfall between what insurance will pay and what the final bill is

Sorry meant to quote post 28 in this reply but failed ?

 

[Bellaboo18]

oh yeah not worth it in your case then! I think I will definitely have a credit card for any emergencies still not sure about insurance!
I’m just stuck on how do you determine wether the surgery/treatment is worth it or the other option.. I wouldn’t like to put them through anything major and not have 100% guarantee they will be better afterwards which I know can never be the case

You'll only know what you're willing to put them through when you're in that moment so just be as prepared as possible.
Also dont assume it needs to be something major to end up with a large bill.