Why Choose Equine Insurance Specialists?

Why should I choose Equine Insurance Specialists to handle my insurance needs?

As one of the largest specialty brokerage firms in the country, Equine Insurance Specialists has been a leader in the horse insurance marketplace for nearly thirty years.  We were the first to offer instant online mortality insurance quotes for horses.  To this day, we remain the only broker in the world to offer a comparative rating service that provides instant online mortality quotes from multiple insurance companies.  Feel free to compare coverages and terms for yourself at www.insureyourhorse.com.

Our agents are located in Lexington, KY and Wellington, FL – two major hubs of horse activity in the US.  Since we are licensed in all US States except Alaska and Hawaii, we are able to write your coverage virtually anywhere in the country.  We also have the ability to write coverage on a worldwide basis for buyers looking to import a horse from outside of the US, or clients who are sending their valuable animals to other countries to train, race and show for extended periods of time.

Our name says it all:  Equine Insurance Specialists.  Crafting comprehensive insurance solutions for horse owners, horse farms, instructors and trainers and horse-related businesses such as boarding, breeding, training, riding instruction, sales, events, etc. is all we do.  As specialists in this narrow segment of the insurance marketplace, we have deep knowledge of and direct relationships with the best insurance companies that cover horses and related risks.  This means that we’re not just able to “get you a quote”.  Our experienced staff will design a competitive insurance solution for you from among the best programs the industry has to offer.  We’ll also work with you as your business grows or your needs change in order to ensure that your insurance solution is as comprehensive and competitive in five to ten years as it is today.

Got questions?  Give us a call to ensure you have the best solution to protect your investment.

Instant Online Mortality Quotes – Part 1 of 3 (The Initial Proposal)

Instant Online Mortality Quotes – Part 1 of 3 (The Initial Proposal)How to Get an Instant Equine Mortality Insurance Quote — No Waiting Required

Question: I’m interested in equine mortality insurance, but I don’t know how much it will cost.  Is there an easy way to get a mortality quote right now without having to wait for someone to get back to me?

Answer: Absolutely. Whether you own or lease a horse, have one on trial, or are importing a horse from outside the U.S., getting a mortality insurance quote has never been simpler. And unlike many sites that collect your information only to make you wait for a response, Equine Insurance Specialists provides truly instant online mortality quotes—from multiple insurance companies.

After you enter some basic details about you and your horse, just click Next Step and you’ll immediately see quotes from up to five insurers. Here’s how the process works:


Step 1: Enter Your Information

Go to www.insureyourhorse.com/quote and fill in the following

  • Your horse’s name
  • Your state of residence
  • Horse’s breed, age and sex
  • Desired mortality insurance limit
  • Primary use (select all that apply)
  • Additional relevant information (select all that apply):
    • Insured value exceeds price.
    • Prior claim, injury or illness within the last 12 months
    • Purchased within the last 30 days
    • Currently insured with another company

Once everything looks accurate, click “Next Step


Step 2: Review Your Instant Quotes

You’ll immediately receive proposals from up to five insurance companies. Use the tabs at the top of the proposal section to switch between them:

  • The green tab shows the proposal currently displayed.
  • Gray tabs indicate additional proposals available for comparison.

Step 3 Add Multiple Horses (If Needed)

Need quotes for more than one horse?  Just click + Add Another Horse on the proposal page.

The form will look nearly identical—minus the State of Residence field. Verify each horse’s details and click Next Step again. You can add as many horses as you like; there’s no limit.


What’s Next?

The next post in this series will walk you through adding optional coverages–such as Medical, Surgical and Loss of Use to your proposal.

Instant Online Mortality Quotes – Part 2 of 3 (Adding Optional Coverages)

Instant Online Mortality Quotes – Part 2 of 3  (Adding Optional Coverages)How to Add Medical, Surgical & Loss of Use Coverage to Your Mortality Quote

Question:  I’ve just used your website to get a mortality quote.  How do I add coverage options like medical, surgical and loss of use? 

