Caramac71
Well-Known Member
This is going to be a bit long winded, I apologise!
Bought horse June 2014 after having her vetted by my own vet. Vet noted that horse coughed during exercise, probably due to dusty hay. Cough went away without any medical treatment within a few days and horse has had no respiratory problems since.
Vet also noted that horse was mildly positive to right fore flexion test, but lunged fine on 10m circle in trot (which in his opinion was a more accurate test). Horse has had no forelimb lameness until recently.
We claimed on insurance in June 2015, when horse was diagnosed with facet joint arthritis in her spine. At this time, the insurance requested her history and the vetting details were included as part of this (insurers had not wanted a copy of her vetting report previously).
My insurance renewed in May this year and I was told she has been excluded for the following:
(1) Any back conditions (understandable)
(2) Any arthritis / DJD (understandable)
(3) Weight loss (this relates to my phone call to the vets in April 2015 when she was first showing reluctance to go forwards, kicking out in canter etc, I mentioned she had dropped weight over winter amongst other symptoms - ironically we have the opposite problem now!)
(4) Respiratory Conditions
(5) Right forelimb
My vets have emailed the insurers on points 3-5 above. They have said she has always been of good weight and has never been seen for respiratory conditions. They said she has never had any forelimb lameness until she was seen in April 2016 when they noted she was mildly lame in both forelimbs.
My insurers have refused to remove any of the exclusions. They have started the 12 month period for the exclusions from the date they received her report (June 2015) rather than when they actually occurred (June 2014 for no 4 and 5, and April 2015 for no 3).
Following our appointment in April this year, my vets have referred me to another vet for acupuncture. I have tried (and failed!) to get her opinion on the lameness. Horse is currently not ridden, but she is worked on the lunge. I struggle to see the lameness - occasionally I see a short stride on the left rein in trot, but once she has cantered and loosened up she looks fine to me. Neither vet has suggested a need to investigate any lameness. Acupuncture vet has only ever mentioned her not being right on the inside fore on the left rein - but this is the rein she's usually lunged on first so it could be that she's bilaterally lame but vet is only mentioning it when she first sees it.
Neither have mentioned any lameness when she has trotted up on the hard ground. It is only when she's on a circle on a surface that they've noted anything. And first vet said that the lameness only showed on the lunge, not when ridden.
Both vets have suggested putting front shoes on to see if it improves. I'm quite happy to do this but from the little knowledge I have, I dont understand how it would make a difference. She's not footy, she's been unshod for 18 months or more and the subtle lameness has only shown up very recently.
First vets are saying to get her shod, bring her back to clinic for examination and they will write a report to insurers. As I no longer have transport, this is going to cost me a couple of hundred pounds for transport and vet at a guess. As I cant see the lameness myself it could be a complete waste of money if vet declares her still lame.
I have no plans to see acupuncture vet as she's been really happy with progress so has left it that we will slowly get back to riding horse over a long period of time, and just contact her if/when needed.
So my options are:
1) Get horse shod and examined, and report sent to vet.
2) Wait til we next have vet at our yard and ask them to see horse and determine if they think she's still lame. And see if they will write a report to remove the respiratory and weight loss exclusions at that time.
3) Get vet to look at horse and if she's still bilaterally lame, see if they will investigate left fore as this isn't excluded at present (and its only ever on the left fore that I've noticed short strides).
4) Give up on trying to get exclusions lifted.
Because of horse's back condition we are only working towards her being able to hack comfortably. We have no expectations of competing her. The acupuncture has been done to ensure she is as comfortable as she can be before my daughter gets back to riding her. She's just started riding again, in walk for 5 mins at a time.
I do dispute the fact that the insurers have started the "12 month period" from the date they learnt of the vetting report rather than the date it took place - as my vet can verify the horse had no lameness between June 2014 and April 2016 (ie more than 12 months). But insurers are classing it from June 2015. Can I appeal against this, and if so, how?
Insurers also want to know that the horse is not only sound but in full work - which is impossible to prove currently as she's not (and may never be). Unless full work could be counted as lunged/worked daily on the ground?
I have already downgraded my insurance from PC activities and aff dressage to hacking only, and her value has reduced because she's basically unsellable. But my premium has gone up £10 a month despite this, along with a list of exclusions.
Whats the best way to deal with this?
