What is the most common cause of horse insurance claims?

Even with the best-laid plans, accidents, injuries and illnesses are all part and parcel of owning horses. It is possible to take precautions such as risk assessments, education and training. Still, we can’t prevent the unexpected from happening, so having suitable horse insurance is important to protect ourselves, our horses and others who may be affected by our actions.

Taking out a horse insurance policy gives us peace of mind should our horses become ill or sustain an injury. While there is a huge range of advice available on avoiding certain equine illnesses and injuries that can lead to horse insurance claims being made, sometimes they’re unavoidable.

SEIB Insurance Brokers have for the second year running, analysed the causes of claims made by their horse insurance clients and pinpointed the reasons behind the highest number of claims and the costliest equine claims.

Most frequent causes of a horse insurance claim

The most frequent reason for an equine claim for clients of SEIB in 2023 was External Accident and Trauma such as violent accidents, kicks, cuts, wounds, fractures and falls. Out of these external accidents and traumas ending in a claim, 50% of the events took place while the horse was stabled or in the field and 41% happened when the horse was being ridden or exercised.

Degenerative Disease and Development Disorders were the second most claimed for ailment amongst SEIB’s equine clients in 2023. Degenerative disease and development disorders of both forelimbs were the most common, and the most expensive, cause of claims under this heading accounting for just over a quarter of claims.

The third most claimed for ailment for SEIB clients last year was for gastric ulcers, which falls under SEIB’s Colic and Digestive Disorder category of claims. Gastric ulcer claims accounted for 71% of colic and digestive disorder claims.

SEIB’s Equestrian Services Manager Steph Ellis, said: “The findings from our 2023 cause of claims analysis are similar to previous years. We have the same top three as we did in 2022, albeit in a different order. For the past two years Colic and Digestive Disorder claims have been the most numerous claims followed by External Accident and Trauma and then Degenerative Disease and Development Disorders.”

Most expensive horse insurance claims

Gastric ulcers had the highest cost per claim for equine clients of SEIB in 2023. The average cost per claim under this category came in at £3,158.39.

SEIB’s Equine Claims Manager, Donna Leavens, said: “We would always encourage horse owners to be vigilant at certain times of the year, such as Spring and Autumn, when a spike in the number of colic cases occurs. We often also see an increase in the number of claims for equine gastric ulcers as the competition season gets underway. Following veterinary and feeding advice on the care of horses susceptible to gastric ulcers can prove an effective preventative measure.”

The second most expensive area in which claims were made in 2023 was Degenerative Disease and Development Disorders with an average cost per claim of £2,232.69. Other illness or disease, not covered elsewhere, was the third most costly cause of a claim for SEIB clients. Coming in behind this in terms of cost was claims resulting from external accidents and injuries with an average cost of £1,121.58. Accidents and injuries sustained whilst a horse was being ridden had a slightly higher cost per claim than those sustained when the horse was in the field or stable.

The sixth most expensive cause of a claim made by SEIB equine clients in 2023 was multi-site lameness of both the fore and hind limbs, this was followed by other illnesses including disease of the teeth, jaws and gums. Taking eighth place in costliest claims was Other Disease or Injury causing lameness not defined anywhere else.

Rounding off the top 10 costliest claim causes were Other Lameness, specifically Tendons or Ligaments of one or both hind limbs and surgical colic.

SEIB’s Head of Marketing, Katie Oswald said: “The advances in veterinary treatment and technology are helping our horses live longer and healthier lives. However, this has resulted in the cost of treatments going up significantly meaning that having correct and effective insurance for our horses is more important than ever before. We never know what is around the corner, but insurance helps ensure the well-being of our horses and provides peace of mind to their owners.”

SEIB has a host of different horse insurance options available depending on budget and cover requirements. Recently they launched their Core Horse Insurance cover which is a cost-effective policy covering accidental external injuries only. SEIB continues to provide their popular Classic Horse Insurance product, this policy provides protection for a wide range of activities, illnesses and injuries, loss of use and emergency colic surgery.

To find out more about SEIB and other policies it offers please visit seib.

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