Answer: This post walks you through adding optional coverages to your full mortality proposals at insureyourhorse.com/quote.  f you haven’t yet generated your instant mortality quote, see Part one of this series. Part three explains how to turn your proposal into an active policy.


Coverage Options

Your initial mortality quote includes Full Mortality coverage plus any automatic enhancements offered by each insurer (such as Emergency Colic Surgery and Agreed Value). To customize your proposal further, you can add optional coverages—like Major Medical, Surgical, Stallion Infertility, and Loss of Use—directly from the proposal page.

Just click the “+ Add / Edit Optional Coverages” link beneath the quote for each horse. This takes you to a page where you’ll see all the optional coverages available for that specific horse from that specific company.
NOTE: Only the options listed on this page are available; coverages vary by insurer.


Adding or Changing Optional Coverages

  1. Select the coverage you want by clicking the corresponding radio button or checkbox.
  2. As soon as you make a selection, the Quote Summary box on the right will update instantly, showing the revised coverage and total premium for that horse.
  3. To make changes, simply choose a different option or select None to remove the coverage.
  4. When you’ve finalized your selections, click Submit at the bottom of the page to return to the mortality proposal. All your changes will appear under that horse’s coverage.

If you’re quoting multiple horses, repeat this process for each one.


Important: Coverage Varies by Company

Because each insurer offers different optional coverages and follows different underwriting guidelines:

  • Optional coverages apply only to the horse and company you selected.
  • If you have multiple horses, you must add desired coverages to each horse individually.
  • t’s a good idea to review the options in all proposal tabs to find the best combination of coverage, terms, and price for your needs.

What’s Next?

In Part 3, we’ll walk through how to convert your customized proposal into a policy and officially insure the horses you’ve quoted.

Instant Online Mortality Quotes – Part 3 of 3 (Buying the Coverage)

Question:  Now that I have the quote that I want to purchase, how do I convert this into a policy?

Answer:  This article describes how to purchase the coverages you’ve quoted online at www.insureyourhorse.com/quotePart One of this series describes how to obtain an instant online mortality quote for your horses and Part Two describes how to add coverage enhancements like Medical, Surgical and Loss of Use to your quote.

Buying the Coverage

Once you’ve determined which insurance company and coverages you want, refer to the “Application Forms Required” section under each animal for a list of items that we’ll need from you in order to start your coverage.  The list of requirements will vary from horse to horse, and from one company to another depending upon your answers to the basic horse information questions, as well as the optional coverages chosen.

In the “Application Forms” list under the first horse, you’ll find a document titled “How to Begin Coverage”.   It contains a general overview of the information required and how to submit your request to us.  You’ll also find a mortality coverage flyer, payment instructions, a full mortality application (applicable to all horses) as well as any health documentation and value support requirements.   The full mortality application and payment instructions are applicable to all horses.  The health and value support requirements are specific to this horse.  If more than one horse has been quoted, there will be a list of application forms required for that horse.

Clicking on the  icon or form name will open that document in a new window.   Download the form to your computer and complete / sign / save it using Adobe Acrobat Reader.  Email the completed / signed forms to mo*******@*************se.com.    If you prefer to complete and sign each document from within your web browser, you’ll need to print the completed documents and fax them to us at (866) 207-6953.  Web browsers do not easily allow you to save completed PDF forms to your desktop.  Downloading a completed form will cause the data you’ve entered to be erased.

The last step in the process to begin coverage is to pay your premium.  Three of our partners bill the customer directly.  This means that you will receive a bill for your premium amount after the policy has been issued.  These insurance companies also give you the ability to pay your premium in installments instead of all at once.  The number of installment options offered generally depends upon your policy’s premium amount.

  • Great American has the most flexible billing options, offering Annual, Semiannual, Quarterly and Monthly options for all premium levels.
  • Berkley Equine & Cattle (StarNet Insurance Company) offers one, two and three payment options at any premium level. They have a four installment option for policies with a premium of at least $1,000, and five and six installment options when your premium exceeds $2,500.
  • American Reliable offers one and two installment options for premiums of $500 or more and a four installment option for premiums of $1,000 or more.

