# BHS gold membership insurance question



## BlueSocks (26 January 2015)

Hi all

I am thinking of changing insurance for my 3, as it's just so expensive to cover three for vets bills etc. I plan to put money away each month for vets bills rather than have it on my insurance. My question is, if I take out BHS gold membership, does the public liability and personal accident cover all 3 of my horses? ie if any one of them caused harm to someone else or their property while out riding or if they escaped from the field for instance, would the BHS gold cover it? I'm a bit confused!! How does everyone else arrange their insurance? Thanks x


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## OWLIE185 (26 January 2015)

I believe that the BHS Third Party Public Liability insurance covers to the recommended amount of £10,000,000 Ten Million Pounds.  (Many do not provide cover to this level which a recent court case demonstrated was the amount that one should insure to).
I would suggest that you contact the BHS directly to find out how the insurance cover operates if you have 3 horses.


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## AmieeT (26 January 2015)

I thought Gold covers you for any horse that you ride. 

Ax


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## Exploding Chestnuts (26 January 2015)

As far as I am aware third party insurance is to cover you from incidents which you or your horses [or horses you handle] are involved in, obviously it does not cover death or vet fees, it is not the same type of policy. BHS is third party plus free legal advice [ which is very difficult to access].
Other horse policies might have third party as an add-on, but are primarily for death / illness etc  OF THE HORSE.
Paying for three horse vet insurance type policies will probably be rather expensive, so most people would keep a sum of money aside and not pay annual premiums for three  "run of the mill" horses. If you have one which is worth megabucks, that is a different scenario.


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## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (26 January 2015)

Mmmm, am following this one with great interest, as am in same position as OP.

Betcha you're insured with NFU OP??? 

Am I right??

I've got both horses plus the farm/yard covered with them; and by god its costing me a fortune - saw my accountant last week and he blew through his teeth at just how much I was paying out.......... says there are company's which cover far more risk and which charge less, so I'm looking around at the moment.


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## BlueSocks (26 January 2015)

Yes NFU! Been with them for yonks but they are getting sooooo expensive, particularly for my older lad!
So it sounds like with the BHS Gold memebership, I would have Public Liability and Personal Accident, plus legal advice for all 3 horses covered by one membership.
Think I need to do some sums. Does anyone have recommendations for decent veteran cover? So difficult when they get older but are still active and healthy to work out what is best insurance wise.
Thanks so far all x


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## BlueSocks (26 January 2015)

Just taken this off SEIB insurance page - what do you make of this? (considering that they are the suppliers of the BHS gold cover)

"If you do not have horse insurance then Public Liability insurance for your horse can still be obtained and there are many options out there. For example the BHS Gold Membership includes Public Liability cover provided by SEIB for your horse up to £10,000,000 per incident however this cover is a &#8216;last resort&#8217; policy and therefore will only take effect if there is no other Public Liability policies available that cover the horse. Terms & Conditions do apply so do please check with SEIB or The BHS."


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## Princess Rosie (26 January 2015)

I have three and was told it would cover all my horses.


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## Exploding Chestnuts (26 January 2015)

BlueSocks said:



			Just taken this off SEIB insurance page - what do you make of this? (considering that they are the suppliers of the BHS gold cover)

"If you do not have horse insurance then Public Liability insurance for your horse can still be obtained and there are many options out there. For example the BHS Gold Membership includes Public Liability cover provided by SEIB for your horse up to £10,000,000 per incident however this cover is a &#8216;last resort&#8217; policy and therefore will only take effect if there is no other Public Liability policies available that cover the horse. Terms & Conditions do apply so do please check with SEIB or The BHS."
		
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What the "insurer of last resort" means that if you are covered in another way, then the other insurer will be the  "first resort", [ most house insurances give third party insurance for example, within certain limits]. It is not a  "get out clause" it is perfectly normal insurance speak.
Car third party insurance may apply if your car is involved.
I am not sure that everyone appreciates the several types of insurance we are likely to require/need at some stage in our lives.
Personal accident can insure things like loss of limb , but not illness. I am not sure the if the BHS covers personal accident.
Permanent health insurance [in case of illness] can be expensive, it would not be part of the BHS scheme.


