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FAQs
For Horse Coverages
Mortality policies are available in all U.S. states
except Alaska and Hawaii.
If you own a horse, there are several types of insurance
coverages to consider. These frequently asked questions
will help you choose a policy that fits your needs.
1. What are the age limits for Full Mortality Coverage?
Your horse must be between the ages of 24 hours through 20 years to insure for Full Mortality. If your horse is age 21 or older, Named Perils coverage is available (see Coverages For Your Horse for more details).
2. Is it necessary to have a Veterinary
Certificate completed in order to insure my horse?
No, as long as your horse is sound and healthy and the insured value is $100,000 or less. Horses valued over $100,000 and foals under 30 days
old require a veterinary certificate. The company may also request a veterinary certificate at their discretion if the horse has had a prior
severe injury or illness or the horse's health or soundness is in question.
3. I board my horse and the owners
of the barn told me they have coverage if anything happens to him, do I still need coverage?
They probably have what is called Care, Custody or Control coverage. This coverage is meant to protect them in the event that your horse is injured or killed and they are found negligent. It doesn't protect you if your horse is injured or dies in a manner unrelated to the boarding facility. For this reason, you should consider full mortality and medical coverage for your horse.
4. How much can I insure my horse
for?
For a recent purchase, you can insure your horse for a value up to the total purchase price. In the case of horses being imported,
you can often add some or all of the shipping cost to that amount. For homebreds, the company will typically insure for 3x the sire's advertised stud fee to start.
If your horse is not a recent purchase but has been in training or competing, that information can be considered to increase the
insured value. Please see question #23 for more information.
5. What is the Free Colic Surgery
coverage?
The Full Mortality policy automatically includes Free Colic Surgery coverage, providing the horse does not have a history of colic
or digestive issues. The coverage limit is 60% of the insured value with a maximum of $3,000 (whichever is less), and there is no
deductible. Coverage also includes $300 for emergency third party transportation. This coverage is used first in the event of a colic
surgery, and any medical/surgical coverage you have is applied after that.
6. What is Guaranteed Extension
Coverage?
Full Mortality policies include Guaranteed Extension coverage at no additional cost. This coverage provides that in the event of a condition occurring and reported during the policy period, mortality coverage will automatically continue for up to 12 months after the expiration date of the policy for that specific condition. For example, if your horse experienced laminitis during the policy period and you reported the condition promptly during the policy period, the mortality coverage is extended for up to 12 months after the expiration date of the policy in the event your horse dies as a result of laminitis.
Guaranteed Extension coverage does not require you to renew your policy for mortality coverage to continue for the reported condition.
7. What does Value Endorsement mean?
Full Mortality policies include a Value Endorsement. This coverage states that as long as your horse was worth its insured value at any time during the policy period, you will be paid the same amount in the event of an approved mortality claim. Other companies may write on an Actual Cash Value basis which means you would only be paid what your horse was worth at the time of death.
8. What does "fully earned" mean?
Some coverage options such as Territorial Limits Including Transit may be fully earned. This means that in the event you cancel
your policy, there is no return premium on these coverages.
Premiums are also fully earned in the event of a claim. This means that if you are paid for a loss on a horse,
there is no return premium for the applicable coverage under which the claim was paid.
9. What coverage is available for
illness or injury?
For horses valued over $7,500, in addition to Full Mortality coverage, you may want to consider purchasing the Equine Medical/Surgical coverage for your horse to protect yourself if there are unexpected veterinary bills. This coverage will reimburse you for veterinary fees in the event your horse has an injury, lameness, illness, or disease. It provides coverage for diagnostics such as X-rays and ultrasounds, blood work, bone scans, medications, etc. as well as for many types of treatment.
Keep in mind that under the terms of your mortality policy, you are required to give proper care and attention to your horse. If your horse develops a serious problem such as EPM, colic, or has a fracture and the veterinarian believes your horse can be saved, you are expected to provide for that care. Humane destruction is covered under the mortality policy, but economic destruction is not. If you choose to put your horse down for financial reasons, the mortality coverage would not apply. Equine Medical/Surgical coverage would help you with these veterinary expenses.
There are three Equine Medical/Surgical plans available:
The $7,500 Annual Aggregate Limit offers a limit of $7,500, subject to a $400 deductible per illness, injury or incident. This coverage is offered for horses valued $7,500 and over.
The $10,000 Annual Aggregate Limit offers a limit of $10,000, subject to a $400 deductible per illness, injury or incident. This coverage is offered for horses valued $10,000 and over.
The $15,000 Annual Aggregate Limit offers a limit of $15,000, subject to a $400 deductible per illness, injury, or incident. This coverage is offered for horses valued $15,000 and over.
