Insurance - cancel or renew?

[AandK]

I have owned my soon to be 10yo (April bday) for 4yrs next month. He is an exracer and I’ve had him insured since I got him. Which is a good job as he’s had some claims: Hock ligament injury requiring arthroscopy and resulting arthritis in that hock (tcj). Keratoma surgery on his left fore, cut on pastern, dermatitis on his tail, and last year we added kissing spine and ulcers.
The renewal has come up and price has increased 50% as well as all the exclusions:
Excludes cover on all claims with respect to anything to do with the cut to the off fore pastern that occurred on 11 June 2020 and Resulting Conditions with effect from 15 March 2022.
Excludes cover on all claims with respect to Growths and Tumours and Resulting Conditions with effect from 15 March 2022.
Excludes cover on all claims with respect to the nearside fore Foot in its entirety with effect from 15 March 2022.
Excludes cover on all claims with respect to Skin Conditions with effect from 15 March 2022.
Excludes cover on all claims with respect to the Digestive System with effect from 15 March 2023.
Excludes cover on all claims with respect to the Back, Spine and Pelvis with effect from 15 March 2023.
Excludes cover on all claims with respect to Bone Diseases with effect from 15 March 2023.

Some of them are very broad, I spoke to the insurance company and they said it may be possible to have some made more specific with the support of my vet, but there are no guarantees.
I'm not sure if there is much point in carrying on the insurance as not much is covered. Plus, with all his issues, I wouldn't put him through any further surgery, any treatment would be conservative. Any thoughts? Am I mad to cancel?
(Edited to say I wouldn't do more surgery!)

 

[cauda equina]

Reading through that list it's hard to see what would be covered!
I'd cancel the insurance and put what you would have paid as premiums aside to pay for future bills

 

[Abacus]

Yikes.

When I was looking at insurance for my two newish ones there were various cover levels, the lowest of which was basically for new injuries and colic. Have you looked at the various policies available and maybe drop down to something that would cover you if say he ran through a fence? That said I didn't take out a policy in the end...

 

[AandK]

Reading through that list it's hard to see what would be covered!
I'd cancel the insurance and put what you would have paid as premiums aside to pay for future bills

That's what I was thinking, not much left to cover!

Yikes.

When I was looking at insurance for my two newish ones there were various cover levels, the lowest of which was basically for new injuries and colic. Have you looked at the various policies available and maybe drop down to something that would cover you if say he ran through a fence? That said I didn't take out a policy in the end...

That's a good shout, will look into the catastrophe cover, had forgotten about that option!

 

[criso]

In a similar situation i went for catastrophe/accident only cover. I was with Shearwater but they dropped what was covered though not the premium so am now with SEIB on their veteran policy though he's not a veteran. As well as injuries, i get public liability, death, loss and straying, personal accident for me and tack. Costs about £30 a month. KBIS do it as well.

 

[sassandbells]

I’ve been in a similar situation and opted for catastrophe insurance, I can’t remember who it was with though.

It was a lot cheaper so I just put the difference in a separate account in case anything not covered was needed.

If you go for the catastrophe insurance it’s worth thinking about what you’ll do in a situation where somethings not covered and the bill could run into the thousands.

 

[Squeak]

I don't insure anyway so probably a bit biased but I wouldn't carry on with the insurance. I can't remember but I think there's something with colic cover where it will only pay out if you have surgery and so sounds like it might not work for your boy.

For catastrophe cover I have World Horse Welfare membership, it covers a couple of thousand pounds for external injuries and is £150 for the year as well as giving you third party and public liability.

 

[AandK]

I don't insure anyway so probably a bit biased but I wouldn't carry on with the insurance. I can't remember but I think there's something with colic cover where it will only pay out if you have surgery and so sounds like it might not work for your boy.

For catastrophe cover I have World Horse Welfare membership, it covers a couple of thousand pounds for external injuries and is £150 for the year as well as giving you third party and public liability.

I will look into the option with WHW, thanks. Have requested an external injury quote from Shearwater as I wouldn't put him through colic surgery so there is no point getting full catastrophe cover.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I was fully comp for my two with NFU but the renewal with exclusions was ridiculous so I changed to Harry Hall injury only. Instead of £120 a month it’s now £66 a quarter and they have already paid out close to £2000 for DP’s accident when he sliced his foot open and required hospital treatment. They weren’t as quick to pay the vets but we got there in the end.

 

[Birker2020]

I had six exclusions on Bailey in the end. Rang the insurance company to cancel upon my renewal and they asked me why I was cancelling. I told them 6 exclusions was silly and they said they could take two off. So I said, ok, if you take the hocks and the colics off. No chance. So I cancelled. It surprised me that they were willing to consider taking something off anyway.

Currently on the lovely Lari I've got SI/back/coffin joints and hocks excluded so I only have catastrophic cover included, visible external injury and PTS on humane grounds, i.e broken leg, etc. Going to keep it going for when he goes to retirement livery for 2 months just in case he is kicked - I think its £43 per month.

 

[ihatework]

Well he is a bit of a typical exracer walking vets bill. Thing is the usual candidates are now pretty much excluded.

To the blunt point - is the chequebook closed on him - ie another huge bill and it’s curtains? If so deffo cancel insurance. If it’s something annoyingly treatable but expensive can find the money when push comes shove?

