The EMO Agency, Inc., specializes in providing you with the information you need to make informed decisions about your equestrian insurance needs. In this Frequently Asked Questions section, we've compiled some of the most commonly asked questions regarding equine, equestrian liability and farm insurance.
To discover more information about horse insurance and health care topics, please visit our "On The Go With EMO" newsletter archive for a treasure trove of articles and tips.
To find out more about Equine Insurance, visit this page.
To get a free Equine Insurance Quote, go to our Request a Horse Mortality Quote page, or give our office a call.
Contact our office if you would like to work on an insurance quote for your commercial equestrian activities, personal horseowners liability, and/or horse farm.
To see about applying for horse mortality insurance, go to our Forms page.
Understanding Your Equine Insurance Policy
Q: Can I start coverage today?
A: We can usually bind coverage upon receipt of the required paperwork and underwriting approval, which generally can be the same business day we receive all the required paperwork, if it is during business hours, Monday through Friday, and providing all paperwork is complete and in order and we receive underwriting approval. Paperwork can be submitted by fax, email or mail. Providing we receive underwriting approval, we would then provide you with a horse insurance binder and you would be invoiced for payment.
Q: What is my horse's current market value and how do I establish that number?
Answer: The current market value of your horse is the price you paid for him if you recently purchased the horse, or the number can be determined based on his training and show record. If you have any questions regarding your horse's value, please contact your insurance agent who can help you work out a fair market value.
Q: Do I need to have my veterinarian examination done before I can start a insure my horse?
A: To insure for Equine Mortality Insurance and Medical insurance, with most companies a veterinary exam is not usually required as long as your horse is age 15 or under (sometimes even older than that), sound and healthy, and you are insuring him for a value of $100,000 or less. If you are insuring for a value of more than $100,000, a basic vet exam is usually required.
If you are interested in Loss of Use coverage, regardless of the horse's value, you will be required to submit at least a basic veterinary certificate. Also, depending on the type of Loss of Use coverage you are interested in, you may need a very detailed veterinary exam with current radiographs of all four feet and fetlocks, hocks, and stifles.
Q: I'm most worried about being able to pay the vet bills if my horse becomes ill or has an injury. What types of affordable equine health insurance coverages are available?
A: If your horse is from the age of 30 days and 18-20 years, you should seriously consider adding a Medical/Surgical type of coverage to your Full Mortality policy. These coverages help reimburse you for covered veterinary costs (both medical and surgical) in the event your horse has a covered injury, illness, accident or disease during the policy period.
Remember, while the Full or General Mortality horse insurance policies include coverage for humane destruction, the situation must meet the requirements of the policy. The policy does not cover for euthanasia due to non health related, economic or philosophical reasons. If your horse develops a serious condition that requires costly medical or surgical care, and the veterinarians recommend that treatment to save the horse's life, you are expected under the terms of the Horse Mortality insurance policy to provide for that care, regardless of whether or not those expenses are covered by your policy. If you don't have the funds to pay the expected veterinary fees, and the horse dies because you do not pursue treatment, or if you choose to put your horse down instead of pursuing treatment, regardless of your personal reasons for doing so, the Mortality policy would likely not respond.
Q: Can I get a Medical/Surgical type of equine health insurance coverage for my horse without purchasing a Mortality policy?
A: No. A Full Equine Mortality insurance policy must be in place in order to add on a Medical/Surgical endorsement.
Q: If my horse has a health problem during the policy, will I be able to renew the policy?
A: Most often the company will offer to renew your policy, but will likely apply an exclusion for that problem if they deem it necessary and/or may apply a debited rate for coverage, and/or restrict access to certain coverages. In rare cases, renewal may not be offered.
Q: Is there any type of infertility coverage for my proven breeding stallion?
A: Yes. Stallion Accident, Sickness and Disease or Stallion Infertility coverage can usually be added to your proven stallion's Equine Mortality insurance policy. It will reimburse you for a percentage of the stallion’s insured value in the event he permanently can no longer get mares in foal as the result of a covered accident, sickness, or disease that occurs during the policy period.