When comparing medical coverages from different companies, ask to see the policy wording to determine what exactly is covered and more importantly, what is not covered.
- For example, some companies limit how long they will provide coverage for a problem. Our company provides coverage for a problem for the entire policy period in which it occurred. This can be quite important if you are dealing with a serious condition like EPM where the medication and treatment is both lengthy and costly. Our coverage also includes a 90 day extension past the policy expiration date for equine medical/surgical coverage.
- Some companies have built in exclusions for navicular, arthritis, or DJD. Our medical coverage does not exclude these conditions, provided they are not pre-existing to the policy term.
You could also consider the Catastrophic Accident/Illness coverage for your horse, which is available for horses of any insured value. This coverage is a good option for those who prefer not to purchase a full medical coverage but would like protection in the event of a colic or severe illness. This coverage has a $5,000 annual limit and $375 deductible and has a 60 day extension past the policy expiration date for claims called in during the policy term.
Also available is our Zero Deductible Surgical Only coverage, which provides up to $5,000 in coverage for any surgical procedure. This coverage has a 30 day extension with no deductible.
We also offer a Colic Medical/Surgical coverage which has a limit of $3,000, or 60% of the horse's insured value, whichever is less. This coverage has a 30 day extension and a deductible of $375 per claim and it applies towards any type of colic episode.
All of our medical coverages are offered for horses aged 31 days to 20 years, subject to underwriting approval.
10.
Do I really need Equine Medical/Surgical coverage, especially since the policy automatically includes coverage for colic surgery?
The automatic colic surgery coverage included with the Full Mortality policy has a limit of $3,000 or less, depending on the insured value of your horse. Costs for colic surgery can vary greatly depending upon the severity of the colic, the area of the country in which you live, and if there are post-operative problems.
Adding Equine Medical/Surgical coverage provides you with a higher available limit for colic surgery as well as providing coverage for other health problems your horse might face. Although colic is many horse owners' worst fear, it is not the only expensive health problem that can occur. Lameness, EPM, and founder are just a few other problems that can be lengthy and expensive to treat. The Equine Medical/Surgical coverage will help reimburse you for the diagnostics and treatment for problems such as these, as long as the conditions are not pre-existing.
11. Is there coverage available
for medical colics?
If you select any of the Equine Medical/Surgical options or the Catastrophic Accident/Illness coverage, they provide you with reimbursement in the event of a medical or surgical colic along with providing coverage for other health conditions as described above.
Colic remains the number one cause of death for horses and is a leading cost in medical claims. Selecting one of these coverages will provide you with protection for both medical and surgical colics. In the event your horse needs colic surgery, you will have a combined limit from both the Equine Medical/Surgical or Catastrophic Accident/Illness coverage and the free Colic Surgery coverage for the medical and surgical costs.
12. Can I purchase more than one
medical/surgical coverage?
The $5,000 Surgical Only coverage is the only coverage that can be stacked with another coverage. However, the total amount of medical coverage combined cannot be more than the insured value of the horse.
13. Are there any co-pays or sub-limits?
Our medical/surgical coverages have no co-pays! You only have the deductible to satisfy. However, the Equine Medical/Surgical options do have sub-limits of up to $2,500 per claim/$4,000 aggregate per policy for diagnostic testing and up to $2,500 per claim/$4,000 aggregate per policy for lameness treatment.
Please keep in mind that in most cases, payment must be made to your vet at the time of service, and you will be reimbursed for the claim less the deductible once invoices and vet reports are submitted to our claims company, National Equine Adjusting.
14. How do I get Loss of Use coverage?
Full Mortality plus Equine Medical/Surgical coverage are required, and the horse must have a current competition record. Only the following disciplines are eligible:
-Dressage
-Show Hunter
-Show Jumper
-Show Horses - only classes such as English Pleasure, Hunt Seat, Hunter Under Saddle, Saddle Seat or All-Around (if the horse shows in at least one English use class).
-Driving - only horses showing in classes such as Fine Harness, English Pleasure, etc. Horses used for farm work, pleasure driving, or combined driving are not eligible.
The External Injury Only Loss of Use coverage is available for horses ages 2-17 years and does not require any additional Vet Certificate.
Full Loss of Use coverage is available for horses ages 2-12 years, and requires the submission of our Full Loss of Use Vet Certificate for coverage consideration. This exam includes a basic health exam as well as flexion tests and narratives of the required 18-20 X-rays. A drug screen taken at the time of the exam is also required for horses valued over $25,000.
Please contact us for more information if you are interested in either of these coverages, or review the specific policy wording on the Coverages For Your Horse page.
