Transit Insurance

Transit cover pays for injury or death occurring whilst your horse is being loaded, travelling, or being unloaded. This includes accidents on public roads, float/horse float breakdowns resulting in injury, accidents at event grounds or competition venues, and emergencies during air or sea transport. The cover is active from moment of loading until unloading at the destination. This is comprehensive—it covers the entire transport journey, not just movement on public roads.

Transit can be purchased as a standalone policy for specific journeys or as an annual add-on to your mortality cover. We recommend annual cover for horses transported frequently to competitions or events. Single-trip cover (typically NZ$80–NZ$150) is cost-effective for occasional moves, whilst annual cover (NZ$300–NZ$500) is better value if you transport more than 3–4 times per year.

Transit cover is about protecting your horse, not the vehicle. Your driver should have appropriate vehicle insurance and a valid driving licence. We don't require specialist driver certification, but horses are safest when transported by experienced, careful drivers who understand equine behaviour. If you transport your own horse, ensure you're a confident driver and your vehicle is roadworthy.

If injury occurs during loading and veterinary care is needed, contact us and your vet immediately. We'll authorise emergency treatment. Provide your vet with your policy details and they can often invoice us directly. We cover emergency vet fees resulting from loading-related injuries. Many horses panic during loading—our cover protects you financially if this results in injury requiring veterinary treatment.

Yes, we can arrange international transit cover for airfreight shipments. This typically covers the horse whilst in care of the airline, including crating, loading, flight, and unloading at destination. You may need specific international equestrian transport documentation and health certificates depending on the destination country. New Zealand to Australia, Europe, and other destinations are all available. International freight is expensive, so cover is worth the investment.

If your horse dies as a direct result of a transport accident or incident during covered transit, this is a claimable event under the transit policy. You'll need documentation from the transporter and a vet's report if available. The claim limit applies—typically the insured value of the horse or the agreed cover amount. Death claims are treated seriously and processed swiftly.

Transit cover typically applies to horses you own and are responsible for. If you're transporting someone else's horse (e.g., moving a client's horse for them, or transporting a horse you've purchased before ownership transfers), notify us of the details. The horse owner should ideally have their own cover, but we can sometimes extend yours to cover the journey.

For a transit claim, we need: (1) details of the incident (date, location, how it occurred); (2) transporter/driver details and contact information; (3) veterinary documentation if the horse was injured or died; (4) proof of ownership; (5) photographs of damage if property is involved; and (6) our completed claim form. Contact us immediately after an incident so we can advise exactly what to collect and preserve.