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## Princess Rosie (26 January 2015)

Just had a look at the cover and BHS gold covers personal accident up to £10,000. x


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## Exploding Chestnuts (26 January 2015)

Princess Rosie said:



			Just had a look at the cover and BHS gold covers personal accident up to £10,000. x
		
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Which is not a lot if you were to lose two limbs!


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## BlueSocks (26 January 2015)

I thought that too Bonkers but it seems to be the norm on the various websites I've looked at so far. Thanks for everyone's input so far. Insurance seems to be becoming a such a massive cost for horse owners / riders so any advice / ideas are very welcome. Makes it worse when your renewal is in Jan along with car insurance too!!
The "last resort" quote concerned me but if it simply means if you haven't got PL and PA on your existing insurance then that's when it would apply, then it doesn't seem to be a problem.


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## Goldenstar (26 January 2015)

The personal accident cover from the BHS is very very limited , for example my life changing leg break was not covered .


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## popsdosh (26 January 2015)

Bonkers2 said:



			Which is not a lot if you were to lose two limbs!
		
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More than if you have no cover at all!! 
You cannot get the same cover for less anywhere I know of! At least with this cover you have not got the same little issues as you have using for example the cover on the back of BE or BD where I believe the first £1K of any claim is not covered and they also are insurers of last resort. Those worrying about the personal accident side you really need to put your own policy in place but dont knock the BHS for not giving more cover as it is very expensive when you take part in a high risk sport.


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## BlueSocks (26 January 2015)

Goldenstar said:



			The personal accident cover from the BHS is very very limited , for example my life changing leg break was not covered .
		
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Sorry to hear that Goldenstar. If you don't mind me asking, why was this?


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## Exploding Chestnuts (26 January 2015)

Goldenstar said:



			The personal accident cover from the BHS is very very limited , for example my life changing leg break was not covered .
		
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That is it, the BHS membership is primarily for membership, the Gold part gives us an extra benefit, an insurance policy, but it is limited.


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## Honey08 (26 January 2015)

You insure with the BHS gold membership for third party cover, if you want personal accident insurance it's not the best policy and another one would be best for you.

My BHS insurance covers all my horses and anyone who rides my horses unpaid, they said, therefore a sharer etc.  I think it also covers me on other horses (unpaid) too.


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## Exploding Chestnuts (26 January 2015)

popsdosh said:



			More than if you have no cover at all!! 
You cannot get the same cover for less anywhere I know of! At least with this cover you have not got the same little issues as you have using for example the cover on the back of BE or BD where I believe the first £1K of any claim is not covered and they also are insurers of last resort.
		
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Yes, but what you have to accept at some stage is that you get what you pay for, there are not a lot of horse specific insurance policies, and you may find that many are SEIB, who probably have insurance backed by Lloyds or some such.


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## popsdosh (26 January 2015)

Bonkers2 said:



			Yes but what you have to accept at some stage is that you get what you pay for, there are not a lot of horse specific insurance policies, and you may find that many are SEIB, who probably have insurance backed by Lloyds or some such.
		
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If you take the personal acc cover out it is still probably the most comprehensive liability cover you will get at a very reasonable cost.


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## BHS_official (26 January 2015)

If any horse you own caused damage you were liable for - whether it was out riding, the horse escaped its field, etc. - you'd be covered as a BHS Gold member. This applies to any horse you own, look after or ride (terms and conditions apply; see our website for full details).

The public liability insurance provided as a BHS Gold membership benefit now also extends to £20 million, not £10 million.

Gold membership also includes personal accident insurance in case you're seriously hurt or involved in a fatal accident. If anyone is concerned they need a higher level of cover, e.g. for loss of earnings following a broken limb, we'd recommend looking at a specialist rider insurance policy from a reputable insurer.

Both types of insurance on our Gold membership are provided by South Essex Insurance Brokers (SEIB), so you can be confident it's from a market leader.

