Is insurance invalid if injuries are from barbed wire

[Heartfield]

We rent our fields and the owner has put in new fencing with barbed wire along the top rail. His reason is to stop the horses damaging the rails.

As you can understand, it is cheaper for us to spend ten quid on a rail, than buying new coats.

We did ask him not to put the barbed wire on, but he's gone ahead and done it. As we are not in a position to buy or move for now, we decided to just put up with it.

Then, last weekend, we had a glimmer of hope. On a visit to friends, they said that injuries from barbed wire were not covered by most insurance companies. As we don't insure for injuries, we can't ring our insurance company to find out. But if it turns out to be the case then we may be able to persuade the owner to remove the barbed wire. Bit naughty, but he really deserves such action.

 

[chaps89]

Can you offer to remove the barbed wire and replace with a strand of electric instead (at your cost)?
Tbh, if your horses are usually sensible and it's properly tensioned and maintained I'd take a row of barbed wire over some other fences you see nowadays.
Insurance wise I believe it's only one particular company who have or had that clause in their t&c's.

 

[Kezzabell2]

I believe they do exclude barbed wire injuries, however, in 15 years of horse ownership, I've always had barbed wire in my fields! the only time my horse injured its self was when they refenced part of the field with straight wire fencing! within an hour of it being up she had sliced her chest and legs open!

you could just run electric tape in front of the barbed wire if you're that worried! I very much doubt you'd get a farmer to remove it after they've just paid out for it

 

[eggs]

I know barbed wire has a bad reputation but I originally had a properly tensioned strand running above our post and rail. Never had an injury and fences didn't get wrecked. I had it removed when I had a couple of foals as one of them would rear up and put his legs over the top rail and I didn't want to risk injury however enliven with electric wire now running as a stand off the blooming horses do have a chew on the fencing.

I haven't spotted an exclusion in my policy.

 

[AmyMay]

Never had an injury from barbed wire, nor seen one. I'm also not aware of any exclussions to barbed wire in an insurance policy (but individuals would have to check their individual policies to be sure).

If you're that worried, op, just erect some electric fencing.

 

[laura_nash]

My neighbour put up barbed wire fencing along the inside of one of our stone walls. To be honest I wasn't about to complain given the difficult of getting fence posts in around here, but I did (after checking with him first) put in those screw-in electric fence holders along at the same height with a strand of fencing tape in. I rarely bother electrifying it these days, but even without its enough to keep them off the barbed wire. Could you ask your landlord if he would mind if you did something similar?

 

[Mrs B]

Never had a problem with properly tensioned barbed wire either. Other sorts of fencing, yes! Barbed wire, no.

 

[YorksG]

In your shoes I would get some offset electric fence holders, put them on the posts that hold the barbed wire and they will keep the animals off the barbed wire. It would be wise to ask your landowner for permission before you do it though/

 

[Dry Rot]

If you have a contract with the livery, I think you are assumed to have inspected the fencing and accept it "as is" unless the contract states otherwise.

If the landowner then changes the type of fencing without your approval, is he not in breach of contract as the nature of what he is offering has changed? That is no different to ploughing up the field without notifying the livery first.

The OP probaby doesn't want to go down that road but it does place some liability on the YO. If the horse was injured after the livery had protested about the barbed wire, I am pretty sure he would be liable. But I ain't no lawyer! And if push comes to shove, he can always give the OP notice to leave!

 

[PorkChop]

A few of the more budget insurance companies do exclude claims for injuries from barbed wire.

I would put up some electric fencing if you are worried, however I have seen more injuries from electric fence than properly tensioned barbed wire.

 

[turnbuckle]

Other option if you're worried would be to "cap" the wire with another rail (at yr expense)?

 

[FfionWinnie]

It's a shame they are already rugged because if they are ill mannered fence pushers they aren't going to learn while they have rugs on whether it's electric or barb.

I don't have barb only electric but if the barb is tight and the fence maintained it shouldn't cause any injuries.

Ideally all horse fences would have a mains electric top wire so the horses never go near them.

 

[Clodagh]

We have barbed wire running along our top rail of post and rail, no horse has ever hurt itself on it. I think E&L decline barbed wire claims, but I gather they decline most claims anyway. Why don't you just ask your insurance company? I like barbed wire, it saves my OH going mental when they break a rail and stops them ever trying to get out.

 

[sport horse]

I think you will get far worse injuries from plain wire or electric tape if they get caught up in it - it acts like a cheese cutter - at lest barbed wire they tear themselves but are free.

I have used barbed wire stapled along the top of rails for years. We staple every 18 inches to the rail and hey presto they no longer chew the rails.!

 

[Tapir]

Insurance companies tend to have in their terms and conditions, a bit about how every effort must be made to keep the horse safe from harm. They could use this to get out of a lot of claims - no hi-viz, dodgy fencing, rider being too heavy etc.

 

[SuperH]

I'm not adverse to barbed wire, provided it is correctly installed as others have mentioned. We have been keeping horses in barbed fenced fields for many many years (although always as a clear boundary and never just one strand between different horses). We have never had an injury or a rug ripped and we have had some right fruit loop horses too. If you have one who insists on scratching on it and ripping rugs I would run electric in front of the barb, that usually works.

 

[ycbm]

I've had one horse almost cut through the tendons on the back of his foot from putting it onto the lowest wire of a properly tensioned barbed wire fence. I've had one with multiple scores across his chest from trying to talk to horses in the field next door. I've had another need six stitches in an inch deep cut across his throat under his chin. Now I have my own land I would never have barbed wire in a horse field unless guarded by electric fence.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I would also never again ride next to barbed wire after once being thrown and finding it wrapped around my neck..

But then again I have never seen a horse injure itself on a barbed wire fence. I'd put electric tape up or observe and see if they go near it. The only reason they would really is that there is something they want on the other side - other horses or a yummy bush

 

[Clodagh]

I've had one horse almost cut through the tendons on the back of his foot from putting it onto the lowest wire of a properly tensioned barbed wire fence. I've had one with multiple scores across his chest from trying to talk to horses in the field next door. I've had another need six stitches in an inch deep cut across his throat under his chin. Now I have my own land I would never have barbed wire in a horse field unless guarded by electric fence.

As SuperH says above, it does not work on its own dividing two horses. We have it on top of post and rail with a drive way the other side and hedges the rest of the way round. Horses have many creative ways to injure themselves, any form of containment is a potential issue. We also don't have it lower than the top rail. The OP's wire is on the top rail of post and rail, very different to the set up you had.