We've just joined the BHS, updated

newforest

newforest

Well-Known Member
Mar 15, 2008
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Actually to get the insurance, because NFU have simply priced themselves out of the market.
We've been with them from day one, but the premium for this year is beyond ridiculous.

I have been with them before years ago.
We won their photography competition one year, I think I joined just so I could have a go at that.
 
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How odd. I did the same and joined the BHS when I went on my first hack. I misunderstood the insurance situation and wrongly thought that I needed their 3rd party before I could ride a horse on a road (a bit like car insurance). I took out life membership which was not that expensive as I was already over 60.
But what is your insurance for? As mine was 3rd party. Mine doesnt cover the horse I am riding and isnt vet insurance. Moreover if you have 3rd party on your home insurance, it is said that BHS dont pay up. They provide only insurance of last resort.
 
The bhs 3rd party insurance cove if your horse damages something/someone. A bit pointless for your riding skib as the riding school will have their own insurance. If you want insurance so cover your own injuries then you need rider insurance.

The 3rd party means that if someone (with permission) is riding or leading your horse and the horse causes damages then you are covered.

It is a requirement for a lot of livery yards and alot of competition/events you may do as a rider/handler.

For example my friend was unloading her horse at a show. As he came down the ramp he got scared, spun round and kicked out. He kicked a car. So friends 3rd part insurance paid to fix the car.
 
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I insured J with NFU many years ago and then the last time it was up for renewal it was an absolutely ridiculous quote. So I went with KBIS and have been with them ever since for the girls and now Zi. NFU didn't want to insure J in the first place, they actually said I was lucky to have got a plan with them. I remember trying to get Storm insured with them and they would only accept her if I bought some other policies. It was all a bit messy.


Glad you won their photography comp though @newforest
 
So, in newforests case, if she was riding it handling her horse and horse damaged something then the insurance would pay. Similarly if the horse say got out of her field, she would be covered for any damages caused.
 
Think there are different levels of bhs insurance you can take out.
The girl who used to ride chunky had there gold membership. Think that covers riding other peoples horses, so she has third party in the event of her having an accident on my horse. I also have third party. I know my insurance doesnt cover other people riding my horse, certainly not for injury but i never quite understood if my third party covered my horse in the event of an accident if someone else was riding. Its so confusing.
Especially when you consider you cant have two policies wirh two different companies.

I never understood loaning a horse. The owner was covered but i as the loaner also took out insurance.
 
Skib said:
This is true. Though I didnt realise that 20 years ago. But I no longer ride from a riding school. Our yard has sharers and each rider needs their own 3rd party insurance.
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I think you would have to be careful as that would be a financial agreement?

You said 3rd party dosnt cover the horse you are riding. So I am confused. What was your 3rd party covering if not the horse?
 
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@chunky monkey it covers damage your horse causes to other people/property. It dosnt cover any vet bills caused to your horse. It’s just the same as 3rd party car insurance.
 
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Skib said:
This is true. Though I didnt realise that 20 years ago. But I no longer ride from a riding school. Our yard has sharers and each rider needs their own 3rd party insurance.
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I hope your yard is properly licensed for this type of arrangement. “Sharing” is sometimes seen as a way of avoiding being viewed as a business, but it is still hiring out horses to ride, whether there is instruction or not, and therefore requires a licence.
 
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Yep 3rd party never covers the horse or rider, only the 3rd party - someone else or their things damaged by the horse ie escapes from the field and causes an accident or kicks a car while being hacked or injures someone else or their horse.
Personal accident covers the rider, but normally only in the event of permanent injury, not for an injury you can recover from or income loss or anything.
Bhs gold includes both of those and covers the policy holder for all horses in their care.
Death and/or Vet fees cover would be needed for any cover for the horse, this isn’t an option from bhs but is commonplace for horse specific policies.
 
Trewsers said:
I insured J with NFU many years ago and then the last time it was up for renewal it was an absolutely ridiculous quote. So I went with KBIS and have been with them ever since for the girls and now Zi. NFU didn't want to insure J in the first place, they actually said I was lucky to have got a plan with them. I remember trying to get Storm insured with them and they would only accept her if I bought some other policies. It was all a bit messy.


