Whether your horse is a million-dollar racehorse, a promising young cutting horse, or a productive broodmare, you probably would be devastated if something happened to him.

An excellent equine insurance policy helps prevent financial loss from such a tragedy. This is especially true for horses requiring significant veterinary care and expensive surgery.

Coverage for Pre-Existing Conditions

Horses are a significant asset to their owners and must be protected with horse medical insurance. It can save you from hefty veterinarian bills if your horse becomes sick or injured, so it’s essential to have insurance coverage.

According to Shannon O’Dell, owner of First Choice Insurance in Spokane, Washington, a key consideration is whether your horse has pre-existing conditions that can interfere with coverage. For example, if you have a horse who has colic in the past, he’ll likely be excluded under most major medical policies.

Another policy, called loss of use, reimburses the owner for around 60% of their horse’s value if they become permanently disabled because of an accident or injury. It can also help recoup lost income when your horse becomes too sick to work.

Coverage for Emergencies

If you have horses, you know the importance of horse medical insurance. You must know you’re covered if your horse is injured or ill.

To cover the cost of treating your horse, you need a horse medical policy that covers all the costs associated with treatment. This includes colic surgery, sicknesses, and other major health problems that may require veterinary care.

Several policies are available to horse owners, ranging from basic mortality policies to more complex medical and surgical options.

Mortality policies typically reimburse you if your horse dies based on the insured value of your horse. Some policies will also cover your horse in the event of theft or an accident that causes death or injuries.

Primary medical and surgical coverage is an option that adds a flat fee to your mortality policy. Depending on the insurer, these policies can range from $7,500 to $15,000 annually.

Coverage for Routine Care

Routine care is vital whether you have one horse or an entire herd. That means yearly vaccinations, wellness exams, and other essential veterinary services.

Fortunately, you can protect against this cost by adding preventative care coverage to your primary medical policy. This add-on reimburses you for herpesvirus and strangles vaccinations, blood, fecal and Coggins tests, and more.

Another option is a program that discounts veterinary bills by 25%. It covers pre-existing conditions and has no restrictions based on age or breed.

Another essential coverage is “loss of use” insurance, which reimburses you for a percentage of the horse’s value if it can no longer perform its intended activity. This option can be important if your horse has serious illnesses or injuries, such as osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) or navicular disease. Depending on the company, this can also cover emergency stabling expenses if your horse is displaced from its home.

Coverage for Surgical Procedures

When horses need surgery, it can be a significant expense. The costs vary widely from facility to facility, and insurance plans cover surgery differently.

Fortunately, medical insurance is designed to help offset unexpected veterinary expenses. Depending on the type of insurance, it can help cover surgical procedures like laminitis, EPM, or colic.

A policy will reimburse you for your horse’s death if it suffers an accident or disease that causes it to die. This insurance coverage can also be endorsed with Major Medical and Surgical coverage to cover additional veterinary expenses for life-saving treatment or surgeries not usually covered by the policy.

These policies offer a choice of annual limits from $5,000 to $7,500 and $10,000, depending on the horse’s and the company’s value. They usually have a $250 deductible per illness, injury, or incident. These policies are essential to any ranch owner’s insurance portfolio and can provide security knowing your horse is protected.