Should you have insurance on a loan horse?

[AJHORSE]

If you had a loan horse and moved to a stables/livery of your choice would you recommend getting horse insurance?

Contract with owners??

Would owners pay any costs- presume not but heard that they sometimes want to have their own insurance/ a specific one for the horse?

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Personally, as an owner, I would take responsibility for insuring the horse; when my boy went out on working livery to an equestrian college, the owner was responsible for insurance.

However, with private arrangements this doesn't always apply. When I put him on a private loan however, I still paid the insurance; to me, it complicates things if someone else insures YOUR horse!!! Also in the event of a claim, the owner should be the one that is the recipient of any monies etc, and so to me it makes sense for the owner to insure.

I insisted that the loaner took up BHS Gold insurance.

Deffo go for a contract; and (awful subject, but has to be thought of) make sure than a "euthanasia clause" is included i.e. you give permission for the horse to be PTS in your absence if in the opinion of the attending vet the animal is suffering and/or will continue to suffer and that PTS is necessary". The BHS website have some very good loan contracts which you can copy and tailor-make to what you need. However, as has been seen on this forum for many a day and oft, loan contracts are frequently not adhered to - and horses do go missing on loan unfortunately, and even if you went to the expense of having a solicitor draw a contract up, the issue of enforcement would provide its own challenges.

I would expect loaner to pay costs like feed, bedding, and shoeing, and routine vet appointments like vaccinations, worming, etc. Also to repair/replace any tack or rugs that got damaged (there would be a bit in the contract about "fair wear and tear").

Personally I wouldn't loan a horse to anyone who came "out of the blue" and who I had no knowledge of prior to offering a horse for loan. I'd be looking around local sources like Hunt, Pony Club/Riding Clubs, and would look for someone-who-knows-someone-I-know. And a home where I could pop by and look over the hedge just to know the horse is still there and alive and kicking, or a "spy in the camp" at that yard, if possible. You really can't be too careful; people come across as genuine even if they're as sharp as a weazel.

 

[Surbie]

I have a loan horse - I took out his insurance myself and it's clear on the policy that he is on loan. The owner is cited as an alternative contact on the policy. Same with the vets and farrier - just in case something happens when I am out of reach.

We have a modified form of the BHS loan contract and I have BHS membership for the insurance.

His owner agreed I could move him to a yard near me, I send her regular updates and videos and she knows she is welcome to visit - he's her horse and she's very fond of him, just can't ride him. She didn't know me from Adam before the loan started, but I found out afterwards that at least 2 people vouched for me. I spent 3 months coming to her yard so she could see how I handled & rode her horse before I moved him.

I've had a lovely 7 months with him so far and I'm planning to go to a fun ride or two together with his owner and her horse this year.

 

[HashRouge]

Someone should insure the horse, whether you or the owner. I kept up my insurance when my mare was on loan, it just seemed easier.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Best practice is for the owner to insure the horse, and for the loaner to reimburse the owner for the premiums.

 

[ycbm]

Best practice is for the owner to insure the horse, and for the loaner to reimburse the owner for the premiums.

This, unless you insist on looking at your loaner's bank statements online every month, is the only way you can be sure that a horse out on loan is actually covered.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I am a loaner. Tbh I think because of the vet issues I’ve had I’d probably not loan again.
Absolutely make sure it’s insured, I cannot say that enough.
The problem being that some of the massive bills I’ve had IF I’d owned the horse it’s treatment I’d not have put him though. If the horse is on loan ultimately you don’t get the choice. I suspect on my renewal this year my insurance co may tell me where to go 😳

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

When my horse was on loan I continued with her existing insurance but informed the insurer about the loan. I also paid the premiums but wrote into the loan agreement that the loaner paid any excess. I wrote into the agreement that the loaner had their own rider insurance. Quite simply, if there was a mortality claim after my horse had died, I wanted her insured value to come to me, not her loaners. I also wanted to ensure that she was insured, having seen a friend get badly let down by loaners who failed to insure her horse (in that case the horse died and my friend lost both horse and any money she had ‘tied up in him’).

 

[splashgirl45]

my loan horse was 18 when i got her and i asked the owner about insurance and she said she wasnt insured..the loan agreement said that i could return the horse immediately if she went lame etc and i was to use the owners vet if she had anything serious and also contact the owner immediately and could use the yard vet for routine things like vaccinations. luckily the horse was never seriously ill . i also kept the owner informed and sent pics and updates about every 3 months and the owner knew she could call in anytime to see her horse. the owner found me by word of mouth and would never have loaned to a stranger...

 

[Celtic Fringe]

My son has a loan horse, but it is kept on the yard with the owners other horses. We have always had BHS Gold membership to make sure we have third party cover. I did insure the horse when he was eventing but the premiums rose very sharply after he had surgery for an internal tumour so I didn't renew. We have always paid the vet bills (over 10 years now), although the owner did pay for one round of hock injections a year ago.

 

[AJHORSE]

Personally, as an owner, I would take responsibility for insuring the horse; when my boy went out on working livery to an equestrian college, the owner was responsible for insurance.

However, with private arrangements this doesn't always apply. When I put him on a private loan however, I still paid the insurance; to me, it complicates things if someone else insures YOUR horse!!! Also in the event of a claim, the owner should be the one that is the recipient of any monies etc, and so to me it makes sense for the owner to insure.

I insisted that the loaner took up BHS Gold insurance.

Deffo go for a contract; and (awful subject, but has to be thought of) make sure than a "euthanasia clause" is included i.e. you give permission for the horse to be PTS in your absence if in the opinion of the attending vet the animal is suffering and/or will continue to suffer and that PTS is necessary". The BHS website have some very good loan contracts which you can copy and tailor-make to what you need. However, as has been seen on this forum for many a day and oft, loan contracts are frequently not adhered to - and horses do go missing on loan unfortunately, and even if you went to the expense of having a solicitor draw a contract up, the issue of enforcement would provide its own challenges.

I would expect loaner to pay costs like feed, bedding, and shoeing, and routine vet appointments like vaccinations, worming, etc. Also to repair/replace any tack or rugs that got damaged (there would be a bit in the contract about "fair wear and tear").

Personally I wouldn't loan a horse to anyone who came "out of the blue" and who I had no knowledge of prior to offering a horse for loan. I'd be looking around local sources like Hunt, Pony Club/Riding Clubs, and would look for someone-who-knows-someone-I-know. And a home where I could pop by and look over the hedge just to know the horse is still there and alive and kicking, or a "spy in the camp" at that yard, if possible. You really can't be too careful; people come across as genuine even if they're as sharp as a weazel.

Thanks this is super helpful!

 

[cindars]

My mare is on permanent loan to me from her owner.I do insurance,injections have just her done for flu.Her owner is a friend lives 5 mins away.I treat Dolly as totally mine and owner is happy for me to do so.

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

I had a full loan & there was nothing in my contract to say I was but the owner said it was my choice. I took it out for my own sanity (due to having a cob with suicidal tenancies who's covered to the eyeballs!) & 6k worth of vet bills & bone scans later just 2 months into the loan due to a condition he came with . . . . I was soooooooo glad I did!