For small-scale breeders with just one or two broodmares, welcoming a healthy foal is a thrilling moment – but it’s also a time of significant risk.
While professional breeders often accept some losses as part of the job, for small-scale breeders, a single incident can be devastating as the cost of breeding a horse is huge in the first place. Having the right insurance in place is one way to help manage those risks and protect both your mare and foal throughout the breeding journey.
Does standard horse insurance cover a broodmare and foal?
The short answer? Not really. Most standard equine insurance policies do cover broodmares, but usually only for general accidents, illness or mortality. If death results from pregnancy or foaling complications, a standard policy typically won’t pay out unless you’ve added specific breeding cover.
Equally, most standard veterinary fee policies exclude pregnancy-related issues, such as complications during foaling, injuries sustained during covering (whether natural or AI), or fertility treatments. However, some insurers will still cover illnesses unrelated to pregnancy, such as tendon injuries, even if the mare is in foal.
“Breeding risks generally aren’t included in standard policies,” explained Alice Holbrow, equine and partnership manager at Agria. “While we will insure a broodmare, in the UK, we apply a blanket exclusion to anything related to breeding risk.
“Breeders would need to look for specific breeding risk cover, but that can be difficult to find, as most products currently aren’t really designed for the amateur market.
“Breeding is inherently high-risk, and from a commercial perspective, it’s easier to insure, as the expectation is that experienced professionals are managing the process.”
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To be fully protected, you’ll likely need to explore specialist broodmare insurance – but be aware, many of these products are geared towards professional, sport horse breeders and can come at higher costs.
Brokers like KBIS, SEIB and Lycetts work with multiple underwriters to create bespoke policies, which aren’t always widely advertised but can include cover for veterinary fees, pregnancy complications, and loss of foal.
“We have a team of specialist brokers who can offer advice on the cover available to you and provide bespoke insurance products,” said Beth Hutchinson, account executive at Lycetts. “Policies to consider would include insuring the mare for all risks of mortality and emergency surgery costs.”
KBIS also offers a standard catastrophe breeding cover product. This includes protection for accidental external injuries and specific foaling risks such as uterine tears and C-sections.
“In addition, the same policy covers the foal for the first 89 days,” said Harriet Walker, KBIS operational manager. “It doesn’t cover congenital problems or illness, but most risk at that stage comes from foaling injuries or the foal’s early movements as they find their feet.”
When can you normally insure a foal?
For a normal horse insurance policy, foals are typically eligible for coverage at around 30 days old. “We have no age-related policies, and our lifetime equine insurance covers them from 30 days until the end of life,” Alice explains.
But there are specialist policies for younger foals. Lycetts and KBIS, for example, offer cover from 24 hours old, which gives you peace of mind during those critical early days after birth. Veterinary fee cover, however, usually starts a bit later, typically around 90 days old.
If you want coverage even earlier, you’ll need in-utero insurance. Some insurers – like Lycetts – offer cover for foals from around 42 days of gestation, and this isn’t limited to thoroughbreds. While in-utero insurance is more common in the racing industry, many providers will also insure sport horse foals – although it can be expensive.
Do your homework and check the small print
It’s essential to read the terms and conditions of any policy carefully. Pay close attention to exclusions, claim procedures and age limits. Some policies require specific health checks or declarations at certain stages of the pregnancy, and you’ll want to know exactly what’s expected to avoid invalidating your coverage.
Also, be aware that some policies exclude certain interventions, such as assisted foaling or treatment for retained placenta – check your terms carefully.
If in doubt, speak to an equine insurance broker who understands breeding risks – they can advise on the right policy for your setup.
“The key message for consumers is to read your policy wording carefully before putting your mare in foal and consider whether those risks are covered,” Alice added. “If you’re in any doubt, pick up the phone and speak to your insurance company – each provider will have different terms and conditions.”
The bottom line on broodmare and foal?
Standard horse insurance is unlikely to give you full protection for your broodmare and foal, but there are specialist options out there if you want extra peace of mind.
It’s worth weighing up the risks and speaking to both an expert and your current insurer to decide what level of cover feels right for you.
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Oscar joined Horse & Hound in October 2023 and is the magazine’s dressage editor and sports manager, overseeing coverage of equestrian sport. After studying equine science at Myerscough College, he spent four years working for leading dressage rider Emile Faurie, competing at the 2015 National Dressage Championships and travelling with the yard to CDIs including Aachen and Saumur. He holds a master’s degree in Literature from York St John University (2021).
