Many horse owners don’t realise that standard horse insurance often excludes cover when travelling to events or competitions.
It’s worth checking if your policy includes transport, third-party liability during transit, and emergency vet fees away from home.
We cover the essentials of horse insurance to help you find the right policy.
Do I need horse insurance?
It's not a legal requirement to get horse insurance. But any equine expert will tell you that they're pricey beasts, and that's without the cost of vet bills.
Colic, for example, is a major health issue for horses. It can cost between £1,500 and £5,000 to treat. If your horse has to be put to sleep, it can cost up to £11,000. Your pet insurance for your horse could cover some of these costs so you can focus on getting the best care for your horse.
Horse insurance doesn't just help with vet bills though, your tack's covered if it gets lost or stolen. You could even add trailers and horse-drawn vehicles to some horse insurance policies.
Personal accident cover is another feature of some horse insurance policies. Pet Plan Equine offers £10,000 for personal accident cover as standard. This increases to £20,000 if you choose their superior option. Both of these come with £1,000 of dental cover.
What does horse insurance cover?
It depends on the horse insurer you choose, that's why it's so important to read your policy documents so you know what to expect. But here's a list of what is and isn't covered at a glance:
| Covered | Excluded |
|---|---|
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Accidental death.
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Theft loss or straying.
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Veterinary fees and medical treatments.
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Public liability protection.
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Rescue costs. Also advertising and reward money if your horse goes missing.
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Livery fees if you need to go to hospital for a certain amount of time (for example 72 hours).
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Pre-existing conditions.
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If you euthanise your horse against the British Equine Veterinary Association guidelines or without consent.
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Investigation or treatment of behavioural problems.
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Insuring your horse for more than it's worth.
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Professional racing or activities that you haven't declared on your policy.
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Business or professional liability.
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Theft or loss as a result of carelessness or animal welfare intervention.
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How much does horse insurance cost?
It varies, basic cover could be around £25, but it can reach up to £50 or more depending on how much cover you want.
It also depends on your horse and what you do with them. For example, a horse that competes every weekend is going to cost more to insure than a happy hacker.
What affects the price of horse insurance?
Here are a few factors that can affect the price of horse insurance:
Age, breed and health of your horse
If your horse is older, it's probably more prone to health conditions, so they're more likely to rack up a vet bill - leading to higher horse insurance prices.
Some breeds are more prone to health conditions than others. Also, more pricey or pure bred horses could be more expensive to insure because they're worth more money.
If your horse has had health problems in the past - for example, if they've recovered from colic - they're more expensive to insure than a horse with a clean bill of health.
How you use your horse
If you've got a pure bred eventer that competes every weekend, your insurance is probably going to be more expensive than a horse that does a gentle hack twice a week.
Location
Keeping your horse at a well-secured livery yard could mean lower insurance costs than stabling them in an open, unsecured field. Also, if you live somewhere with a high amount of horse thefts, then your horse insurance could be more expensive.
Claims history
If you claim, insurers think you're more likely to claim again. So, they bump up your insurance price to reflect this.
Horse insurance excess
An excess is an amount you have to pay towards a claim. The amount changes depending on what you're claiming for
For example, you might pay £100-£150 if your horse is stolen and a similar amount if you lose your tack.
It's different to car insurance where you can set your excess. Check your policy documents so you know what you'd be expected to pay if you need to claim.
Horse insurance co-payments
A co-payment is a percentage you pay on top of the rest of the bill (minus the excess). Sometimes this kicks in (no pun intended) when the horse reaches a certain age - usually 15+.
Here's how it works - say your horse needs treatment costing £2,000.
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Fixed excess: £165
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Remaining bill: £1,835
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Co-payment (15%): £275.25
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Insurer pays: £1,559.75
You’d pay £440.25 in total: £165 (the fixed excess) + £275.25 (the co-payment).
What optional extras are available for horse insurance?
Here are the extras you can get with horse insurance:
| Optional extra cover | What it usually includes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
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Saddlery tack
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Theft, loss, or damage to saddles, bridles etc.
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Make sure your tack is stored securely, for example in a locked room. Keep your receipts too.
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Horse trailer or horsebox
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Theft, fire, accidental damage to trailer or horsebox (not the towing vehicle).
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Some policies don’t cover trailers when they're left unhitched.
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Personal accident or rider cover
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Pays out if the rider is injured, disabled, or dies due to a riding accident.
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Benefits are usually lump sums, not ongoing income.
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Public liability (third party)
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Covers injury, damage your horse causes to other people or property.
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Sometimes included as standard, sometimes optional.
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Loss of use
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Compensation if your horse can no longer do its insured activity (e.g. eventing).
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This is heavily scrutinised by insurers and vet assessments apply.
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Stabling livery cover
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Protection if the stables are damaged (fire, storm) and you need emergency stabling.
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Not always widely offered—more niche.
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Death from accident or illness
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Payout of horse’s value if it dies is put down on vet advice, or goes missing.
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Sometimes core cover, sometimes an add-on.
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Travel or disposal costs
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Covers costs of transporting your horse for emergency vet treatment, or disposal after euthanasia.
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Usually a low limit (e.g. £200–£300).
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You can also buy optional bolt-ons like emergency vet cover abroad. This might be useful if you travel with your horse abroad to compete. It covers your horse if they need to be flown back home, or kept in quarantine if they fall ill.
There's conditions though - it only covers you for a set amount of days in specific countries. You also need to let your insurer know in advance. Your excesses still apply though, and your pay out might be lower than in the UK.
Sometimes you can add complementary treatment cover too, for example, physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic, hydrotherapy, acupuncture and massage.
But it only covers these things if they're recommended by your vet. Also, any professional you use should be a member of a recognised professional body, such as:
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The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA)
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The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)
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The Royal Veterinary College (RVC)
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