You may have seen in the press this week that a Riding School’s future is in jeopardy after a catastrophic outbreak of Strangles. This story has been covered by the Horse & Hound and can be read here.
The article talks about how the riding school has not been trading for very long and has been hit by the disease, with the owners possibly having to consider selling some of the horses to pay for the vets bills as the horses aren’t individually insured.
The horse insurance team at SEIB have decided to take a look at what Yard Managers need to consider in regards to their Riding School Insurance and ensuring they’re covered for the potential outbreak of a highly contagious disease such as Strangles.
How do I ensure that my business is protected from loss of income as a result of closure or suspended services due to a strangles outbreak?
In relation to SEIB’s policies the Equine Infectious Diseases cover under the Equine Combined Policies for Equestrian Establishments is only available when including Property and Business Interruption cover. When you include this it becomes an automatic extension to the Business Interruption cover so there is no additional charge to cover Infectious Diseases.
There are likely to be a few restrictions on the cover, for example a limit of £10,000 per any one Business Interruption claim and what procedures the yard has in place for new horses, therefore it is always advisable to check the terms of your cover.
Does it make a difference how the disease is brought on to the yard?
No, this would not make a difference to the claim if all quarantine procedures have been followed for new horses arriving onto the yard.
Will my yard policy cover my horse’s veterinary fees?
No, you will need to have taken out individual horse insurance policies that include veterinary fees in order to be able to claim for these costs.
If you do not have veterinary fees cover you will be forced to cover the cost of treatment yourself and with average costs of Strangles treatment often exceeding £1000, we strongly advise that you protect yourself with veterinary fees.
Does having a protocol for the prevention and management of infectious diseases including screening policy for strangles and isolation procedure reduce the premium on my business insurance?
It is a condition with our policy that all new horses have recent veterinary certification and/or confirmation that the horse has been tested and is free from disease before being allowed with other horses.
Any new horse without a recent veterinary certification and/or confirmation must be kept in a separate quarantine stable which is sufficiently isolated as to not pose any risk of potential transmission and undergo such veterinary tests before being allowed in contact with other horses on the yard. As this is a condition of the cover, doing this would not result in a reduction in premium.
For more information on what to do if your horse contracts Strangles, have a read of Katie from our Marketing teams experience of dealing with an outbreak here.
About SEIB
SEIB have been providing insurance for horses for over 50 years. This experience allows us to tailor policies to suit your circumstances and ensure that you and your horses are covered should the worst happen. If you’d like advice on your insurance please call us on 01708 850000.
