Re: Horse Insurance

["Mary Burgess" <mburgess@theglobal.net>]

Dear Salim,
	I have always kept my stallion (whom I breed and ride endurance on)
insured, because of the potential loss of income if something were to
happen.  Needless to say, insurance does not help you with the heartache of
losing a dear friend, but my goal was to have a nest egg if necessary for a
replacement.
	This spring, tragically, a breeding accident resulted in a compound
fracture of the right radius.  Because I had surgical and mortality
insurance, I was able to make the herculean efforts which were necessary to
save his life.  22 days post-surgery, both plates cracked, and he had to be
put down.  The insurance money was nothing compared to his loss, but it did
allow me to shop for, and purchase a colt that I hope to be his
replacement.  
	The insurance company I used is Markel - if you would like the specifics
of my agent's name and phone number, I can certainly get it for you.  I
think you learn the most about your insurance in times of tragedy...and
they were there for me.  My new colt is similarly insured, and also with
Markel.  The cost depends on the value of the animal which you determine by
the purchase price, and then further investments that you have made in
them.  For example, my stud was a nominated sire and original entry for
sweepstakes, and it cost me $600/year to insure him for $15,000 mortality
and $5,000 surgical.  It works out to about .04 per $100.
	I always recommend to people who buy horses from me that they consider
insurance for the first year after purchase.  I think if a horse is going
to do something goofy and life-endangering, it will be in the first month
of adjustment to new surroundings (or trailering to new surroundings), and
I regard it as money well invested.
	Best of luck on your purchase, and let me know if I can be of further
help.  Mary Burgess
	

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> From: Salim Nice <snice@premhealth.com>
> To: ridecamp@endurance.net
> Cc: JOltmann@fancypubs.com
> Subject: Horse Insurance
> Date: Friday, January 15, 1999 5:19 PM
> 
> Recently, I bought a 5 year old Arab off the track to work into an
> endurance horse.  I just had my vet out to do the pre-buy exam yesterday.
> She did a complete exam, including x-rays and all of the shots.  The
horse
> is sound.  I had planned, when I bought the horse, to keep about
> two-thousand dollars available for emergency surgery, if there was ever a
> need.  However, my vet mentioned horse insurance.  I was not aware that
you
> could purchase surgical and mortality insurance for horses.  
> 
> My questions then.  Has anyone underwritten their endurance horse for
> surgical and mortality insurance?  What should I expect to pay as an
annual
> premium?  Does anyone recommend any particular company or broker?  Has
> anyone had to claim against their own policy?  And, was their any
difficult
> in getting the claim paid?
> 
> Please respond to snice@premhealth.com
> 
> Salim Nice
>