Horse Insurance Cover and Equine Insurance Information
Helping you find the right horse insurance
HorseCover.co.uk is a website designed to help riders find the right horse insurance for them and for their horse. Written by keen riders, it's a personal view of the horse insurance market based on our own experience and research amongst regular horse riders.
- Horse Insurance - what's covered?
- Equine insurance - where to find horse insurance
- Rider Insurance - personal cover for the rider
- Find out about veteran horse insurance and getting cover for older horses
In addition to offering advice and information about horse and rider insurance we happy that we can now also recommend pet insurance for dogs and cats at a very competitive rate.
Choosing a horse insurance provider
At The articles on this site and the product of years of experience, but
we are not financial advisers. We cannot recommend one insurance over
another - we aren't able to tell you which horse insurance policy is
best for you. What we have done is write a few words about what horse
insurance is and what it is designed to do. We highlight a few of the
pitfalls and try to provide guidance that will help in choosing the
right equine insurance for your needs.
There are people who say that insuring your horse is an unnecessary cost. It is a cost - and can be a significant one - but, as with all insurance, the correct horse insurance cover will mean that if the worst happens and you incur substantial vet bills, loss of income through injury or if you have a public liability issue, you can be sure that you will not be paying for years to come.
Cheaper Horse Insurance Premiums
DEFRA announced plans to give animal owners legal peace of mind on 27th March 2009.
Horse owners could benefit from cheaper insurance premiums under plans to clarify owners' liability announced by the Farming Minister Jane Kennedy.
The proposals, published for consultation, would amend the Animals Act 1971 (section 2(2)) to clarify owners' liability should their animals, including horses, cause damage. The law in its current form lacks clarity and means that animal keepers face the prospect of being held strictly liable for damage or injury regardless of any actions they may have taken to prevent an incident from occurring.
Ms Kennedy said "We aim to give animal owners peace of mind when giving their horses or other animals the space and the exercise they require.
"This small amendment means that, if they've taken reasonable precautions and their animal causes damage, the owner will no longer be held strictly liable.
"This is great news for all animal keepers, especially as it could even lead to lower insurance premiums – something which I know would be very welcome to many rural businesses."
Insurance premiums for many land-based and equestrian businesses rose in the period following the Mirvahedy judgment in 2003 – it is estimated that public liability premiums for commercial riding establishments rose by 79% in 2003, 39% in 2004 and 34% in 2005 resulting in the closure of many riding stables. While evidence of a direct link between the Mirvahedy judgment and the premium increases is difficult to find, the Government believes that a clarification of the law may lead to reduced premiums (although this is a matter for insurance companies).
The amendment would mean that all animal and horse owners or keepers must continue to take reasonable precautions to prevent accidents occurring, and they would remain liable for any negligence on their part, but it would introduce new and clearer criteria for the application of strict, no fault, liability in cases where the accidents could not have been predicted.
More information is available on the DEFRA website.