Gold membership also includes 24/7 access to a free expert legal, VAT and tax helpline - and it's there for any issue you need advice on, not just equestrian matters.

Full details on both the public liability and personal accident insurances, plus other benefits of joining our charity, are available at https://www.bhs.org.uk/membership/types-of-memberships/gold-membership.

Our Membership team are always happen to chat through specific issues if needed, too - just give them a call on 02476 840506.


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## Honey08 (26 January 2015)

It never fails to make me smile how these BHS officials appear like Mr Ben's shop assistant at the mention of anything BHS.  (If anyone is old enough to remember Mr Ben, if not swop for "like magic").


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## Exploding Chestnuts (26 January 2015)

Honey08 said:



			It never fails to make me smile how these BHS officials appear like Mr Ben's shop assistant at the mention of anything BHS.  (If anyone is old enough to remember Mr Ben, if not swop for "like magic").
		
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Is Mr Ben the old guy with a shop, and Bagpuss in the window, nowadays that would probably  _not_ be P.C.


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## Beausmate (26 January 2015)

I have claimed through the BHS/SEIB insurance for a third party incident.  I wasn't impressed.




(Mr Ben is the chap in the bowler hat who visits the fancy dress shop, passes out in the changing room and has a little adventure. )


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## Ellen Durow (26 January 2015)

Yes, it does. I did this some years ago on the NFU rep's advice when I had two horses. I checked with BHS and they told me that one membership covered public liability for any horses I owned as long as they were my own recreational horses and not used for profit/business.

To be on the safe side ring up BHS and ask them.


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## Ellen Durow (26 January 2015)

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:



			Mmmm, am following this one with great interest, as am in same position as OP.

Betcha you're insured with NFU OP??? 

Am I right??

I've got both horses plus the farm/yard covered with them; and by god its costing me a fortune - saw my accountant last week and he blew through his teeth at just how much I was paying out.......... says there are company's which cover far more risk and which charge less, so I'm looking around at the moment.
		
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And your accountant is a horse insurance expert? Yes, there are cheaper companies but be very, very careful. NFU may be expensive but I have never had any complaints regarding the way my claims have been handled. 

There are several cheaper companies but read the small print VERY carefully and make sure the cover is adequate. Check with your vet that they will deal direct with the insurance company, only taking the excess from you. Vets are not stupid and know which insurance companies are bad payers! It's no use regretting your actions when your horse has to be put down because you can't afford necessary treatment.

AND DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT E&L UNDER ANY OF ITS NOMS DE GUERRES.


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## Rudders74 (26 January 2015)

Having been exposed to the unfortunate situation of having to make a claim on BHS public liability insurance after previous horse spooked and bolted through a village I now know an awful lot about the process and its not good news im afraid. In order for the person/property your horse has damaged, to be recompensed, you must be found negligent. I wasnt as my horse was tethered properly and I was a few metres away, it was an unforseeable event so the insurance wouldnt pay the chap whose car got clipped. If I had left my horse untethered in the street whilst I got drunk I would have been found negligent and the insurance would have paid out. Its weird but I suppose if you think about he scenario of two cars having an accident, one party is always at fault (negligent) in some way, which determines whose insurance pays out. The large majority of events I can think of where horses may cause damage wont involve negligence in a lot of cases ie you fall off and it bolts causing an RTA or escape out of a seemingly secure paddock etc. I built up a large file of information and evidence of past case history etc with help from an industy expert, not because my claim was large, it was relatively minor really, I just couldnt take it in that what we all think is there to protect us really isnt. It all left me feeling rather exposed....


