Losing confidence and need help!!

[Landcruiser]

I'm surprised you managed to insure him without a vetting first. I've always been asked for a copy of the vet report.

I feel your pain OP. 10+ years ago, with my first horse (SO exciting!!!!) I bought equally unwisely but with different problems. It's a very hard (and expensive) mistake that you won't make again.....good luck x

 

[Gemz66]

I'm surprised you managed to insure him without a vetting first. I've always been asked for a copy of the vet report.

I feel your pain OP. 10+ years ago, with my first horse (SO exciting!!!!) I bought equally unwisely but with different problems. It's a very hard (and expensive) mistake that you won't make again.....good luck x

It was a question that was asked but just had a yes/no option, and age/cost dependant as to whether they required x-rays, Its a fairly new policy I took out in December so part of me thinks they’ll try their hardest to get out of it, I’ll find out where I stand and can only go from there, hopefully its not advanced to much, I know there’s injections and treatments he can have and regular daily exercise to help strengthen his back etc so we will see, its not what I signed up for but can only play the cards I’ve been dealt....

 

[AmyMay]

Have you spoken to the person who had him on loan previously?

 

[Gemz66]

Have you spoken to the person who had him on loan previously?

I have spoken with his previous owner, she has said the behaviour is not like him at all, never done anything dangerous in traffic and has always been a plod, he has only ever been part loaned before by a girl who is still at our field, she said he never was how he is now, a bit bolshy but no more than any other welsh d, it was her he threw off

 

[AmyMay]

I have spoken with his previous owner, she has said the behaviour is not like him at all, never done anything dangerous in traffic and has always been a plod, he has only ever been part loaned before by a girl who is still at our field, she said he never was how he is now, a bit bolshy but no more than any other welsh d, it was her he threw off

Then I suspect he's simply taking the p£ss.

You didn't respond to my previous post - but I'm guessing you didn't try him before you bought him..

As previous, I'd move to a good professional yard where you can get help and support.

 

[Gemz66]

Policy says

No cover for illness/disease showing clinical signs within 14 days of policy inception.

Am I right to presume as he has not had any tests or investigations with a vet for this, today the physio who came (as a private job not via a vet) was the first clinical signs or would that be when a vet confirms it? Either way I’m out of that time frame which is a positive

Then I suspect he's simply taking the p£ss.

You didn't respond to my previous post - but I'm guessing you didn't try him before you bought him..

As previous, I'd move to a good professional yard where you can get help and support.

I had him on loan from the march and bought him in November, if this physio is right it would explain his behaviour gradually getting worse lately, I share with two ladies, both are experienced (equally shocked with his behaviour) the eldest worked with polo horses and has had them all her life (now 50) we we have other ladies who visit who are instructors/owners who knew him and have ridden him before so I do have good support but facility wise yes it is something I have to look into, we’ve been looking for a sole use yard with more facilities anyway but agree need that even more now

 

[ycbm]

I'm surprised you managed to insure him without a vetting first. I've always been asked for a copy of the vet report.

Insurers have a price that they will insure up to without a pre purchase vetting.

 

[ycbm]

Policy says

No cover for illness/disease showing clinical signs within 14 days of policy inception.

Am I right to presume as he has not had any tests or investigations with a vet for this, today the physio who came (as a private job not via a vet) was the first clinical signs or would that be when a vet confirms it? Either way I’m out of that time frame which is a positive

The 14 days mean nothing if a previous owner had ever called a vet to him and it's on record. Or if your investigations show a condition, arthritis for example, which has, or may have been, been going on for a long time.

PLEASE do not underestimate how much insurance companies fight to avoid payouts and bankrupt yourself with vets fees they may refuse to pay.

Ask the previous owner/s to notify their vets that they can disclose all treatment/visits on their records to you, and check it out.

 

[AmyMay]

I doubt you'd have an issue claiming. But you should ring your insurers once your vet has done an initial assessment to give them a heads up (if your vet decides that further investigation is warranted). And before you agree on any treatment plan.

 

[Red-1]

If you have called the vet because of naughty behaviour and they find an issue that is possibly causing the naughty behaviour, and this naughty behaviour started within 14 days of the start of the insurance, then I would presume that he is not covered.

It is possible to get a yay or a nay to a claim before running up the bill in a non urgent case. It takes a few weeks. I did it for a scan and was told nay. As it happened the treatment would be the same whatever the diagnosis (steroid injection, rest and then controlled return to work) but the scan would have given an indication as to the likely success and may have meant a quicker return to work. The insurance initially said it would cover the cost, but I wanted that in writing (being as I was unsure that it was worth the expense if not). It took a few weeks, there was a technical term for it. It was negative so I am glad I looked into it fully.

