Press room

Petplan Equine is more than just a specialist equine insurance provider; while it is there to help in cases of illness and injury the company believes that prevention is better than cure and providing horse owners with advice on horse management and best practice will help to keep horses healthy and active.

Charlotte Collyer, senior marketing executive explains: “The Horse Advice pages on our website www.petplanequine.co.uk are designed to help horses and riders to stay safe and healthy. Petplan Equine organises a range of activities throughout the year and visitors to our website can find out if we're hosting an educational event they can attend or search our library of help guides to find advice on a particular condition.”

Petplan Equine aims to provide access to the best information by working with leading lights in their fields. These include Petplan Equine Vet of the Year Gil Riley, eventing legend Lucinda Green, and a number of other trainers, behavioural experts and nutritionists.

The Horse Advice pages cover a wide range of subjects and provide a comprehensive guide for all horse owners, including a helpful section on how to give your horse an MOT. The downloadable guide and video explain how to perform health checks on your horse to help identify any problems in the early stages, making it easier to establish what could be a potential issue.

Each year, Petplan Equine concentrates its efforts on one particular common condition. Last year, it was the horse’s gut and this year’s key Horse Advice topic is lower limb lameness.

“Lower limb lameness is the single most important cause of being unable to work and compete our horses but, common though it is, there is much we can do to prevent it occurring. Good foot care, choosing the appropriate work for the physique of the horse and keeping a close control on body condition are just a few things to consider” explains Gil Riley MRCVS, Petplan Equine Veterinary Expert. Plenty of information on common lameness conditions, causes, treatment and prevention can be found on Petplan Equine’s website www.petplanequine.co.uk/events/health-and-wellbeing-lowerlimb.asp.

In addition, visitors to Petplan Equine’s stand at the Royal International Horse Show and HIckstead Derby will be able to meet Gil Riley in person who, with the assistance of a life-size model of a horse’s lower leg, will demonstrate how common conditions affect horses’ soundness and how to diagnose these.

One of the biggest concerns for horse owners is colic and a recent study has shown that colic is the number one killer of domesticated horses. Petplan Equine’s guide to the digestive system is designed to help horse owners prevent and diagnose colic and Gil Riley’s guide to foraging is a helpful explanation of what wild plants and trees that are often found in fields can be toxic to horses and cause problems if eaten. Digestive system Horse Advice can be found at www.petplanequine.co.uk/events/health-and-wellbeing-digestive.asp

Petplan Equine recognises that horses, like humans, are living longer than ever before. More and more owners are choosing to keep their older horses on active duty rather than putting them out to grass and Petplan Equine not only caters to this need by offering cover for illness up to 25 years of age – as long as cover is taken out before the horse’s 20th birthday - but there is a section of the website www.petplanequine.co.uk/events/health-and-wellbeing-illness-25yearsold.asp dedicated to providing helpful tips around how to care for your horse to ensure that they stay happy and healthy for as long as possible.

To see more about the advice offered by Petplan Equine and its expert team visit the Horse Advice section on the Petplan Equine website at petplanequine.co.uk/events/horse-advice.asp

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For more information please contact:

Name	Telephone	Email
Charlotte Collyer	0208 707 8335	[email protected]

Petplan Equine is the UK's leading horse insurance provider offering a wide variety of flexible horse insurance and rider insurance policies which cater for all levels of experience.

Established more than 20 years ago, Petplan Equine is part of Allianz Insurance, one of the largest general insurers in the world.

For more information about a Petplan Equine horse insurance policy, please visit:
petplanequine.co.uk/insurance/quote.asp

Note to editors:

• Petplan Equine was founded in 1988.
• It is part of Allianz Animal Health, the largest provider of animal health insurance in the world and part of Allianz – one of the largest general insurers in the UK.
• In addition to horse and pony insurance options, Petplan Equine provides dedicated products for veteran horses and rider only insurance cover.
• It is the sister brand of Petplan, the largest provider of small animal insurance in the UK.
• Petplan Equine believes in supporting the equine community and provides more financial support to equestrian sports and activities than any equine insurance provider in the UK.
• The Pet Plan Charitable Trust was founded in 1994 to raise much needed funds for animal welfare and veterinary projects. Money is raised by Petplan and Petplan Equine customers giving an optional £1.50 to the Trust when they take out or renew their policy. To date, almost £5 million has been awarded by the Trust.
• Petplan and Petplan Equine are specialist insurers. As such, the company employs more horse riders and owners than any other and more former veterinary practice staff than any other to ensure the provision of specialist knowledge.
• Redwings Horse Sanctuary is the UK’s largest horse sanctuary, caring for over 1200 rescued horses at its nine sites around the country, with 500 more living in happy Guardian homes across East Anglia. The charity is entirely funded by public donation. Find out more at www.redwings.co.uk.