Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year From everyone at Milbourn Equine Horse insurance provides financial protection for horse owners and can provide re-assurance that funds are available to meet the costs of veterinary treatment should your horse need major treatment or surgery. There are a wide variety of horse insurance policies available to cover against: • Theft or straying • Death of the horse • Veterinary fees • Loss of use • Theft of tack • Public liability Veterinary fees insurance policy can vary considerably and it is important to check the total sum available as some policies only have a £3,500 limit which may be insufficient for major surgeries. Some policies will offer a higher excess in exchange for a lower premium and many offer cover for complementary therapies. Loss of use cover protects against your horse being permanently incapable of the purpose for which it is insured. The policy will usually pay a percentage (50-100%) of the total sum insured when a horse is diagnosed with a condition from which it will not recover. Cover is usually available from 30 days of age and many insurers now offer geriatric horse policies which may have reduced cover. The level of premium will usually vary with the value of the horse, activities for which the horse is used and type of cover desired. If your horse has had previous problems, e.g.: laminitis, then insurers are likely to exclude conditions relating to that pre-existing condition. It is important to remember that if your horse is treated for a condition that this may be excluded from future policies even if the insurers were not notified at the time. Public liability insurance is often a feature of membership of organisations such as the British Horse Society, Riding Clubs etc. but it is prudent to check the details of this cover as sometimes you are covered only whilst doing riding club activities for example. We do not recommend any specific company and deal with all major insurers. As with all forms of insurance, it is often worthwhile comparing the cover on offer from the various companies to find the one that best meets your needs. Veterinary Dedication, Care and Trust www.milbournequine.co.uk Ashford: 01233 500505 Hawkhurst: 01580 752301 Rye: 01797 208128 Canterbury: 01227 200992 Winter Newsletter 2016 Horse Insurance By Howard Newitt BVetMed, CertEP, MRCVS Advanced Practitioner in Equine Practice. Festive Greetings to our Four Legged Friends too! Client Evening Our Hawkhurst team held an informative client evening in November at Bodiam International Arena. With talks from Howard Newitt on our Equine Healthcare Plan, Harriet Fairhurst on Winterhealth Checks and Reuben Whittaker on Wound Management, although his gory wound photos were almost too much for some of the audience! It was nice to see so many of our clients attending. We will be closed 24-27th December and the 31st -2nd January. Of course we are still available during these times should your horse need emergency care, as always phone your local office number and a vet will quickly be in touch. CHRISTMAS OPENING TIMES Barretts Land Rover and Jaguar are offering Milbourn Equine clients a £200 credit voucher towards their vet bills. All you have to do is buy a new or used car from Barretts Land Rover or Jaguar and produce proof that you are a client of Milbourn Equine. Call for further details. Terms and conditions apply.
Transcript
Merry Christmas and a Happy New YearFrom everyone at Milbourn Equine
Horse insurance provides financial protection for horse owners and can provide re-assurance that funds are available to meet the costs of veterinary treatment should your horse need major treatment or surgery.There are a wide variety of horse insurance policies available to cover against: • Theft or straying • Death of the horse • Veterinary fees • Loss of use• Theft of tack • Public liability
Veterinary fees insurance policy can vary considerably and it is important to check the total sum available as some policies only have a £3,500 limit which may be insufficient for major surgeries. Some policies will offer a higher excess in exchange for a lower premium and many offer cover for complementary therapies. Loss of use cover protects against your horse being permanently incapable of the purpose for which it is insured. The policy will usually pay a percentage (50-100%) of the total sum insured when a horse is diagnosed with a condition from which it will not recover.Cover is usually available from 30 days of age and many insurers now offer geriatric horse policies which may have reduced cover. The level of premium will usually vary with the value of the horse, activities for which the horse is used and type of cover desired. If your horse has had previous problems, e.g.: laminitis, then insurers are likely to exclude conditions relating to that pre-existing condition. It is important to remember that if your horse is treated for a condition that this may be excluded from future policies even if the insurers were not notified at the time. Public liability insurance is often a feature of membership of organisations such as the British Horse Society, Riding Clubs etc. but it is prudent to check the details of this cover as sometimes you are covered only whilst doing riding club activities for example. We do not recommend any specific company and deal with all major insurers. As with all forms of insurance, it is often worthwhile comparing the cover on offer from the various companies to find the one that best meets your needs.
