Insurance problem - any suggestions anyone?

Dolphin

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I will try and make this as short as possible but my mare has a recurring tendon injury which I claimed for on my insurance the first time it happened. They paid up but excluded firstly the injured leg, then they excluded the other fore, then at my last renewel they excluded all of her legs except for accidental, external, visible damage.

I have gone the whole of last year paying all my vets bills myself but kept my insurance company informed as she has torn the tendon three times now. I have just had my renewel through, and they have added another 2 exclusions so that they will now only cover her for any visible external accidental vet fees and for death only for a visible external accident.

I don't think its worh me paying £223.54 for that - I may as well just not have any insurance and I doubt that any other insurance company will provide any better cover, although I do intend to ring a few up this morning.

Just wondered what anyone else thinks as I personally think they are being extremely harsh!
 

Flicker

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Insurance companies generally do anything to avoid paying out. My farrier once told me that he puts the money into a savings account and just pays Public Liability insurance for all his horses. Might be worth looking at investing the 200 odd quid in a savings account or credit card account - at least you have something to show for it at the end of the day, especially if your insurance company clearly isn't going to pay anything out even if you do make a claim.
 

Orangehorse

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Insurance covers for the unexpected, not for things they know have happened in the past. I think it is worth having cover for things like colic and a road accident, but otherwise you are better just saving the premium into a separate account. If you are a Gold BHS member you are covered for Public Liability anyway, so you don't have to buy that.

Some insurance companies offer a high excess, ie. you pay the first £500 of any claim (I think it is that much) and then they cover the rest and I am going to look into that. I could put my hands on £500, but not £5,000.
 

snaffle

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def try some other companies; i've just had a year of claiming for one injury + 4 trips to one horspital and they've pd up everytime. I just have an exclusion on the injury site - one hoof.

although someone told me if you have 5 or more horses, just get pub liab insurance, then pay any vet bills, as the cost of insuring will roughly = any vet bills.
 

ihatework

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If the horse has only had a recurring injury on the one tendon then they are out of line excluding anything other than that tendon (or at a push that lower limb).
Call them up and speak to them and request their reasons and if possible try and get the exclusions lifted (obviously apart from the one on her tendon, thats fair enough).
If they won't budge then change insurance companies! When taking out a new policy it might be worth asking your vet to do you a print out of horses medical history. New insurance company will ask you if horse has current exclusions so you will need evidence to back up why exclusions shouldn't be on there.
 

jumpthemoon

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My horse fractured his splint bone when I first got him. He wasn't covered on insurance as I hadn't got around to sorting it out
crazy.gif
When I did come to insure him, I told the company about the fracture and they told me that they would exclude the whole leg!!!
shocked.gif


When I questioned them further about it and complained a bit they changed it so that all that was excluded was that splint bone (at my suggestion!) I think it's worth looking for another insurance company tbh.
 

Dolphin

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[ QUOTE ]
Call them up and speak to them and request their reasons and if possible try and get the exclusions lifted

[/ QUOTE ]

I have just done exactly that and they said they will not consider lifting any of the exclusions unless I have a 5 star vetting done - which will cost more than the insurance premium! The reasons they gave are because the injury has occured 3 times and she is not in work at the moment (just on a 4 month walking program).

I have also spoken to NFU who were really nice and sympathetic but said they woud have to decline to insure her until I manage to get her back into light work.

Thanks for the replies people. Shame I'm getting nowhere fast yet!
 

Marchtime

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I'd try different companies. My boy injured his hind suspensory and the company I was with excluded that leg and his other hind. They then excluded his front feet as he was continuely bruising them, colic and... wait for it... his back and anything connecting thereto because when he was scanned for his hind suspensory they initially thought the problem was in his back and a scan revealed an old, healed dorsal ligament injury.
With the new company he is only excluded for the hind with suspensory damage and for one front foot which he has been diagnosed with collateral ligament damage in. If i can get cover for mine with all his problems I'm sure you can.
 

JM07

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i wouldnt bother and insure her at all, TBH..

i'd join the BHS on a Gold and put by for a rainy day..
 

Imonone

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Im afraid I have had the same frustration, following some odd behaviour I had some tests carried out by my vets, the diagnosis being a hind suspensory ligament. They have declined to pay out for this injury and have excluded;

The back and all associated processes and both hindlimbs!!

Go figure. Ive tried to find another company but because one has declined no one else wants to know. This is a well known comapny BTW.

I have had this horse insured from a foal. So I wouldnt bother, become a BHS gold member for the pub liability and put some money aside for the rest.
 
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