BLOODSTOCK INSURANCE

Our bloodstock insurance includes cover for Western Europe, including transit. If your horse is going further afield, such as the United States of America or Dubai then you will need to get an extension to the policy in order to cover the horse while they are away. To do this you will need to contact KBIS prior to the horse’s departure, ideally at least a week before, although cover can usually be arranged with up to 48 hour’s notice. There will be an additional premium to pay that will be largely dependent on the length of stay.

Our bloodstock insurance is a 12-month policy, but it is possible to cancel the insurance policy on a short rate basis, the full details of which are outlined in the policy terms and conditions. As an example, if you choose to cancel your policy after 4 months of cover you will only receive a return premium equivalent to 50% of the full annual premium, assuming that you paid for your policy in full. Policies that have been taken out to cover a specific risk are non-refundable after the event. In addition, if any claim has been settled on the policy, then there would be no return in premium.

Under the policy, you can claim up to a maximum of £4,000 (but not exceeding the sum insured of the horse) for any surgical procedures performed as a result of gastro-intestinal disorders. It will also cover any after-care costs whilst the horse has to stay at the veterinary centre where the surgery was carried out. It is important to note that any payment made under this section will subsequently be deducted from any mortality claim paid at a later date, whether or not the mortality is related to the gastro-intestinal surgery.

It is normal practice to consider not only the stud fee but also the breeding lines of the mare in order to come up with a realistic ‘estimated value of the foal.’ It is this figure that you would normally choose to insure against. The cost of prospective foal insurance directly relates to the sum insured, as such, the policy may be expensive for valuable foals. However, the cover provided is invaluable as the foal is covered from the first scan, right through to the point they are 30 days old. Most insurers will not provide cover for a foal once born until it is 24 hours old. In addition, the cover is likely to be limited to Accidental External Injuries only for a number of days, meaning that the policyholder must bear some risk in the early days of the foal’s life.

Having to have a horse put to sleep is always a distressing time, however, due to the varying circumstances which can arise and lead to such a situation it is difficult to state a definitive answer. We do however have guidelines, which if followed should help to avoid further distress. As a guide the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) considers a horse to satisfy a claim under mortality insurance in the following circumstances:

“That the insured horse sustains an injury or manifests an illness or disease that is so severe as to warrant immediate destruction to relieve incurable and excessive pain and that no other options of treatment are available to that horse at that time. Where a horse is exhibiting signs of severe and unremitting pain that can no longer be managed so that no other options are available for treatment, then it is the veterinary surgeon’s responsibility to destroy the horse immediately.”

In all other cases, it is important that you contact KBIS for us to give our prior agreement to the horse being put to sleep. It is common practice for an insurer to appoint a consulting veterinary surgeon in such cases. A post-mortem will be required unless a prior agreement with KBIS has been otherwise made. Where we have not requested a post-mortem the attending vet will have to positively identify the horse and confirm it has been destroyed.