What you need to know about horse insurance

There are several types of horse insurance. It's important to decide which best suits your horse and your situation, says Dr Mac.

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If you’re considering taking out insurance on your horse, your first step is to establish exactly why you need insurance. In order to be insured, a horse needs a veterinary soundness certificate. Its passport must also be updated to show that it has received all its relevant vaccinations. This means an initial capital outlay for veterinary costs.

It’s a good idea to consider insurance in the following circumstances:

Pregnancy

If you have paid a lot of money for a stallion service, it may be worth insuring the mare’s pregnancy. The stallion owner’s promise of a “live foal guarantee” means that the stallion will be available for another service, at no charge, should the mare not produce a live foal. However, circumstances change and there is no guarantee that your mare or the stallion in question will be around and fertile when next year’s breeding cycle comes along.

Some insurance companies will continue insuring the foal under this policy until it is weaned.