OCD, Insurance and veterinary fees

[kitty89]

Hi everyone, I'm in a little trouble. I have a 3 yr old tb who is showing signs of a stifle problem which likely to be OCD or a bone cyst. My vet wants to send him in to a equine hospital for further diagnostic tests. I only picked up on his problems when he came in for backing this summer, no real lameness just very tight muscles in his back and hindquarters and swelling around the stifle joint. He was positive on a flexion test on that leg. OCD seems quite likely as he is a huge tb and had a very rapid growth spurt last year even though he is just out on pasture.

My insurers have told me as he was in the wrong activity group because I have started groundwork with him I can not claim for vets fees. My question is... If it does turn out to be growth problem and not related to any work on the ground i have done with him this summer, then should I still be able to claim for vets fees? OCD doesn't exactly happen overnight (and quite costly to treat).

It's a long shot I know but any experiences or knowledge will be greatly received!

 

[be positive]

It is not whether the problem is or is not related to the horse starting work that they are using as a get out clause but that he is not covered by insurance due to being in work when he was only insured, I guess, as a horse turned out doing nothing, it could apply if he had any injury or illness if you fail to upgrade the insurance and they found out he was actually in some form of work..
This is often overlooked with working horses, if for example you are covered to hack, show jump and xc not for hunting but you decide to do a day anyway and either hope for the best or have just overlooked the insurance not covering you, then 6 weeks later the horse goes lame, even if totally unrelated to the day hunting, if they find out you have been hunting the insurance may be void, it is a bit discretionary I suspect with a horse such as yours which is only being backed, it is in the small print it is just that the implications are not really clear until you get caught out by it.