Covering Your Assets
How equine insurance works and whether it’s right for you By Natalie Voss
iStockphoto/numbeos
I
t’s 1 a.m. You’re at the local vet clinic while your horse is being prepped for colic surgery. It isn’t until you read some of the intake paperwork and estimated costs (yikes) that it occurs to you—do they make medical insurance for horses? This isn’t the time to begin wishing you’d looked into it.
Where to Begin? As it turns out, there is medical insurance, and a wide variety of other types of insurance, for horse people and their animals. Websites promote everything from loss-of-use to theft protection to liability insurance, and it can be difficult to know where to start shopping for insurance—especially if you’re also in the process of horse shopping. Experts agree that the most important thing to look for is an agent who is willing to give you the one-on-one attention you deserve. “Your agent should be more than willing to answer every question you ask,” said equine insurance agent Jim Lane of Whitesboro, Texas. “I tell my clients there’s no such thing as a stupid question, and if the agent is not willing to answer your questions, find another agent.” Lane also recommends looking beyond the insurance rates, since most companies charge about the same amount for their coverage but some agents may offer different terms or add-ons that make signing with them a better deal. American Quarter Horse trainer Bennie Sargent, who owns and operates Highpoint Equestrian
46 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • MARCH/APRIL 2016