Horse Insurance for Beginners: The Cover and the Costs

Horse insurance is just as important as any other type of pet insurance and you will need to know what they cover and their costs. Horse insurance is often called equine insurance (from equus, the Latin name for horse). It is a specialist type of insurance that is usually provided by agricultural insurance companies rather than pet health insurance companies.

Even if you think of your horse as a pet, the ways that a horse is used means that the insurance provisions need to be different from those provided for cats, dogs and other smaller pets. Also, veterinarians often specialize in either small animals or large, farm animals, and horses come into the second category.

However, some equine insurance companies will also insure dogs. You may want to consider having a combined policy if you are one of the many horse owners who has dogs too. You may save some money by having all of your animals covered under one policy.

There are three major classes of risk that you will want to insure against. The first considers a horse as property, and insures you for the value of the horse in the event that it is stolen or suffers accidental death. (Most policies will not cover for your loss in the case of natural death).

The second is third party liability. This covers you in case your horse injures somebody or causes damage to somebody else’s property (including their horses). This may be an unlikely event but the compensation payouts can be high if it happens, so it is definitely something that you will want to have included in your horse insurance policy.

The third main class of risk is health care for your horse. This can cover veterinarian fees if your horse requires unexpected medical treatment. Most policies have strict rules about what is and is not covered here. Some policies only cover treatment for accidental injury, not for disease. Others will cover disease, but not if the horse was already suffering from it at the time that you took out the policy.

It is important to check your horse insurance policy carefully before signing up, to make sure that it includes everything that you expect. There is nothing worse than having insurance companies tell you that they will not cover the costs when you have a potential court case or your horse needs urgent medical care.

In addition, there are always limits on how much you can claim in any situation, and in many cases you have to make a contribution such as paying the first £100 of a claim.

There are so many variables when it comes to horse insurance, that it is very difficult to say how much it will cost without knowing more about your circumstances. Horse insurance rates can differ widely according to your use of your horse and the coverage that you need. A race horse will cost more to insure than a pony that is ridden only by your own kids. This is not only because the race horse is probably more valuable, but also because it is more likely to suffer an accident or injury.

If you have any kind of horse-related business, you will also need to take out a specialist insurance policy that covers the risks of that business. For example, if you are breeding horses, you may want to insure against a valuable stallion becoming infertile. If you run a riding school, you will need liability insurance to cover a situation where a rider may be injured and sues you.

For more information, contact Quintessentially Covered on +44 (0)845 474 9975 or visit www.QuintessentiallyCovered.com 

Vintage Jewellery Cleaning & Care

Buying vintage jewellery often gives you the chance to own something unique and because many of the pieces are costume jewellery they can be bought relatively cheaply. Whether you have bought it as an investment or simply because it just caught your eye, you need to look after and care for it to make sure it survives in the best possible condition for future generations.

Depending on the piece’s age it may already have some minor damage or have been mended in the past. To keep your vintage jewellery looking its best, always wear it with care because vintage jewellery can be tricky to repair. 

Pearls

Pearls often feature in vintage jewellery but pearls can be difficult to keep in good condition.  Pearls tend to flourish and bloom when they are worn regularly because they need the oils from your skin to nourish them and keep them 'living'. If they are not worn, they may lose their lustre so wear them, enjoy them, and they will tend to look after themselves. When cleaning, pearl jewellery never soak in water because it will damage the pearls.

Metal jewellery

Sterling silver jewellery may tarnish over time simply from general wear. If the piece is set with semi-precious stones, pearls or glass - never use a silver dip because this will submerge the whole piece and could cause moisture to get trapped behind the setting. Use a jewellery polishing cloth instead to keep jewellery dust-free.

Cameos

Cameos, shell cameos in particular, can discolour and crack from drying and aging so they require special care. To keep your cameos in top condition, completely cleanse them once or twice a year. To cleanse a cameo, use a gentle soft-bristle toothbrush in a mild soap-and-water solution. Rinse the cameo thoroughly with warm water immediately after cleaning the jewellery. Never soak cameos in any cleaning solution for more than 30 seconds.  It’s also important not to let your cameos dry out because they can begin to crack. Moisturise the cameo with mineral oil or baby oil and let it soak in overnight.

Paste jewellery

A lot of vintage, costume jewellery is made with paste stones. Paste is a collective word used for cut leaded glass that is faceted to resemble gems or precious stones. Paste jewels are often backed by a copper or silver lining. Take care not to get your diamante wet, water behind the stone will ruin the foil and stones become dull, the setting beneath them can go green or they can fall out altogether.  Clean paste set jewellery with a lint free cloth.

Storing your jewellery

To keep your jewellery looking its best always store pieces in a clean, dry place. Try and keep it separate too because you can inadvertently damage pieces by jumbling them altogether in one drawer or big jewellery box. Harder pieces such as diamonds and gems can scratch each other as well as the surface of gold jewellery.

If you can, keep the pieces separately. Whether it is a piece of vintage costume jewellery or something more expensive, if you have gone through the expense of buying the jewellery it makes sense to look after it. Why not buy a nice jewellery case that is designed for safely storing jewellery or, keep it in the original box or pouch it came in?

Don’t forget to insure your jewellery and other valuables in your home contents insurance cover. Check with your insurer because many will apply an overall limit. Individual pieces of jewellery above that limit may need to be specified separately