Re: Fw: Equine Insurance

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

> >>I'm considering getting mortality insurance on my new horse. I
experienced
> >>loosing a wonderful horse to a bizarre accident this past winter. Any
> >>recommendations for insurance companies? Does anyone on ridecamp have
> >>personal experience with collecting on a policy? Can I insure my horse
for
> >>what I feel is it's value?


I lost an insured horse a few years ago and one thing I'll always do in the
future is ALWAYS insure the horse for at least the same price as a colic
surgery.  If you have both mortality and surgical, but the horse's value is,
say, $2500 and the surgery will cost $7000, then the insurance company has
the right to 'cut their losses' and just pay you the $2500 and not bother
trying to save the horse, never mind what the emotional value is to you.  If
you refuse, that's fine, but now the hospital bill is your responsibility,
not theirs.  I was stunned but that was the way it was.  In my case, I had
coincidentally insured the horse for about the same cost as his hospital
bills, but in talking to the adjustors, it was obvious they were going to go
the way that would cost them the least.

From what I understand, the companies usually won't question horse values up
to about $5000 or so, with a minimal amount of 'salesmanship' on your part
of what the horse has done to merit that value.

Susan G