Alternatively KBIS does a catastrophe policy that covers things like joint flushes etc . It £300 a year. And we all know TB self harming tendencies

 

[Abby-Lou]

Have a look at Harry hall insurance

 

[Zoeypxo]

I had a stupid amount of exclusions and they wanted £140 a month. I cancelled and now have KBIS catastrophe cover, its £44 a month.

much to my annoyance a few months after cancelling my horse had a soft tissue injury in the front foot, one of the only things i wouldve still had cover for was feet and tendons just my luck!

 

[AandK]

To the blunt point - is the chequebook closed on him - ie another huge bill and it’s curtains? If so deffo cancel insurance. If it’s something annoyingly treatable but expensive can find the money when push comes shove?

Alternatively KBIS does a catastrophe policy that covers things like joint flushes etc . It £300 a year. And we all know TB self harming tendencies

Pretty much this. No more operations, he's been through a lot already and is not a fan of being stabled. Anything that can't be managed with field rest/retirement would be curtains, without sounding too harsh!. I'm looking into something basic in the case of external injury, joint flushes etc, no need for colic surgery cover though.

 

[AandK]

I had a stupid amount of exclusions and they wanted £140 a month. I cancelled and now have KBIS catastrophe cover, its £44 a month.

much to my annoyance a few months after cancelling my horse had a soft tissue injury in the front foot, one of the only things i wouldve still had cover for was feet and tendons just my luck!

I had that with my older horse, he had loads of exclusions so I cancelled. Not long after he had an issue with his eye (had to be removed in the end) that would have been covered!

 

[criso]

I had that with my older horse, he had loads of exclusions so I cancelled. Not long after he had an issue with his eye (had to be removed in the end) that would have been covered!

Mine manage to slip and injure his eye which was covered by the catastrophe though took a little clarification that it was caused by a blow not a chronic condition. However eyes are now listed as yet another exclusion as the injury makes him more prone to uveitis, just in case I was thinking of going back to full cover.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I have owned my soon to be 10yo (April bday) for 4yrs next month. He is an exracer and I’ve had him insured since I got him. Which is a good job as he’s had some claims: Hock ligament injury requiring arthroscopy and resulting arthritis in that hock (tcj). Keratoma surgery on his left fore, cut on pastern, dermatitis on his tail, and last year we added kissing spine and ulcers.
The renewal has come up and price has increased 50% as well as all the exclusions:
Excludes cover on all claims with respect to anything to do with the cut to the off fore pastern that occurred on 11 June 2020 and Resulting Conditions with effect from 15 March 2022.
Excludes cover on all claims with respect to Growths and Tumours and Resulting Conditions with effect from 15 March 2022.
Excludes cover on all claims with respect to the nearside fore Foot in its entirety with effect from 15 March 2022.
Excludes cover on all claims with respect to Skin Conditions with effect from 15 March 2022.
Excludes cover on all claims with respect to the Digestive System with effect from 15 March 2023.
Excludes cover on all claims with respect to the Back, Spine and Pelvis with effect from 15 March 2023.
Excludes cover on all claims with respect to Bone Diseases with effect from 15 March 2023.

Some of them are very broad, I spoke to the insurance company and they said it may be possible to have some made more specific with the support of my vet, but there are no guarantees.
I'm not sure if there is much point in carrying on the insurance as not much is covered. Plus, with all his issues, I wouldn't put him through any further surgery, any treatment would be conservative. Any thoughts? Am I mad to cancel?
(Edited to say I wouldn't do more surgery!)

Mine is similar but my vet said they can limit the exclusion about digestive system to just ulcers after 6 months. I was worried that colic wouldn't be covered and whilst I wouldn't put through surgery I would like cover for any non surgical procedure!

 

[Sossigpoker]

My renewal excluded:
Hocks and related structures (very vague)
SI , back and related soft tissue
Colic (he's never had colic but was given Buscopan with Osphos)
Anything affecting the respiratory system and anything causing fever.
Not only this , but they applied these retrospectively 5 months after renewal due to an ongoing claim from the previous policy year. I cancelled the current year's insurance and have put in a complaint for them to return those 5 months premiums. This is KBIS. I fully intent to take them to the ombudsman if they don't. Even my vet said that exclusions are excessive, especially the colic when he's never had colic before.

I've taken out a World Horse Welfare membership which covers £1500 for external injuries instead ,.it comes with public liability too.

 

[Birker2020]

Colic (he's never had colic but was given Buscopan with Osphos)

This is shocking. But since the days when they require to see the horses entire vets history its getting more common sadly.

My vet did query with the insurance company why they wanted to exclude all three bones in all four feet when Bailey just had to have the one coffin joint medicated and they then took that exclusion off.

 

[Sossigpoker]

This is shocking. But since the days when they require to see the horses entire vets history its getting more common sadly.

My vet did query with the insurance company why they wanted to exclude all three bones in all four feet when Bailey just had to have the one coffin joint medicated and they then took that exclusion off.

KBIS wouldn't budge. Absolutely ridiculous.

 

[pistolpete]

I cancelled mine when the exclusions got ridiculous. Just have the Harry Hall one now for third party cover. If you can be disciplined and save the money you would have spent on premiums there’ll hopefully be a fund to cover things you’re happy to treat. Sore eyes coughs cuts etc. insurance has got too expensive like everything else!

 

[maya2008]

I cancelled mine at about the point you are at and put the money away instead. It paid for her pts costs when it was time, and for the vet to double check there was nothing more we could do for her.

 

[criso]

Incidentally the claim for an eye injury on my accident only policy was equivalent to 3 1/2 years of premiums so worked out cheaper than putting money aside.