The short answer: equine mortality insurance usually costs between 2.9% and 4% of your horse’s insured value each year. Liability and farm policies price on their own, often as flat annual premiums.
So a horse valued at $10,000 commonly lands near $300 to $400 a year for mortality alone. Add Major Medical or Surgical and the number climbs, but so does what the policy pays when the vet bill arrives. The table below gives you a realistic starting point by value.
Horse insurance prices by value
| Insured value | Mortality per year | Mortality per month | With Major Medical per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $145 to $200 | $12 to $17 | $300 to $400 |
| $10,000 | $290 to $400 | $24 to $33 | $500 to $700 |
| $25,000 | $725 to $1,000 | $60 to $83 | $1,000 to $1,400 |
| $50,000 | $1,450 to $2,000 | $121 to $167 | $1,800 to $2,500 |
| $100,000 | $2,900 to $4,000 | $242 to $333 | $3,500 to $4,800 |
Estimated annual ranges for healthy horses in lower-risk use. Higher-risk disciplines and older horses run higher. Your quote depends on your horse.
How much is horse insurance per month?
Most owners pay for mortality cover once a year, but it helps to think of it monthly. A horse insured at $10,000 works out to about $24 to $33 a month for mortality alone. At $25,000 it is about $60 to $83 a month. Adding Major Medical for a $10,000 horse brings the total to roughly $42 to $58 a month.
Some carriers let you pay in installments for a small fee. Ask about it when you compare quotes if a single yearly payment is a stretch.
How much is horse mortality insurance?
Mortality is the cover most owners start with, and it is the easiest to price. Take your horse’s insured value and multiply it by a rate between about 2.9% and 4%. That rate is lower for a sound pleasure horse in its prime and higher for racehorses, upper-level competition horses, and seniors.
Read more about what a policy pays for on the equine mortality insurance page, or see how terms change with age on the older horse insurance page.
Six things that change your premium
- Insured value
- The biggest factor. Mortality runs as a percentage of value, so a pricier horse costs more to insure.
- Age
- Young and middle-aged horses price best. Premiums climb and options narrow as a horse gets into its late teens.
- How you use the horse
- A pleasure horse rates lower than a racehorse or eventer. Higher-risk disciplines carry higher premiums.
- Medical add-ons
- Major Medical and Surgical raise the premium but cover vet bills. Most owners add at least one.
- Breed and discipline
- Some breeds and jobs carry more claims history, which carriers price into the rate.
- Health and history
- A clean vet record and no recent claims help your terms. Prior issues can raise the rate or add exclusions.
How other equine policies are priced
- Liability
- Priced as an annual premium based on your activity, from a private owner policy to a full commercial barn.
- Farm and ranch
- Priced off the value of the buildings, equipment, and land, plus the liability you carry on the property.
- Equine business
- Priced off the number of horses you handle, your revenue, and the services you offer.
- Transport
- Priced off the horse’s value and whether you haul your own horses or haul for hire.
