Horse Riding Insurance for Children

Top questions answered by us

• How much does this policy cost and what does it pay out?

  The Horse Riding Insurance for Children policy will pay out £500,000 - £1,000,000 where a riding injury leads to paraplegia, quadriplegia, or the loss of two or more limbs.

  This compares to a typical pay out of £10-£30k from standard sports personal accident insurance policies.

  It's an annual personal accident policy, offering parents flexibility over the amount of cover required. Pricing is as follows:

  £150 per year for £500,000 of cover
  £200 per year for £750,000 of cover
  £250 per year for £1,000,000 of cover
  

  This includes insurance premium tax.

• What other personal accident policies are available for young riders?

  There are a number of alternative options for parents looking to insure young riders against the risk of serious riding injuries. This usually involves buying a generic rider insurance policy, which is designed to cover a wider range of risks, and not just personal accident. (These risks include loss of school fees, damage to tack, and third party liability.)

  Popular choices for general young rider insurance include:

  • The Young Rider Plan from Pet Plan Equine pays out £10k in the event of permanent total disability
  • The E and L Horse Rider Policy pays out up to £12.5k in the event that a riding accident leads to blindness, deafness, or losing two or more limbs
  • Youthguard Children's Sports Personal Accident Insurance from Sports Cover Direct provides a personal accident benefit for permanent total disability of between £10k and £30k, depending on the level of cover taken
  • NFU Mututal also has a rider insurance policy which includes personal accident cover; however, we have been unable to find the amount of the pay out for serious injuries in the policy documents

• Who is the underwriter for the policy?

  The policy is underwritten by Canopius Underwriting Limited on behalf of Syndicate 4444 at Lloyd's of London, and administered by PJ Hayman & Company Limited.

• Does the policy cover riders at university or equine colleges?

  The policy covers riders who are under 18, or who are aged 18-23 and in full-time education (including at universities and equine colleges)

• Does the policy cover professional riders?

  No, the policy is for amateur riders only.

• Does the policy include cover for Polo?

  Yes, young riders are insured if they are playing Polo.

• What are the risks of riding horses?

  There is a material risk of suffering serious spinal injury as a result of horse riding - in fact the Stoke Mandeville spinal injuries specialist Dr. John Silver has shown that this risk is higher than in motorcycling. High-profile casualties include the late actor Christopher Reeve, who was left quadriplegic after his horse refused at a jump in an equestrian event in 1995, and The Times journalist Melanie Reid, who writes the weekly Spinal Column about her experiences.

  In the UK, there are around 15 admissions to spinal injury units as a result of horse riding accidents each year. Academic studies have shown young amateur female riders are the group most at risk, while jumping & point to point are the most dangerous activities

• Which other sports are covered by the policy?

  Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Canoeing, Clay Pigeon Shooting, Cricket, Curling, Cycling, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Handball, Hiking, Hockey, Netball, Orienteering, Polo, Racket Ball, Rounders, Rowing, Rugby, Running, Sailing, Softball, Squash, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Trekking, Volleyball, Water Polo, and Yachting

• Don’t schools insure children against horse riding injuries?

  Some schools which offer horse riding do provide Personal Accident cover for pupils, and it may be included in the fees at private schools. If your child’s school does offer a Personal Accident scheme for pupils, we'd recommend checking the policy terms to ascertain:
  
  Whether catastrophic injuries sustained while riding would be covered under the policy?
  If the policy pay out would be enough to cover the ongoing costs of managing paraplegia or quadriplegia?
  If the policy covers injuries sustained in training as well as competition?
  
  If you don’t have a copy of the terms and conditions of the policy to hand, try getting in touch with the Bursary or Finance team at your child’s school.