Horse Insurance By Howard Newitt BVetMed, CertEP, MRCVS Advanced Practitioner in Equine Practice.
Festive Greetings to our Four Legged Friends too!
Client EveningOur Hawkhurst team held an informative client evening in November at Bodiam International Arena.
With talks from Howard Newitt on our Equine Healthcare Plan, Harriet Fairhurst on Winterhealth Checks and Reuben Whittaker on Wound Management, a l though his gory wound photos were almost too much for some of the audience! It was nice to see so many of our clients attending.
We will be closed 24-27th December and the 31st -2nd January. Of course we are still available during these times should your horse need emergency care, as always phone your local office number and a vet will quickly be in touch.
CHRISTMAS OPENING TIMES
Barretts Land Rover and Jaguar are offering Milbourn Equine clients a £200 credit voucher towards their vet bills. All you have to do is buy a new or used car from Barretts Land Rover or Jaguar and produce proof that you are a client of Milbourn Equine. Call for further details. Terms and conditions apply.
Take advantage of the quieter winter months to give your horse a full health check, make sure your horses vaccines are up to date, get their teeth checked and rasped, review your worming protocol and get any little niggles / concerns checked out before it’s too late.Milbourn Equine offer a WINTER HEALTH CHECK for £95 which covers a full clinical examination, dental check and blood sample to test your horses internal organs as well as a faecal worm egg count to check for worms and allow us to advise on worming. This a great opportunity to ensure your horse is in peak condition and discuss any concerns with one of our vets. Other things to check include;Regularly assess your horse’s weight/condition and feed accordinglyIt is important to critically assess your horse’s body condition regularly and this can be neglected in the cold, wet winter months when they are fully rugged the whole time. Despite the lack of good grass at this time of year forage should form the bulk of their ration in the form of hay/haylage. Hard feed should be fed according to workload and body condition not just because someone else is feeding it. Some horses will need nothing other than good hay and a balancer. As work levels increase/decrease keep an eye on condition and again adjust if necessary, then once the spring grass comes through you may need to make further changes.Regular grooming and hoof careA thorough daily/weekly groom can help to prevent skin problems and allows you to spot any cuts/scrapes, mud fever or lumps and bumps so you can deal with them straight away. Hairy winter coats can hide things if you aren’t thorough! Pick out your horses feet daily and be on the lookout for thrush which is so common in this wet weather.Saddle fitDon’t assume that the saddle you used all last year will still fit; your horse will change shape throughout the year and as they grow and mature. Get a qualified saddler out to check it at least yearly (and more regularly if needed) rather than once the horse has a sore back or is bucking you off! It can also be useful to have your horse checked over regularly by a qualified physiotherapist to keep them in top shape & feeling well. Turnout regardless of weatherIdeally turn your horses out every day regardless of weather or field conditions. It is good for their health helping prevent respiratory problems and colic, as well as keeping them sane and helping to prevent boredom. If field turnout is totally impossible try turning out in the arena for a few hours, or at the very least ride/lunge them daily.Stable ventilationWith the inevitable increase in time spent stabled over the winter it is vital to make sure the stable is well ventilated, regularly mucked out and hay and bedding is not dusty. Whilst the thought of a cosy stable with the windows all shut up might appeal to us good ventilation is key to respiratory health and reducing spread of viruses.Ensure your horse is warm and dry but don’t over rugInvest in a good waterproof rug and make sure your horse is dry underneath after even the heaviest of rain. Take care that your horse doesn’t become too hot though when the weather is mild, being sweaty under the rug is as bad as being wet and can result in skin problems. Often a waterproof lightweight is enough, especially if your horse isn’t clipped. If your horse is overweight take advantage of the cold weather to allow him to lose some weight!!WaterIt might sound obvious but check your horse has water that is clean, not frozen over and not surrounded by a bottomless sea of mud! Some horses prefer slightly warm water and if they are very fussy it can help to put apples in the buckets to encourage drinking and prevent dehydration and possible impaction colic.Keep their routine variedIt can be hard with all the wet and icy weather but it is very important to avoid just spending your whole time trotting endless circles in the arena. Incorporate weekly sessions of pole work/jumping and go to the beach or the gallops as much as possible, which not only helps fitness levels but keeps horses fresh and interested.Personal fitnessAs you concentrate on your horse’s fitness don’t forget about your own! Pilates is great for core strength in riders, regular running (or even walking) is very beneficial to make sure that when out riding you don’t end up more tired than your horse!