Bought horse June 2014 after having her vetted by my own vet. Vet noted that horse coughed during exercise, probably due to dusty hay. Cough went away without any medical treatment within a few days and horse has had no respiratory problems since.
Vet also noted that horse was mildly positive to right fore flexion test, but lunged fine on 10m circle in trot (which in his opinion was a more accurate test). Horse has had no forelimb lameness until recently.
We claimed on insurance in June 2015, when horse was diagnosed with facet joint arthritis in her spine. At this time, the insurance requested her history and the vetting details were included as part of this (insurers had not wanted a copy of her vetting report previously).
My insurance renewed in May this year and I was told she has been excluded for the following:
(1) Any back conditions (understandable)
(2) Any arthritis / DJD (understandable)
(3) Weight loss (this relates to my phone call to the vets in April 2015 when she was first showing reluctance to go forwards, kicking out in canter etc, I mentioned she had dropped weight over winter amongst other symptoms - ironically we have the opposite problem now!)
(4) Respiratory Conditions
(5) Right forelimb
My vets have emailed the insurers on points 3-5 above. They have said she has always been of good weight and has never been seen for respiratory conditions. They said she has never had any forelimb lameness until she was seen in April 2016 when they noted she was mildly lame in both forelimbs.
My insurers have refused to remove any of the exclusions. They have started the 12 month period for the exclusions from the date they received her report (June 2015) rather than when they actually occurred (June 2014 for no 4 and 5, and April 2015 for no 3).
Following our appointment in April this year, my vets have referred me to another vet for acupuncture. I have tried (and failed!) to get her opinion on the lameness. Horse is currently not ridden, but she is worked on the lunge. I struggle to see the lameness - occasionally I see a short stride on the left rein in trot, but once she has cantered and loosened up she looks fine to me. Neither vet has suggested a need to investigate any lameness. Acupuncture vet has only ever mentioned her not being right on the inside fore on the left rein - but this is the rein she's usually lunged on first so it could be that she's bilaterally lame but vet is only mentioning it when she first sees it.
Neither have mentioned any lameness when she has trotted up on the hard ground. It is only when she's on a circle on a surface that they've noted anything. And first vet said that the lameness only showed on the lunge, not when ridden.
Both vets have suggested putting front shoes on to see if it improves. I'm quite happy to do this but from the little knowledge I have, I dont understand how it would make a difference. She's not footy, she's been unshod for 18 months or more and the subtle lameness has only shown up very recently.
First vets are saying to get her shod, bring her back to clinic for examination and they will write a report to insurers. As I no longer have transport, this is going to cost me a couple of hundred pounds for transport and vet at a guess. As I cant see the lameness myself it could be a complete waste of money if vet declares her still lame.
I have no plans to see acupuncture vet as she's been really happy with progress so has left it that we will slowly get back to riding horse over a long period of time, and just contact her if/when needed.
So my options are:
1) Get horse shod and examined, and report sent to vet.
2) Wait til we next have vet at our yard and ask them to see horse and determine if they think she's still lame. And see if they will write a report to remove the respiratory and weight loss exclusions at that time.
3) Get vet to look at horse and if she's still bilaterally lame, see if they will investigate left fore as this isn't excluded at present (and its only ever on the left fore that I've noticed short strides).
4) Give up on trying to get exclusions lifted.
Because of horse's back condition we are only working towards her being able to hack comfortably. We have no expectations of competing her. The acupuncture has been done to ensure she is as comfortable as she can be before my daughter gets back to riding her. She's just started riding again, in walk for 5 mins at a time.
I do dispute the fact that the insurers have started the "12 month period" from the date they learnt of the vetting report rather than the date it took place - as my vet can verify the horse had no lameness between June 2014 and April 2016 (ie more than 12 months). But insurers are classing it from June 2015. Can I appeal against this, and if so, how?
Insurers also want to know that the horse is not only sound but in full work - which is impossible to prove currently as she's not (and may never be). Unless full work could be counted as lunged/worked daily on the ground?
I have already downgraded my insurance from PC activities and aff dressage to hacking only, and her value has reduced because she's basically unsellable. But my premium has gone up £10 a month despite this, along with a list of exclusions.
Whats the best way to deal with this?
). But that was over 10 years so the insurance were probably still better off than us and neither are insured anymore due to exclusions/premium cost.