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## Exploding Chestnuts (26 January 2015)

Rudders74 said:



			Having been exposed to the unfortunate situation of having to make a claim on BHS public liability insurance after previous horse spooked and bolted through a village I now know an awful lot about the process and its not good news im afraid. In order for the person/property your horse has damaged, to be recompensed, you must be found negligent. I wasnt as my horse was tethered properly and I was a few metres away, it was an unforseeable event so the insurance wouldnt pay the chap whose car got clipped. If I had left my horse untethered in the street whilst I got drunk I would have been found negligent and the insurance would have paid out. Its weird but I suppose if you think about he scenario of two cars having an accident, one party is always at fault (negligent) in some way, which determines whose insurance pays out. The large majority of events I can think of where horses may cause damage wont involve negligence in a lot of cases ie you fall off and it bolts causing an RTA or escape out of a seemingly secure paddock etc. I built up a large file of information and evidence of past case history etc with help from an industy expert, not because my claim was large, it was relatively minor really, I just couldnt take it in that what we all think is there to protect us really isnt. It all left me feeling rather exposed....
		
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I wonder if the BHS will respond to this, this is the type of incident which one might expect to be covered for, and I think they probably have a lot of members who join just for this reason, I know I did.


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## Rudders74 (26 January 2015)

Bonkers2 said:



			I wonder if the BHS will respond to this, this is the type of incident which one might expect to be covered for, and I think they probably have a lot of members who join just for this reason, I know I did.
		
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Im not sure they can really as its not specific to BHS policy/insurers, apparently negligence forms the basis of all public liability claims, so the same could happen with another insurer. To make matters worse it can also come down to the individual claim handlers interpretation of negligence, as I found very similar cases which had gone both ways ie some paid, some didnt. Its a lottery!


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## popsdosh (26 January 2015)

No third party liability insurance will cover that damage they will only pay out if you are found negligent.


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## Exploding Chestnuts (26 January 2015)

popsdosh said:



			No third party liability insurance will cover that damage they will only pay out if you are found negligent.
		
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Hypothetically could one not claim that anyone riding a horse and not being able to stay on board was negligent in taking it out on a public road where it might get spooked?


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## Pearlsasinger (26 January 2015)

Rudders74 said:



			Having been exposed to the unfortunate situation of having to make a claim on BHS public liability insurance after previous horse spooked and bolted through a village I now know an awful lot about the process and its not good news im afraid. In order for the person/property your horse has damaged, to be recompensed, you must be found negligent. I wasnt as my horse was tethered properly and I was a few metres away, it was an unforseeable event so the insurance wouldnt pay the chap whose car got clipped. If I had left my horse untethered in the street whilst I got drunk I would have been found negligent and the insurance would have paid out. Its weird but I suppose if you think about he scenario of two cars having an accident, one party is always at fault (negligent) in some way, which determines whose insurance pays out. The large majority of events I can think of where horses may cause damage wont involve negligence in a lot of cases ie you fall off and it bolts causing an RTA or escape out of a seemingly secure paddock etc. I built up a large file of information and evidence of past case history etc with help from an industy expert, not because my claim was large, it was relatively minor really, I just couldnt take it in that what we all think is there to protect us really isnt. It all left me feeling rather exposed....
		
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But if you were not at fault, or negligent, no insurance company would have paid the car owner, because if he had taken you to court, the court would not have found in his favour.  You were not exposed.


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## Rudders74 (26 January 2015)

Pearlsasinger said:



			But if you were not at fault, or negligent, no insurance company would have paid the car owner, because if he had taken you to court, the court would not have found in his favour.  You were not exposed.
		
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I agree, but I felt bad as I like many people thought my insurance would put this right for him, as he was an innocent party in the wrong place at the wrong time. I think there's just a lot of misconception by many people (including me prevously!) about public liability insurance covering them in these unforunate situations.


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## charlie76 (26 January 2015)

They paid out when my young horse kicked a brand new merc with some one else him, no questions asked. Was very very pleased with the service.


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## Rudders74 (26 January 2015)

charlie76 said:



			They paid out when my young horse kicked a brand new merc with some one else him, no questions asked. Was very very pleased with the service.
		
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Like I said, its a lottery! . Your horse has got good taste picking a Merc!


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## Princess Rosie (27 January 2015)

Honey08 said:



			It never fails to make me smile how these BHS officials appear like Mr Ben's shop assistant at the mention of anything BHS.  (If anyone is old enough to remember Mr Ben, if not swop for "like magic").
		
