Equestrian Contents - What you need to know
The contents of your yard, or tack room, can be a lifetime's accumulation of kit and also represents a sizeable investment. Do you have the spare funds to replace them in the event of a fire, theft or flood?
From custom saddles, to specialist bits and bridles, rugs and clippers, to jumps and arena equipment. The contents of your yard can quickly add up to a sizeable value, and one that may not be easily replaceable should you suffer a break-in or fire.
How to insure?
Insuring your tack can be done in several ways. From extensions on household policies to extensions on horse insurance policies, or even as a standalone policy.
Many horse insurance policies will have a £3,500 limit for tack and saddlery, which would exclude many of the popular French saddlery brands. These items may be more suited to being a named item on a household policy, or being covered for by a standalone "tack room" policy.
Household Extensions
Insuring your saddlery under a house insurance policy could represent a cost effective option. Check policy wording to ensure that there isn't a single item value limit, and discuss individual values with your insurer. Some policies may also have stipulations around where items can be kept. If your saddlery is not kept at the insured address, or is away from the main property, this may cause a problem.
Contents Insurance
When securing equestrian buildings insurance for stable yards many policies will have the option to insure the building contents as well. This will often extend further than simply insuring saddles and bridles, and could encompass a vast array of equestrian kit, and may include feed and forage as well.
Exploring these policies further with your broker can be a worthwhile exercise and provide owners with a much wider level of cover.
Building and contents insurance will often cover perils such as theft, malicious damage, fire and flood.
Security
Regardless of how you look to insure your equestrian contents security will always be a key question. Tack rooms and storage lockers will need to be secured with a 5-lever mortice lock to be covered by insurance. In the event of a theft it will need to be proven that the building or tack room was locked at the time of the theft. Some policies will also require an alarm system. The value you are insuring for and individual policy may dictate whether this is a bells alarm or one that requires monitoring by a call centre.
When taking equipment away from home consideration needs to be given to how this is stored. Do not leave kit in an open tack locker in a horsebox, it is inviting thefts. Always ensure it is securely locked away when left unattended.
Whatever equestrian property you are looking to insure, talk to a member of the Shearwater team and they can suggest the most appropriate insurance for your individual need.