Mortality Insurance

Our mortality cover is all-risk, meaning we cover death from accident, illness, disease, colic, injury requiring humane destruction, and other unforeseen causes. Covered causes include colic surgery complications, severe lameness requiring humane destruction, illness, infection, and accident-related death. The main exclusions are death from intentional slaughter (not for humane reasons), starvation due to owner negligence, working the horse beyond its physical capacity, or pre-existing conditions explicitly declared to us at inception. Each policy lists specific exclusions—review these carefully during underwriting.

No, we can provide a quote without a vet certificate. However, if your horse is valued over NZ$57,500, a vet certificate from an approved veterinary surgeon is required before we can issue the policy. This is standard practice across NZ insurers to protect against over-insurance and fraud. The certificate confirms the horse's current health, soundness, and age. For sport horses, the vet may also assess rideability and suitability for the discipline.

We aim to settle legitimate mortality claims within 10 working days of receiving all necessary documentation. This includes a vet's report confirming death, proof of ownership, and our completed claim form. In most cases, settlement is faster than this—we understand that losing a horse is devastating and want to help quickly. For straightforward claims, we sometimes settle within 3–5 working days. We can often process claims by phone or email to speed things up.

Yes, you can increase your cover at any time by providing an updated valuation. If you're increasing cover by more than 25 per cent, we may require an updated vet certificate, especially for sport horses. Contact us with new valuations and we'll adjust your premium and cover accordingly. This is particularly important for young horses being trained or sport horses being promoted to higher levels, as their value may increase significantly.

Yes, theft is included in our all-risk mortality cover. This protects against loss of your horse through theft whilst it's in your care. For sport horses worth over NZ$57,500, we may ask about security measures at your property as part of underwriting. This includes theft from paddocks, yards, agistment facilities, or competition venues. Theft claims require a police report and documentation of ownership and loss.

If your horse dies as a direct result of an accident during loading, transit, or unloading, this is covered by our mortality policy. This is one reason many owners choose our cover—we recognise that transport is a genuine risk point. If you're transporting frequently to competitions or events, our transit insurance is also worth considering as a complementary cover that protects during the journey itself.

For a mortality claim, we require: (1) a veterinary certificate of death or vet report confirming humane destruction was necessary; (2) proof of ownership (registration papers, purchase invoice, or agistment agreement); (3) our completed claim form; (4) proof of premium payment; and (5) any relevant police report if theft is involved. We may request additional documentation depending on circumstances. Our claims team will advise exactly what's needed when you notify us of a claim.

No, our mortality cover is active immediately upon policy issue. There's no waiting period for covered causes. This means you're protected from day one. However, if you have a known pre-existing condition, we may apply a specific exclusion for that condition. Always declare any health issues, lameness, or previous veterinary problems during quotation so we can underwrite fairly.