Own horses long enough and you’re bound to encounter one equine-health-related woe or another. Despite your best efforts, these equine friends are all too susceptible to injury and illness. Most of the time the health issues are minor, resulting in veterinary bills that don’t cause you to turn pale. But when the really bad stuff strikes, all bets are off–including whether your pocketbook can handle the costs of care.

I’m sorry to say that I speak from experience here. In my horse-owning lifetime I’ve sent one horse to colic surgery (twice), had another laid up for months with a frustrating unsoundness, and had still another that required a series of expensive diagnostic procedures. I’ve also had the worst happen, when a mare sustained a freak injury and had to be euthanized.

The only bright spots in these difficult situations were my equine insurance policies, which helped pay the high costs of veterinary care. And in the case of the mare that died, her policy enabled me to purchase a new horse.

Could you benefit from insuring your horse? What kinds of coverage are available? In this article veteran equine insurance agents will help explain the options