If you are going to be breeding from a mare or stallion, it is worth choosing an equine insurer who fully understands breeding policies.
David Ashby of Amlin Plus Sports Horse Insurers has the following advice for those seeking specialist breeding cover:
- For a stallion that covers a lot of mares, choose stallion disability (infertility) cover, in case the horse is rendered infertile.
- Take out death cover, irrespective of the horse’s age. The former American champion two-year-old stallion, Vindication, who stood for a fee of $60,000 in 2008, died of a stomach rupture in July aged just eight. This could be the largest loss the equestrian insurance market has ever paid out, at a rumoured £20,000,000.
- You can insure a mare’s foetus, but it is expensive and usually only worth considering if the mare is on valuable stud fees.
- If you buy in utero, or prospective foal insurance, supply correct, negative twin scans (otherwise you may not get paid if twins are delivered), and have an
“in-foal” examination at inception of the policy. You will need to supply scans from a specific point during your mare’s gestation – check your policy for details.
Looking for horse insurance? Try Horse & Hound’s insurance comparison service at horseandhound.co.uk/insurance
This article formed part of H&H’s special feature on equestrian insurance, published 24 July 2008