Our other two programs (American Equine and The Hartford) require premiums to be paid to Equine Insurance Specialists.  No installment options are available for these programs.  Payments are paid online at the same time the application is submitted to us for binding.  We accept payment by electronic check and credit card (Mastercard, Visa, Discover and American Express) through our online payment portal at www.insureyourhorse.com/customer-payments.  When submitting your payment, include “New Policy” in the description / invoice or policy number field of the payment window.

If your request is received during business hours, you will be contacted soon after your application (and payment, if necessary) are received.  We will either confirm that coverage has been bound, or request additional documentation or answers to questions based upon your submission.  If your submission / payment are received outside of normal business hours, we’ll contact you on the next business day.  A formal binder will be sent to you within one business day of our confirmation of coverage bound, and your policy will follow within a couple of weeks.  The invoice for your premium payment, if necessary, will arrive shortly after your policy.

Papers, Papers – Who Has the Papers?

Two months ago you bought the horse you always wanted. Your goal was to win championships in breed-recognized horse shows. Now, however, it appears that a terrible problem has ended your plans: The seller will not transfer the horse’s breed registration papers into your name. Your arsenal of weapons is limited — there is no written sales contract, but you recall the seller promising to send you the horse’s papers “right away” the day you gave him your money (a promise he now denies ever making). What can you do? (more…)

Myths About Equine-Related Insurance

In the horse industry, misunderstandings and myths abound regarding important legal topics. This three-part series of articles explores some common myths in the horse industry. Part one discussed the equine liability acts, part two discusses insurance, and part three will discuss releases of liability. (more…)

Common Sense Ways to Avoid Legal Disputes When Buying a Horse

Ann always wanted to own a top show horse. Now, she found her chance. Someone has advertised for sale a gorgeous 12-year-old gelding. After years on the show circuit the horse developed an outstanding show record, with several championships. Ann wanted to make him her champion. The asking price of $3,000, she thought, was surprisingly low for a horse of his caliber. She promptly called the seller and made an appointment to see the horse. When she arrived, the seller had the horse saddled and waiting for her. She took her “test ride” in a quiet, empty arena. The ride went beautifully. A short time later, Ann paid the seller in cash and the horse was her. (more…)

Understanding Mortality Insurance

The horse industry, as a whole, spends millions of dollars each year on mortality insurance. Mortality insurance is often compared to life insurance, although there are several important differences. Generally, mortality insurance is designed to pay a sum of money in the event that an insured horse dies or is stolen. Of the large numbers of people who buy mortality insurance, few truly understand that the policies and the companies who offer them are not alike. This two-part series explores important and little known aspects of equine mortality insurance. Part One generally discusses mortality insurance and addresses some important features that can differ among mortality insurance policies. Part Two discusses duties found in many policies of mortality insurance that, if not followed by policyholders, could result in a loss of coverage. (more…)

Complying With Duties Under Mortality Insurance Policies

Occasionally, the one who buys a policy of mortality insurance (called the policyholder) and the insurance company disagree on the issue of whether the company is required to pay a request for benefits (called a “claim”). People usually learn after it is too late that many of these problems and disputes could have been avoided. This article, which concludes a two-part series on mortality insurance, discusses duties often found in mortality policies that, if not followed by policyholders, could result in the denial of a claim. Here are some of them. (more…)

Understand Mortality Insurance Before You Buy

The horse industry, as a whole, spends millions of dollars each year on mortality insurance. Mortality insurance is often compared to life insurance, although there are several important differences. Generally, mortality insurance is designed to pay a sum of money in the event that an insured horse dies or is stolen. Of the large numbers of people who buy mortality insurance, few truly understand that the policies and the companies who offer them are not alike. This two-part series explores important and little known aspects of equine mortality insurance. Part One generally discusses mortality insurance and addresses some important features that can differ among mortality insurance policies. Part Two discusses duties found in many policies of mortality insurance that, if not followed by policyholders, could result in a loss of coverage. (more…)