Horse mortality: when do horses die?

There are of course occasions where horses die in competition, such as a heart attack at the end of the cross country, or a broken leg following a fall. However, in our experience these types of horse mortality incidents are few and far between, and your horse is far more likely to die at home. It makes sense, if you horse competes 20 times a year, that leaves 345 days at home. That is 95% of the time.

Illness, paddock accidents that won’t heal; chronic, degenerative and progressive lameness and colic are the incidents which we see most often resulting in a horse mortality case. These as often as not occur over the winter months and are not solely picked up when a horse is competing over the summer months. Insurers are often reluctant to offer four or six month insurance policies, and when insisting on a 12 month policy they are protecting your best interests rather than their own!