What is Horse Insurance?

Horse insurance is an insurance product offering protection from liability for horse-related matters, ranging from damage caused by an escaped horse to deaths that occur while shipping or transferring horses. This type of coverage may be offered by a specialty company or an insurance firm that offers general animal and farm insurance. It can be helpful to go through a broker to get competing rates on different kinds of horse insurance policies.

Some horse insurance focuses on coverage for the horse itself. This includes infertility insurance, health insurance, and insurance to cover injuries or deaths on the farm, during competition, and in other environments. In addition, liability insurance can address issues like damages a horse can cause, ranging from bites to structural damage. This horse insurance can be especially important for valuable horses, as well as people like property owners who are at risk of being sued for very high damages if their personal horses hurt people or cause property damage.

Other horse insurance may cover riding instructors, offering liability protection in the event of suits and other problems. Riders can buy insurance coverage for themselves to pay for injuries and accidents associated with equestrian activities. Farms, stables, pony clubs, race tracks, and competition venues also buy horse insurance to cover liability issues that may arise as a result of having horses on the premises. These include personal liability as a result of injuries, as well as liability issues like paying for care for a horse injured on site.

It may be necessary to purchase a horse insurance rider or a separate policy to get full coverage for an equestrian facility, or to go through a company specializing in comprehensive coverage. An insurance representative can provide a detailed breakdown of the kind of coverage available, and the circumstances various policies will address. People concerned about specific issues should make sure to bring them up so the insurance representative can make the best policy recommendations possible.

People who transport or work with horses need insurance even if they don't own the horses. Shipping companies are liable for injuries and deaths incurred during transport and these may potentially be very expensive if high value animals like stud stallions are involved. Buying horse insurance can protect these companies from expensive lawsuits and will reassure customers looking at shipping options. People are more likely to work with a shipper that carries full liability insurance.