Different types of horse and pony insurance in Australia

Anyone who has ever owned a horse, or been around horses, would surely agree on how expensive and high-maintenance they can be. After you purchase a horse, the expenses continue to add up with feed, training, shoeing/trimming and the cost to move your horse from place to place.

With all these expenses adding up, it’s important to insure your horse so you don’t add an unexpected cost on top of what you’re already paying.

Regardless of the pursuits and activities you enjoy with your horse there is some cover that, as an owner, you should never be without. Petcover will take you through the types of covers and optional benefits that you can choose that will best suit you, your horse and your situation in Australia.

Mortality, Theft and Straying Plan

The base cover that Petcover offer for Equine Insurance is ‘Mortality, Theft and Straying’. This refers to the death of your horse ,or its physical disappearance, whether by theft or straying. This covers the sum insured or market value (whichever is the lesser) should the horse pass away or have to be euthanised on humane grounds, or was to be lost or stolen during the period of insurance.

Optional extras

In addition to the base covers, you can select additional benefits to create a policy to suit your needs. These optional extras include:

Vet Fee cover

One of the most common reasons to claim on horses is for veterinary fees. Veterinary treatment can be expensive and if you do not have the means to pay an unexpected bill of up to several thousand dollars for an emergency surgery for colic, or a lameness investigation etc, you may be faced with the unpalatable decision of whether or not to have your horse euthanised.

Petcover Equine offers two levels of cover for vet treatment, following an injury or illness.

• ‘Superior Cover’ pays up to $10,000 in any one claim, or in any one year with an excess of $200 per condition.
• ‘Economy Cover’ pays up to $7,000 in any one claim or in any one year with an excess of $1,000.

Permanent Loss of Use

In very basic terms this area of cover exists to protect you if your horse were to suffer an injury or illness so severe that it will never be able to participate in the activity it is insured for again. We also offer loss of use for breeding purposes if your horse was unable to be used for breeding following a injury or illness to your mare or stallion.

Petcover Equine offers two levels of Loss of Use cover – 60% or 100%

Disposal after Death

This covers up to $300 towards the cost to remove and dispose of your horse’s body if it dies or is humanely euthanised.

Saddlery and Tack cover

This cover replaces or repairs saddlery and tack that has been stolen, damaged or destroyed. The insured saddlery and tack must be kept in a locked tack box, vehicle or building.

Horse Float cover

Petcover Equine offers insurance for your horse float or horse drawn vehicle. If your float or horse drawn vehicle is destroyed, stolen or damaged the cover will repair or replace up to the sum insured or market value, whichever is the lesser.

Along with Petcover Equine base covers and the optional benefits, we offer other additional plans which include ‘Horse Liability Plan’ and ‘Veteran Plan’.

Horse Liability Plan

Horses are naturally flight animals and due to their natural instincts can act out of the ordinary and potentially cause risk to themselves and to others.

In any situation where a third party is injured or their property is damaged, they can look for financial compensation.

You could face being taken to an Australian court and having to cope with paying damages which could potentially run into thousands of dollars if you are found legally liable for the actions of your horse should they cause damage or injury.

Taking out insurance cover to protect yourself against the risk is very inexpensive. If you consider no other insurance cover, you should treat third party liability as essential.

Veteran Plan

Petcover Equine Veteran Plans are a value for money package offering essential cover for horses and ponies aged between 17-29 years. It covers up to $3,000 following the death of your horse due to injury or if it is lost, strayed or stolen, including advertising and reward. Optional vet fee cover paying up to $2,000 towards treatment for injury.