Glad you won their photography comp though @newforest
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They wanted £720 and changing the policy was selling me something I didn't want. So that made it £155, as I couldn't take the extra thing off.
At the present we just want third party, while I look into options on the vet fees cover.
 
Skib said:
@Sparky Lily Our yard is legal - But outside the norm, because it is a charity and operates only in the Royal Parks. We dont ride outside on public roads. Whereas when I rode at nearby RSs we could take the horses across the Pegasus crossings to other commons and to the pub.
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Where you ride is irrelevant to the issue of licensing. Any organisation or individual hiring out horses, as in your sharing agreement, requires a licence. If your yard is licensed, well and good. It is also a legal requirement to quote the license on the yard’s website (if it has one).
 
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I think you get free tickets to various things through the BHS membership.

I went with a charity for my insurance so no free tickets but I'm hopefully helping a horse or two somewhere.
chunky monkey said:
Think there are different levels of bhs insurance you can take out.
The girl who used to ride chunky had there gold membership. Think that covers riding other peoples horses, so she has third party in the event of her having an accident on my horse. I also have third party. I know my insurance doesnt cover other people riding my horse, certainly not for injury but i never quite understood if my third party covered my horse in the event of an accident if someone else was riding. Its so confusing.
Especially when you consider you cant have two policies wirh two different companies.

I never understood loaning a horse. The owner was covered but i as the loaner also took out insurance.
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Just to clarify - you can generally have multiple policies but you can't claim on two policies for the same event :)
 
@Skib I don't think people are being unreasonable in what they are saying, this isn't the first time I've heard of places saying horses have sharers to avoid licensing and insurance requirements and if there's a bad accident it can be a major problem for all parties. Maybe they don't want to see you end up in a legal mess if something happened. As you say this is a public forum, and as such members are entitled to post their own thoughts.
 
I think people were just concerned Skib.

It is a geniune loop hole or grey area that some establishments try to take advantage of, which is fine until there is an accident.

If yours is all above board, that's great.

As it is a public forum, you might possibly want to possibly amend some of your posts as I think your yard is now identifiable wity the information on this post (combined with previous posts). It might not worry you or the yard, but thought I'd mention it just in case you don't want it or your identity revealed online.
 
chunky monkey said:
Think there are different levels of bhs insurance you can take out.
The girl who used to ride chunky had there gold membership. Think that covers riding other peoples horses, so she has third party in the event of her having an accident on my horse. I also have third party. I know my insurance doesnt cover other people riding my horse, certainly not for injury but i never quite understood if my third party covered my horse in the event of an accident if someone else was riding. Its so confusing.
Especially when you consider you cant have two policies wirh two different companies.

I never understood loaning a horse. The owner was covered but i as the loaner also took out insurance.
Click to expand...
It will say in the policy details what the third party covers. You, or anyone else riding, handling with your permission if you are covered.
My old insurance covers me if someone else was handling her, but not if someone else rode her.
Another plus point for the BHS as they do cover me if someone else happens to be sitting on her at the time.

My old insurance wouldn't touch you if you didn't own the horse.
 
Update.

Now looking for insurance to cover vet fees.

What do you guys think about Pet Plan, happy to look into others you have knowledge of.
Not NFU that's who we are leaving, mainly because they are selling me two things in the policy I actually don't want.

I don't want to have to pay for loss of use, when both the vet and insurance company say you won't be able to prove it, so they will never pay out!
I don't wish to have loss of horse, she's not a car, giving me a cheque won't replace her.
This brings me onto my next question, why do they charge you more with the value of the animal?
 
Death, theft and straying is a pretty standard part of most policies, and the pay out on that is why it’s so dependent on value. That and because a horse considered more valuable, they calculate it more likely to have more vet investigations.

I used to use seib, they were always good with me, but I think the service went downhill over the years and I know my vet wasn’t exactly singing their praises last time we had to deal with them.
 
I use SEIB and they started off well but now seem as picky and avoiding as any other insurance group. I know they're a broker, but still, whose side are they on?
 
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