STOCKYARD
HORSE  DISCUSSION FORUMS

Kimaley

Ok, in light of recent topics about vet bills and not affording them as well as having spoken to people who have no idea, I just want to mention that you CAN actually get insurance for vet bills.

My horse (and dog) are covered by Petplan for the sum of $72 per month. This covers his life insurance (which wasn't important to me), his removal should I lose him, my tack BUT it also INCLUDES $10,000 toward vet bills and a few other things. Now if my horse got sick and I was confronted with an estimate reaching $10,000 and it being risky, I would either being paying back that money for a long time or be having the horse pts as I couldn't afford it. I can however afford the $72 per month to prevent such a scenario. Now if my horse needs colic surgery for example, I can decide if its what is best for HIM and not on my pocket.

I haven't had to make a claim yet thankfully but my parents dog is also covered (at just over $30 per month) and sliced his tendon through a window (he tried to jump through a low light window) on Easter Sunday. The vet bill came to $1200 so my parents made a claim. Petplan have been easy to deal with and there has been better than expected service so you don't need to fight for the money.

Anyway, just thought I would put it out there for those people who didn't know!

wildsteel

so when my horse got colic last yr and the final bill was $1000, if id had insurance then i wouldnt have had tp pay that bill, they would have??

(im only 18 so i have no idea how these things work)

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'Wildsteel Casanova'

Shenalar

Thats great to know Kimaley, I have actually looked into it before, after my mastiff X ate some Ratsak - and it cost about $1000 to treat him.

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R.I.P Dad 1st Feb 2008 and my little Buddy 15th Feb 2008. I still miss you both.

Remaani

Insuring your beloved horse is a great idea.
I have not got all of my horses insured, purely because a few of them would be easy to replace if need be (meaning more i could buy similar... not that they arent worth it).

I have 5 insured (not with Petplan), those 5 would be the hardest to replace (buy)... thats how i look at it anyway.

You also have to be realistic on the value you insure your horse for as well, the market value to "replace".

I have not made a claim yet, but i should have when Jet nearly gelded himself.... he was insured before he left Vic & i never thought of making a claim then, duh!

But yes, insure, its a great option!

Kimaley

I know what you mean Remaani, when you have several horses the money can quickly add up to insure them all so you have to be realistic.

Wildsteel, you sure could have, just pay the $200 excess and they would have covered the rest.

wildsteel

so whats the 200 excess for??

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'Wildsteel Casanova'

Talullah

I can do that with my horse He's too old. Theres a cut off age.

Kimaley

Its like all insurance with an excess. You pay the first $200 and then insurance will cover the rest. If you have 1 injury that needs repeated treatment (like a serious wound), you only pay the $200 once and Petplan cover the rest from their on.

I guess its so you don't claim a $50 treatment from them... not that it is normally that cheap! But finding $200 is a lot easier than finding $10,000!

Moondust

Excess with insurance is used so people cant abuse the system.

Ive thought about insurance for Rusty and i dont think the companies could afford Rusty's 'replacement value'!!!!! well to me anyways.

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Kimaley

Ah but what about the vet bill? I don't care about the replacement value, I got it to cover my vet bills! 1 average bill can cost more than the insurance for a year!