15. I've heard that if a Loss of Use claim is paid, the company can take the horse, is this true?
There is a provision in the Loss of Use coverage wording that gives the company the authority to take possession of a horse in the event a Loss of Use claim is paid. This is not a common occurrence but is necessary to prevent fraud. Typically, the company would work with you to determine the horse's residual value (the value of the horse in the condition it is in after the injury) and that amount would be deducted from the Loss of Use payout so that you would keep your horse.
16. Is there any type of infertility coverage for my breeding stallion?
You can consider adding the Stallion Infertility for Accident, Sickness and Disease coverage to your mortality policy. This coverage helps protect you in the event your proven breeding stallion is permanently unable to get mares in foal as the result of an accident, sickness or disease. Only stallions who have completed their first season of breeding with mares confirmed in foal and/or who are not returning to the breeding shed after a lapse in time are eligible (they must have mares in foal/foals on the ground from the prior and/or current breeding season to be considered).
17. Can I get Medical or Surgical coverage without Mortality coverage?
No. The Full Mortality coverage is the base policy. Medical or Surgical coverages are additional options which can be added to the Full Mortality policy.
18. What happens if my horse develops a health problem or lameness during the policy? Will the company renew the coverage?
In the majority of cases, the company will offer renewal with an exclusion for the specific problem depending on its severity.
Remember that you still have mortality coverage for a reported condition under the Guaranteed Extension for an additional 12 months following the policy expiration date.
19. Why would I need liability coverage for my horse?
If your horse injures a third party or damages their property, you could be faced with a lawsuit. Even if the lawsuit is frivolous and you were not at fault, you can still be sued and it can be costly to defend yourself. Many horse owners assume they have coverage for their equestrian activities under their homeowner's policy, but you should check with your agent. Ask for written confirmation and make sure coverage applies if you take your horse off your property to a horse show, trail ride, etc.
Equine Third Party Liability Coverage is available as an addition to your mortality policy. This coverage provides an annual aggregate limit of $25,000.
You could also consider a stand-alone Equine Personal Liability policy which offers limits of $300,000, $500,000, or $1 million for up to five horses with the ability to add additional horses. The stand-alone policy is not offered in the states of Washington, New Hampshire, Alaska, or Hawaii
20. I board my horse, so I don't need liability coverage, right?
Actually, you do. If your horse got loose and caused a car accident, both the stable owner and you as the horse owner would likely be sued. Equine Personal Liability coverage will help protect you.
21. What documents are required to insure my horse?
You would need to complete and submit our Equine Mortality Application. If you are requesting a value higher than the initial purchase price, or if the horse is a homebred, please submit justification of value as well. We do not require you to send coggins, photos, appraisals, etc. A Veterinary Certificate is required for horses valued over $100,000, and a Foal Veterinary Certificate is required for foals under 30 days old.
22. Can I renew my policy by phone?
We cannot bind or renew coverage over the phone; a signed application is required each year. Renewal applications cannot be signed and submitted more than 30 days prior to the policy expiration date. Forms are available on our website and applications can be submitted to us by email, fax or mail; the original copy is not required.
23. How do I increase the insured value of my horse after I have a policy?
If you have owned the horse for a minimum 3-6 months, value increases can be requested during the current policy term. Please submit a Statement of Health form along with any of the following: show records (including results/size of classes), USEF/breed registration number, letter from your trainer stating the reasons for the increase in value, summary of training expenses, winnings, and/or breeding history. Once we receive this information, we can ask underwriting to consider the increase in value and if approved, the additional premium is pro-rated through the end of the existing policy. Value increases can also be requested at renewal if you prefer.
24. What are my payment options?
You can pay by credit or debit card, e-check, Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay through our Invoice Cloud portal, or by mailing a personal check or money order.
Payment plans are available. If you are on a payment plan and wish to pay the policy off early, you may do so with no penalty.
25. What if I cancel my policy?
If you cancel your policy, all coverage premiums except for the Territorial Limits Including Transit are returned on a pro-rated basis. The Territorial/Transit premium is fully earned, so there would be no return premium on that coverage.
Premiums are fully earned in the event of a claim.
See #8 for information on fully earned premiums.
26. How can I request cancellation of my policy?
Requests must be made in writing, either by email, fax or mail or by clicking the "Request A Policy Change" button on our home page. A copy of the Bill of Sale is required to make the cancellation effective on the date of sale.
27. Do I need to make changes to my policy if I will be leasing my horse out?
You can name the lessee on the policy if you would like to but are not required by the company to do so.
28. Do I need to notify Hallmark if my horse will be traveling or changing barns?
If the horse will remain within the United States (lower 48 states) and/or Canada, then no, the only address we keep on file is your current home address. Any International travel (beyond Canada) does need to be reported to and approved by the company and an additional premium would be charged.
Please contact us immediately if your home address or email address changes so we can update your file
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