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Very funny indeed, Mr Ben was a firm favourite for me. x


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## Slightlyconfused (27 January 2015)

I get so scared when.people say they stop the insurance for vets fees and just put money away each month.
If I did that for my five I still wouldn't be able to have afforded the tbs two claims in a year, one for his ulcers £4000 and one for his leg injury £4000 plus £2000 on a credit card.


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## MissChaos (27 January 2015)

Deleted


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## BlueSocks (27 January 2015)

Hi all - this is an interesting thread. Regarding the issue with public liability insurance, I would assume that the same factors would apply whether through BHS gold or through a packaged policy with an insurance provider, ie if you aren't found to have been at fault then there would be no payout to anyone involved anyway. Although I know what you mean, I suppose we assume that often with horse related accidents we as the owner / rider would usually be found negligent but it looks like that isn't necessarily the case.
I think I am going to go through my insurance first with NFU and see where I can rehash to get a better quote, including removing the public liability / personal accident (around £80 per policy), and taking out the BHS Gold to cover this for all three instead. I'm going to also get some quotes from different companies and see what the difference is and take it from there.
I still like the idea of putting money away rather than paying top whack for vets fees, but I must admit I am a bit worried about this as it will take quite a while to build up an equivalent amount to what you can claim off the insurance.


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## ljohnsonsj (27 January 2015)

I put money away each month, i also own 3. 2 jump to a decent level and the other is only rising 4, but will hopefully be my main horse in the future. For the horror stories i read about insurance companies not paying out (which does seem more often than not, or maybe people just don't report the 'good') i personally have paid insurance for years and never used it. Purchasing my 3rd horse was the deal breaker for me for me to start putting money away. As cruel as it does sound, if their was a high chance the horse wouldn't come right even after surgery, i would choose to PTS anyway. As mean as it sounds, i couldn't afford something that wasn't doing it's 'job' for me, and they're more than enough not-right horses that get sold on and passed around it just wouldn't benefit me to attempt to bring them right.


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## milliepops (27 January 2015)

ljohnsonsj said:



			I put money away each month, i also own 3. 2 jump to a decent level and the other is only rising 4, but will hopefully be my main horse in the future. For the horror stories i read about insurance companies not paying out (which does seem more often than not, or maybe people just don't report the 'good') i personally have paid insurance for years and never used it. Purchasing my 3rd horse was the deal breaker for me for me to start putting money away. As cruel as it does sound, if their was a high chance the horse wouldn't come right even after surgery, i would choose to PTS anyway. As mean as it sounds, i couldn't afford something that wasn't doing it's 'job' for me, and they're more than enough not-right horses that get sold on and passed around it just wouldn't benefit me to attempt to bring them right.
		
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It depends on what sits right with you, in your gut doesn't it. My old mare is insured and I've had more back from insurance in the last 18 months than I've spent out. TBH I'd rather not have needed it  but I'd never have been able to save enough cash to have the peace of mind that she is covered.  
But she's a pet as much as a riding horse, and she will stay with me forever.
My other horse came as a project and I have much the same feeling about her as you have described above.  If something terrible happened to her I would have no option but pts.

But the public liability is another topic. I have to have cover for that as my old mare is from HAPPA and it's specified in the loan agreement.  

(FWIW, I am pleased the BHS bods pop up on these topics... I'm not a member so would not phone the office to ask these questions, so it is nice to have the answers served up on HHO instead )


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## Alchemy (27 January 2015)

Following with interest after NFU hiked my policy up to £85/month and are about to loose a customer who has been with them 11 years!


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## ljohnsonsj (27 January 2015)

milliepops said:



			It depends on what sits right with you, in your gut doesn't it. My old mare is insured and I've had more back from insurance in the last 18 months than I've spent out. TBH I'd rather not have needed it  but I'd never have been able to save enough cash to have the peace of mind that she is covered.  
But she's a pet as much as a riding horse, and she will stay with me forever.
My other horse came as a project and I have much the same feeling about her as you have described above.  If something terrible happened to her I would have no option but pts.