Q: What is the difference between an insurance agent and an insurance adjuster/underwriter?
A: An agent works for an insurance agency that represents insurance companies. An underwriter works for the insurance company and assesses the risks. An adjustor is employed by the insurance company to adjust claims.
Q: What is an exclusion?
A: If your horse has incurred an injury or illness in the past and you seek to insure him, the insurance underwriter may exclude those pre-existing conditions on a new equine insurance policy.
Q: We have recently added a small herd of beef cattle to our growing collection of farm animals. Are we able to insure them through EMO as we do our horses and farm?
A: Yes, EMO offers livestock insurance for beef and dairy cattle. We have also insured many other types of animals, including ostriches and llamas! So, if you continue to add other animals to your farm community, please give your agent a call to discuss the available coverages for the different types of livestock on your property.
Using your equine insurance policy
Q: When do I need to call my insurance agent?
A: If your horse requires veterinary care--other than routine vaccinations, wellness exams, health certificates, etc.--you should notify your insurance agent. Minor problems can turn into major issues, and if that happens your horse might not be covered if the initial injury wasn't reported in a timely fashion.
Q: What are the steps I need to take if my horse is injured?
A: In an emergency or with a serious injury, always call your veterinarian first, then contact your insurance agent.
Q: How does the process work? Do I submit each bill for the insurance company to pay?
A: No, this is one of the major differences between human and equine medical insurance. Once your horse's treatment is finished, you'll submit all of the bills that you already paid, and the insurance adjuster will apply the deductible and reimburse you set amounts for treatments, medications, diagnostics and other covered expenses.
Each type of service, i.e., diagnostics, treatments, call fees, have different levels of coverage and limits, so make sure to read your policy thoroughly and contact your insurance agent if you have further questions.
Q: What are the steps I need to take if my horse dies?
A: In the event of the death of your horse, contact your insurance agent promptly. Do not dispose of your horse's body until your agent or the insurance adjuster provides you with permission, as a necropsy may be required.
Q: I'm not sure how a deductible works for my horse's medical insurance policy. Is it a one-time, annual payment or do I pay a deductible each time I file a claim?
A: Deductibles for human medical insurance and equine medical insurance are different. Unlike human insurance, there's no annual deductible you must reach to receive reimbursement. Each equine medical claim is treated individually, and a deductible applies to each. The amount of the deductible varies with the different underwriters.
Q: If I pay a deductible for each injury or illness on the Equine Medical insurance coverage, why are pre-existing conditions excluded when I renew?
A: Humans live a lot longer than horses and we pay much more on an annual basis for insurance. On average, a horse owner keeps and insures a horse for three years, so the insurance companies can't collect enough money on the premiums to make up for any long-term loss. All policies have a limit on the amount of coverage per incident and per horse.
Therefore, equine major medical insurance has a deductible per injury or illness and also excludes pre-existing conditions in order to keep the insurance affordable. That's why you'll pay upwards of $10,000 per year for human medical insurance and often under $500 for equine major medical coverage.
understanding your liability Policy
Q: I've been asked to add the facility where I teach freelance lessons as an "additional insured" to my liability policy. What does this mean?
A: Asking a professional to add a facility where they teach as an additional insured to an equestrian liability policy is a common request. In fact, it often goes hand-in-hand with the facility owner requesting a Certificate of Insurance as well.
When you add the facility as an additional insured, your liability policy will then protect that entity with the same coverages you're afforded. It's important to understand that when you endorse an additional insured on your policy, whether an individual or facility, that you are taking on that liability, and any legal defense or judgments against them could potentially transfer to you and your insurance company.
Also remember that any additional insured added will share your policy limits, so be sure to understand how the per occurrence limit and aggregate limit of coverage would be affected.
Before adding an additional insured to your liability insurance policy, it's wise to seek guidance from your insurance agent to be sure that you understand the nuances of adding an additional insured and to determine if you should adjust your policy limits.
Contact our office if you would like to have an agent work on an insurance quote for your commercial equestrian activities and/or farm.