Spotlight on Equine Loss of Use Insurance

If you ask a horsey friend or acquaintance about Equine Loss of Use insurance coverage, you might receive some interesting feedback, from "it never works" to "they'll take your horse to parts unknown!"

In reality, equine Loss of Use insurance isn't really all that dramatic. It's a form of equine insurance that's usually purchased by an owner who has made a sizeable investment in an animal and seeks to fully protect his assets.

A loss of use policy is purchased in conjunction with Equine Mortality Insurance (and often Equine Major Medical) and insures the horse in the event that the animal cannot perform the use for which it was purchased.

Two Types of Coverage

Loss of Use coverage is available in two different forms: Limited Loss of Use and Loss of Use.

Limited Loss of Use (also called Accidental Loss of Use) coverage is the most commonly purchased and covers the loss of use as the direct result of injury. So, if the horse has a traumatic jumping, trailer or paddock injury, for example, and is therefore unable to be used for its intended purpose, the animal would be covered.

Limited Loss of Use does not cover degenerative conditions, such as navicular, arthritis, degenerative joint disease, for example. In addition, loss of use coverage cannot be used to cover any infertility issues.

Loss of Use (also called Degenerative Loss of Use) offers the same coverage as above but also includes the degenerative conditions that the Limited Loss of Use does not.

To continue reading about Loss of Use and misconceptions, click here.

Today's risk of livestock heat stress.

 EMO: Tip of the Month

Cool Tips For Summer Heat

Parts of our country have experienced unusually hot and dry conditions this summer. In fact, some Midwest and East Coast cities recorded the hottest daytime temperatures since records began being kept, with Washington, D.C., tying its all-time record of 105 degrees.

Extreme heat is not only a concern for us, but also for our horses. The University of Kentucky issued a Livestock Heat-Stress Emergency late last month as their Livestock Heat Stress Index, a combination of air temperature and humidity, reached a point that was hazardous for animals. 

"Dew point temperatures above 65 degrees lead officials to declare conditions dangerous for livestock," said Tom Priddy, a meteorologist at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.

In times of extreme heat, the University of Kentucky livestock specialist Jeffrey Bewley said the most important things caretakers can do is provide cool, clean water and shade. Consider using electrolytes if your horse is in work, showing or otherwise losing salts through regular sweating.

Other helpful tips include clipping horses and ponies with heavy coats, applying fly spray regularly to keep them more comfortable and using zinc oxide on horses with pink noses to prevent sunburn.

If your horses are kept inside, barns should be as open as possible to help keep air circulating and their internal body temperatures within normal limits. Fans and sprinklers that spray a cool mist on horses are also suggested.

You should also refrain from shipping your horses during the hottest part of the days because heat quickly builds up in trailers even when the windows are open. In addition, try to plan your trip carefully so your horses won't have to stand on the trailer while you bed your stalls after arriving at a show or pack your trailer upon leaving.

So, how hot is too hot for your horses to be ridden or turned out? There's no easy answer to that question, but use your best judgment when asking your horse for physical exertion or leaving him turned out in the hot sun. 

Watch for excessive sweating or no sweating, panting, irregular heart beat or elevated pulse, elevated body temperature, depression and dehydration. Any of these signs are indicative of heat stress and should prompt a call to your veterinarian.   

The United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service offers a very useful website horsemen can access to view heat stress forecasts around the United States. 

These seven-day heat stress forecasts employ color-coded maps (see above) identifying areas of the country with predicted normal, alert, danger and emergency heat stress levels. This site also offers useful articles on heat stress, from identifying symptoms to minimizing the risk.