But the public liability is another topic. I have to have cover for that as my old mare is from HAPPA and it's specified in the loan agreement.  

(FWIW, I am pleased the BHS bods pop up on these topics... I'm not a member so would not phone the office to ask these questions, so it is nice to have the answers served up on HHO instead )
		
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Oh yes definatley! The situation i explained is just what i would do- not what i expect everyone should do! Also i must add, the scenerio i explained is what i should do, thinking with my head. But i'm sure if something was to happen i would very much struggle to separate my head from my heart  I do have Public liabilty, cover of death,theft and straying and BHS gold membership, although i never actually knew what it all covered until i've read this thread.


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## Slightlyconfused (27 January 2015)

Alchemy said:



			Following with interest after NFU hiked my policy up to £85/month and are about to loose a customer who has been with them 11 years!
		
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Blooming heck! I'm with Scottish equestrian and mine are £28 per month for full works, vets up to £4000, excess £150 (one off) and have always paid out even when the Tb had two claims right after another and the tank had twp going for to different problems. 
I've just got a loss of horse settlement off them as well no problem.


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## Firefly9410 (27 January 2015)

Bonkers2 said:



			Hypothetically could one not claim that anyone riding a horse and not being able to stay on board was negligent in taking it out on a public road where it might get spooked?
		
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No and I for one am thankful. That would mean horse owners essentially being persecuted for owning or riding a horse. We would all end up paying horrendous costs for insurance if it had to cover us for not being negligent, or if the act of being in charge of a horse was to be considered negligence. Nobody however good a rider or handler can ever claim to have total control over an animal which is stronger than them and with its own brain. 

My horse who I have owned for years spooked, at an everyday item he had seen hundreds of times before with no fear. By spooked I mean he stopped suddenly, transferred most weight to his hind end and went to spin to face the other way. Part way round the spin his hind legs gave way because he slipped on a smooth patch of tarmac. He fell. As a good rider I stayed on, but when he rolled over and got back up I was left injured on the floor and he was loose. Had he damaged someone elses property as he ran home without me I would not have been happy to have been considered negligent for riding him. 

People need to lose the attitude that they deserve to be compensated for accidental damage and instead insure their own goods, or themselves, against accidental damage if they want to.


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## Annagain (27 January 2015)

BlueSocks said:



			Hi all - this is an interesting thread. Regarding the issue with public liability insurance, I would assume that the same factors would apply whether through BHS gold or through a packaged policy with an insurance provider, ie if you aren't found to have been at fault then there would be no payout to anyone involved anyway. Although I know what you mean, I suppose we assume that often with horse related accidents we as the owner / rider would usually be found negligent but it looks like that isn't necessarily the case.
I think I am going to go through my insurance first with NFU and see where I can rehash to get a better quote, including removing the public liability / personal accident (around £80 per policy), and taking out the BHS Gold to cover this for all three instead. I'm going to also get some quotes from different companies and see what the difference is and take it from there.
I still like the idea of putting money away rather than paying top whack for vets fees, but I must admit I am a bit worried about this as it will take quite a while to build up an equivalent amount to what you can claim off the insurance.
		
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I've done this with my two ageing boys (well one's a share horse, but I paid insurance for him as his owner - my best friend - wasn't a fan but I would hate to have had an accident with him or have him injured as a result of me riding him and not to be able to help put things right and for that to come between us.) Once they hit 17 cover was for accicents only so now, instead of paying insurance I put the amount I paid in insurance into a savings avount every month. After 2 years we're already up to nearly £3k. (There was a bit in the account to start it off). If it comes to more than that it'll be something pretty serious so at their age, I doubt we'd put them through invasive treatment. 
You could do both for a year so you have a bit of a fund before stopping the insurance, or there's always credit cards which offer 0% on purchases for as much as year now!


