Q&A: Riding holiday insurance cover

Q: I am planning to take a horse riding holiday on a ranch in Arizona this year. Will ordinary holiday insurance cover be sufficient or do I need a specialist policy that takes into account the amount of riding we will be doing?

Simon Mackaness, director of insurance brokers SEIB, answers: On any type of holiday, it is vital that you have travel insurance for all the activities in which you will be taking part.

Any sport with an element of risk should be specified, regardless of whether or not the policy covers dangerous sports in general. In otherwords, horseriding should always be written into a policy. This may be included in your household policy, provided by your credit card supplier or arranged by your own travel insurers.

Your cover should also include the following in the countries where you will be staying or passing through:

• Accidental death – this will help take care of your family and dependants.
• Permanent disablement – in the event of an accident, this would provide some benefit for the future.
• Medical expenses – hospitalisation is very expensive in many countries, especially America.
• Liability – all too often today’s society likes to sue first and take responsibility for its actions later, so liability cover is important.
• Cancellation – make sure you are covered, so no money is lost.
• Baggage and travel delay – although not to be as financially important as those above, this should also be included.

Remember, with insurance it is always better to be safe than sorry.