Most people who insure a horse for mortality and/or major medical coverage have read their policy and heard from their insurance agent that immediate notification to the insurance company upon any illness, injury or lameness to the animal is imperative to maintaining coverage.

Last fall, a case decided in U.S. District Court for the North District of Illinois further confirmed the importance of this aspect of the contract. The court found in favor of the insurer, Great American Insurance Co., after a breach of contract claim was made by the owner of an insured horse.

The company had denied coverage because it was not notified in a timely manner of the horse's lameness.

This particular case, Hauser vs. Great American Insurance Co., also brings attention to the importance of having proper documentation and protocols in place when leasing a horse and placing the animal in the care of another.

 EMO: Meet Clients Jason Martin & Charlie Cole

Jason Martin and Charlie Cole own High Point Performance Horses located in 
Pilot Point, Texas. They specialize in training all-around horses, from western pleasure and trail to jumping and barrel racing.  

Charlie Cole and Jason Martin

At High Point they have approximately 45 to 50 horses in training and show throughout the country, from Florida to California. They are also sought-after clinicians, and teach around the country and internationally each year.    

Charlie has been involved with horses for more than 35 years and has trained more than 50 American Quarter Horse Association World Champions. He's also an AQHA, American Paint Horse Association and NSBA judge and has judged The All-American Quarter Horse Congress, The European Championships, Italian Championships, The Reichert Celebration and the Paint World Show. He's been the leading exhibitor at the APHA world show three times and has won 12 AQHA World Championships and 16 APHA World Championships.  

Jason has won more than 30 AQHA World Championships and has been the leading exhibitor at the AQHA World Show five times and won the APHA leading exhibitor award twice. In 2010, he won the Junior, Green and Senior Western Riding at the Congress, and he won the Senior Western Riding five consecutive times at the World Championship Show. In 2010, Jason won both the Junior and Senior Western riding at the World Show.

Some of their famous show horses have included Harley D Zip, the all-time leading point-earning horse in AQHA, the all-time leader in Incentive Fund earnings with well over $100,000 and winner of 17 World Championships. They also competed Vital Signs Are Good, considered one of the greatest show mares that ever lived. She won 11 World Championships and more than 30 Congress Championships, as well as having the highest recorded score in Western Riding. Their Acadamosby Award won 35 World and Reserve World Championships, more than any other horse in AQHA history.  

They currently stand six stallions at High Point, including VS Flatline, Slick By Design, VS Code Red, The Big Sensation, Hot Ones Only and Hubba Hubba Huntin. All of their stallions have earned World or Reserve World titles in their respective breeds and disciplines. 

In 2012 and '13, their presence was also felt on the Pro Rodeo Circuit, where their Slick By Design was the 2012 World Champion Junior Barrel Racing winner, with Michele McLeod, and has lifetime earnings of more than $230,000. Slick By Design was ranked No. 5 in the world WPRA 2013 standings, and his first crop of foals are just hitting the ground.