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## Rudders74 (27 January 2015)

People need to lose the attitude that they deserve to be compensated for accidental damage and instead insure their own goods, or themselves, against accidental damage if they want to.[/QUOTE]

This is the interesting bit and quite correct. The chap whose car my horse clipped refused to claim on his own car insurance and in light of the non negligence on my part and refusal of my insurer to therefore pay, I was advised that his own insurance is exactly the route which should have been followed and the route the courts would have supported had it gone that way.


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## Orangehorse (27 January 2015)

You are covered under the BHS Gold Member insurance, but for your horses and any damage they do to a "third party."  But anyone riding them is  not covered for personal accident, as someone found out recently.  I won't go into details, but the rider was injured enough to be off work.  So a sharer will need their own insurance.

However, the negilgent thing applies to everyone.  I knew of an incident where a girl was driving along a lane and a cow jumped out over the hedge and landed on her car and wrote off the car and injured the driver, but the farmer was not liable as it wasn't his fault.  Whether that still applies under the "strict liability" rules I wouldn't know.


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## Blurr (27 January 2015)

Bonkers2 said:



			Is Mr Ben the old guy with a shop, and Bagpuss in the window, nowadays that would probably  _not_ be P.C.
		
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Bagpuss had his own TV show.  He was an old fat furry catpuss He had some mice and a woodpecker for company, amongst others.

Mr Benn lived at 52 Festive Road and liked to visit the fancy dress shop.  It was the shop keeper who would appear, as if by magic, at the end of Mr Benn's adventures.  My favourite was the cave man episode with the dinosaur rush hour


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## Shazzababs (27 January 2015)

I'm a BHS Gold member and my horses are insured with Pet Plan.  Pet Plan removed all of the things from my policy which were covered (to a decent level) by my BHS one.  Brought the cost down considerably.

The only issue I have had is that my son is only 4 1/2 and the only way to get him personal accident cover (more in case I have to take time off work to look after him) was to join the Pony Club (which we will do if he gets keen, but it was a bit expensive for pottering around on our temporary loan pony for the winter) or take out a stand alone policy.  None of the equestrian insurers are prepared to cover under 6's either riding or handling ponies.  I went for the stand alone policy as it covers him for any accident e.g. falling off his bike, or breaking his arm in PE at school, it wasn't expensive, but was a pain to take out yet another policy.


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## mjcssjw2 (27 January 2015)

Slightyly confused, my boy used to be insured - then he had some claims (2 biggies and one around 1000 pund mark but of course he gained exclusions and the price hiked up and he became a veteran.
You also have a excess that you have to pay wether you like it or not.
I cancelled my insurance and put the money into a savings account. Only £50 per month - as he wasn't insured for permenant loss of use and only for £1000. judging by what others are saying it should be considerably more than £50 per month.
He has has some vet visits, but I just paid for them - nothing hideously expensive £200 maximum, he has a nice lump in his account now - and has even lent me some on occassion - I do pay him back, but he has saved me from paying interest on car insurance etc. If he had something terrible happen I would not try any heroics, but he does not go short on any vet treatments and it leave me in full control of his veterinary care. If desperate I would use my credit card and then transfer to a 0% deal when it came up.
I do also have BHS gold insurance, probably also have some cover with the riding club I am a member of.


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## Blurr (27 January 2015)

I used to insure my horses but, having not had any claims for about 8 years decided to 'save' the money instead and did so for a couple of years. I can't remember why but about three years ago I decided I'd rather insure them, I think a friend had a large vet bill and that made me think.  In 2013 one of my horses incurred vets fees of c. £9,000, for two different incidents.   He has, I think, had his money's worth out of his insurance policy.  He's still insured (with exclusions) and having faced those bills (believing I'd have to pay the colic one when making a life or death decision) I'd never not insure again.  

I'm a BHS Gold Member for the third party insurance to save a bit on the individual policies and fortunately I've never paid much for a horse and never upgrade their value as I'm not bothered about loss of use or replacement costs so that helps to keep the costs down and they're all insured for the least I possibly can.  Having said that, the one I bought for £1 had to have a minimum value of a few hundred I think, which was a bit weird.


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