Your insurance frequently asked questions

Details of the exclusions can be found in the insurance policy documents.

The insurance excess is £250 in respect of each and every third-party property damage claim. There is no excess payable on third-party bodily injury claims.

If a BHS member has other insurance cover in force, such as a household policy, any claim will be directed to this policy first. The public liability insurance provided under the BHS gold membership would act as ‘last resort’ when there is no other policy to claim against, or the cover limit of the other policy has been exceeded. This condition is common with group policies such as the BHS gold membership cover.

Public liability claims should be reported to SEIB Insurance Brokers Ltd’s helpline: 0345 8734907.

Personal Accident claims should be reported to SEIB Insurance Brokers Ltd’s helpline: 0330 6600723.

The insurance cover included within BHS Gold membership is a group policy, and as such there is no way to cancel just the insurance aspect should you decide that you no longer require the cover. BHS members who don’t require public liability insurance any longer can opt for Silver membership, which does not include insurance, and continue to support the Society’s charitable work in welfare, education, safety and access.

Your BHS membership begins when payment confirmation is received via email if you have joined online, or verbally confirmed by the BHS membership team if you’ve joining over the phone. If you have sent in a cheque or direct debit form, you’re insured from the day your cheque or form is received by the BHS membership team.

Your current BHS insurance information can be downloaded.

Our insurance is provided by SEIB Insurance Brokers Ltd, who can provide details of the underwriter on request. 

SEIB Insurance Brokers Ltd provide competitive quotes while also making a contribution to the BHS for every policy taken out by a BHS member – call for a quote on 01708 850000.

It is advisable that as the owner of a loaned horse, you take out public liability insurance, even though the horse is not at your premises or in your control. As the passport holder you may be found to be legally liable for any injury or damage that the horse may cause.

The owner should stipulate what their expectations are from the person who is loaning the horse from them and identify these expectations (i.e. public liability, personal accident, vet fees) - within the loan agreement. Insurance cover for horse owners is not compulsory, but public liability cover is key to protecting the owner from potential legal liability attaching to them, even when they are not in control of the horse.

We recommend that both the person taking the horse on loan and the loanee should have public liability cover. 

BHS Gold membership covers you for any horse that you own or have permission to ride, as long as it’s purely for recreational purposes.  

BHS Gold membership covers you for any horse that you own or have permission to ride, as long as it’s purely for recreational purposes.  

Members of an Affiliated British Riding Club (BRC) are only covered by their club’s public liability insurance while they are competing at a Riding Club event. Anyone who owns, rides or looks after a horse is strongly advised to carry public liability insurance cover, because they may be legally liable to pay compensation for any damage or injury caused by their horse. Personal injury compensation claims can sometimes run into the millions, meaning that anyone who is uninsured risks losing their home and any other assets.

BHS Gold membership includes up to £30 million of public liability insurance cover for any third-party injury or property damage that arises out of your legal liability or negligence as an owner, rider or keeper of horses for recreational purposes.

Under the PA the maximum benefit for an insured is £5,000 while recreational equestrian activity and raises to £10,000 while attending an event organised or affiliated to the BHS, British Showjumping Association, Pony Clubs, British Riding Clubs, British Eventing, British Equestrian Vaulting, British Carriage driving, Endurance GB or Federation Equestre Internationale only.

The policy excludes endurance competitions, whereby a speed or time stipulation is in place, regardless of whether the purpose is to compete against other participants or not. However, long-distance rides, with no speed or time requirements, are covered under the policy. 

No. The BHS Gold membership insurance policies cover purely recreational use only and exclude situations where a rider is being paid to compete or exercise the horse, for example. 

The personal accident cover provided under the BHS Gold membership covers death, loss of sight or limb and permanent total disablement only. It does not cover loss of earnings. 

Riding Schools are legally obliged to have Public Liability cover for their business activities. However, in the unlikely event that you as the gold member of the BHS are found personally liable for an incident the policy would operate as a last resort, subject to the terms and conditions of the policy. 

If other members of your family are riding on a regular basis, the BHS family Gold membership offers the most appropriate insurance cover. 

The BHS Gold membership provides public liability insurance cover for recreational riding anywhere in the world up to a maximum of 90 days per year, excluding the USA and Canada. This will not provide cover in connection with any work that the insured may undertake. This is subject to the member being normally domiciled in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and Channel Islands.

The personal accident cover does not include any medical costs or repatriation therefore members are advised to take out appropriate travel insurance for all their riding activities.