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.

Does my homeowners insurance cover incidental boarding?

Does my homeowners insurance cover incidental boarding?  I’m only keeping one or two horses for a friend or family member.  This is one of the most frequently-asked questions that we receive.  All too often, the answer to this question is learned too late.  This article describes several claim scenarios and explains how the typical homeowners may or may not respond, and why.  It also includes an easy, low cost solution to the shortcomings of homeowners insurance.

Exposures & Claim Scenarios

There are numerous exposures that exist when caring for non-owned horses.

  • The nonowned horse may injure itself or damage property that belongs to someone else. This might happen if it were to escape from its pasture and be struck by a passing car.
  • A third party may also be injured by a nonowned horse in your care. Referring to the example above, the driver or occupants of the car which strikes that horse on the road may easily be injured or killed in the accident, resulting in an expensive bodily injury lawsuit.
  • Conditions at premises where nonowned horses are kept or ridden may cause bodily injury to a rider or third party. A boarded horse may trip or stumble over soft or loose terrain, causing  a rider to fall and become injured.
  • Finally, the horse may be injured or killed as a result of the care it receives (or didn’t receive). Moldy hay or a lack of enough fresh water to drink might cause a horse to colic and possibly die if prompt medical care isn’t provided.
Little To No Protection

Will your homeowner’s policy adequately protect you in the event of a claim involving a horse you’re caring for? The short answer is “probably not”. There are a couple of reasons why incidental boarding isn’t likely covered by your homeowners insurance, or if coverage does exist, it would only provide a minimal amount of protection.

Business Pursuits Exclusion

The liability coverage afforded under a homeowner’s policy is intended to protect an individual and his or her family members for activities and exposures one would typically have as an “individual”. Whether it’s a baseball that was accidentally thrown through a neighbor’s window or a visitor slipping on ice-covered stairs that weren’t cleared in anticipation of visitors, the homeowners policy is there to respond. However, these policies exclude coverage for liability arising out of the “Business Pursuits” of an insured. Business pursuits are commonly defined as a “continual or recurrent activity carried out for financial gain”. For this reason, the fact that a fee is charged in exchange for care would prevent your homeowner’s policy from protecting you in the event of a claim.

Damage to Property of Others

What if you’re just keeping your friend’s horse as a favor, with no fee charged? This is another area where your homeowners insurance might still let you down. Many popular homeowners policies include up to $1,000 of protection for damage to property of others caused by an insured. Others may include a smaller amount of protection or exclude it entirely. At claim time though, $1,000 isn’t much coverage considering the price of horses and the cost of veterinary care these days. Also, all of these policies exclude claims arising from business activities, as mentioned above.

The Solution!

Obtaining the proper liability protection is essential for anyone who is planning to board horses that don’t belong to them. Not only should it include adequate protection for Bodily Injury and Property Damage, it should also be properly endorsed to include coverage for injury or death to non-owned horses in the Care, Custody or Control of the insured. The cost of a policy which includes these essential protections starts out around $500 – $600 per year. In addition to a relatively small premium cost, many insurance companies offer low-cost installment options, which make it possible to cash-flow your premiums in conjunction with your boarding income. Finally, obtaining a quote and purchasing the coverage is quick and easy.  In some cases may even be completed all in one day, although it generally takes a little longer.

When considering this post, please keep in mind that no two scenarios are identical. This is just a general overview of some of the risks associated with relying on homeowners insurance to cover your boarding exposures. For coverage advice, please consult directly with an Equine Insurance Specialists representative. You may reach us at (800) 723-9414 or by email at in**@*************se.com. Visit us online at insureyourhorse.com and on Facebook.

Insuring Your Farm Personal Property

Because no two farms are identical, farm policies are written with a great deal of flexibility to cover the property insurance needs of individual farm owners.  For this reason, there is no automatic farm personal property coverage afforded under the typical farm policy.  This gives you the ability to purchase just the coverages you need, and update them as your needs change.

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A Picture is Worth a Thousand… Dollars?

Understanding the Legal Right of Publicity

With an ear-to-ear grin as you proudly sit astride your gleaming horse, you grasp a big blue ribbon. This photograph graces the walls of your home and can be seen in the homes of your relatives and friends. But what happens if, one day, a major equine goods manufacturer uses that picture on its products and advertisements nationwide — without your permission? Do you have any legal rights?

Possibly, yes. This article generally examines the legal right of publicity. (more…)

Why did You Settle that Case?

A horrible nightmare has come true. During a casual Sunday afternoon trail ride, your friend fell off your horse. Now, several months later, he is suing you. You know you have powerful defenses. The horse he fell from — your elderly and practically “bomb-proof” gelding — barely moves and has never thrown a rider. You distinctly recall hearing your friend say that he lost his balance as he reached to pick an apple while the horse stood grazing. He also told you that he was “100% OK” after he fell. Since the incident, your friend never missed a day of work, has no scars, and his life seems no different than it was before he rode your horse. (more…)

Will Your Corporation Limit Your Personal Liability?

Nine Suggestions for Taking Your Corporation Seriously so that Others Will Too.

Who needs a corporation? Possibly, you. The corporation’s main benefit is that it can serve as a liability shield — that is, individuals running the corporation are typically immunized from personal liability for liabilities arising out of the corporation’s activities. This can be especially desirable if your equine business faces the risk of a lawsuit that could exceed even the highest liability insurance limits. The corporation is also desirable if you seek to protect your personal assets from obligations or debts of the corporation.

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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…)