 

[Gemz66]

Insurers have a price that they will insure up to without a pre purchase vetting.

Yes if he was over a certain amount they required vetting and xrays but he was under that threshold

 

[Gemz66]

If you have called the vet because of naughty behaviour and they find an issue that is possibly causing the naughty behaviour, and this naughty behaviour started within 14 days of the start of the insurance, then I would presume that he is not covered.

It is possible to get a yay or a nay to a claim before running up the bill in a non urgent case. It takes a few weeks. I did it for a scan and was told nay. As it happened the treatment would be the same whatever the diagnosis (steroid injection, rest and then controlled return to work) but the scan would have given an indication as to the likely success and may have meant a quicker return to work. The insurance initially said it would cover the cost, but I wanted that in writing (being as I was unsure that it was worth the expense if not). It took a few weeks, there was a technical term for it. It was negative so I am glad I looked into it fully.

I haven’t called the vet yet, I had a private physio come out to access him ‘off the record’ and the policy was taken out last year so hoping as the 14 days have been and gone and he has never had any history of this we might be ok, I am still with the vet he was under before and apart from annual jabs thats all he’s ever had/needed from them in the 6 years he’s been under them so fingers crossed, the physio did advise to call the insurers first to ask so will get onto it tomorrow

 

[FestiveFuzz]

TBH I would be wary of any physio treating or assessing a horse "off the record" as by law they can't treat the horse without the permission of a vet. If there were any issues as a result of their unauthorised treatment you could find you invalidate your insurance too so it really is worth making sure a call has gone into the vets before any other treatment takes place.

In terms of pre-existing conditions it really will depend on what the vet finds, as if it's something that can be proven to be long-standing or pre-existing I would expect the insurers to exclude it unfortunately.

 

[Theocat]

Policy says

No cover for illness/disease showing clinical signs within 14 days of policy inception.

Am I right to presume as he has not had any tests or investigations with a vet for this, today the physio who came (as a private job not via a vet) was the first clinical signs or would that be when a vet confirms it? Either way I’m out of that time frame which is a positive

...
his behaviour gradually getting worse lately

Your insurance company won't count from the day the vet or physio attended, they will count from the date you first noticed there was a problem (and yes, they will ask you to give a date and agree it with them - if you say it was "mid-December", for example, they might suggest the 15th, and they will try to push it as early as possible). Your twelve months starts from then, not from when you call the vet or get a diagnosis.

If you first noticed problems in the 14 days, they won't cover you.

If you noticed problems before you took out insurance, it counts as pre-existing and they won't cover you.

When exactly did you first notice an issue?

 

[hopscotch bandit]

I’m so gutted, the vet came out to do his jabs in October a month before I paid for him and he said he seemed in good health so I didn’t bother getting him fully vetted prior to purchase, I wish I’d known this physio beforehand I would have got her out, the saddler did say she was extremely good and could pick up things Vet’s didn’t which is why I went for her first before a vet check with all this going on but still kicking myself!!

Sorry to state the obvious but you should always have a horse vetted as the vet would probably have realised the horse had KS and your insurance could now come back to you to say their assessor feel it is a pre existing condition which they may not pay out on.

At least you are trying to do your best by this horse. Selling him isn't an easy solution. If you sell the horse your conscience will undoubtedly make you disclose that it has KS if you find out it does and its likely people would run a mile. If I were you I would see what x-rays reveal and have a full and frank discussion with the vet to see what the future holds for this chap, costs, etc and whether he feels the insurance will pay out. If he feels you have a chance then ring them and say the vet says the horse has KS and go from there. There is no point putting you or your daughter at risk and maybe in this situation it sounds like no one is a winner. I suspect the reason he was in a field for a year was that the previous owner found out he has possible KS or he played up for her and she used arthritis as an excuse. His history would suggest that he has been in pain for a long while and although this pain might have reduced somewhat during the year out in the field it is obviously rearing its ugly head now. I feel sorry for you and I also feel sorry for this horse, having niggling back pain, whether acute or chronic must be awful for the poor lad, I know what its like for me and I sympathise.

I am so sorry you are in this predicament.

 

[Summit]

I agree that you should see what vet and xrays say, there could be a chance that the physio is incorrect with her diagnosis