Stallions Infertility Insurance

For the last thirty years stallions going to stud for the first time have been insurable against failing to get 60%, or occasionally 70%, or more of their mares in foal in their first season (so called 60 or 70% policy). This is based upon at least 20 qualifying mares being covered in a minimum of two oestrus cycles and all booked mares being kept available for the whole breeding season. Additionally, there has sometimes been a provision for “rolling over” the policy to a second season in the event that a sub-fertile horse is thought likely to improve. The old wording has relied heavily on insurers acting in the spirit of the policy as strict interpretation of the small print is liable to put the stallion own-
er or manager in an impossible position.

Evidence of the stallion’s failure to stop mares will start to become apparent in late March / early April. Under the terms of the policy the stallion manager has to ensure that the stallion keeps covering for the remainder of the breeding season; covers at least 20 mares in two oestrus cycles or more; and insist that mare owners continue to make their mares available to him. In reality news of the stallion’s problems will invariably leak out which will make it well nigh impossible for the stallion manager to comply with the availability requirements, or conversely he or she will be forced to keep quiet and effectively misrepresent the potency of the stallion to mare owners. Not an acceptable situation. Even if the insurers condone the release of mares, by only counting mares covered in two oestrus cycles the old wording has the scope to disqualify enough of the mares covered for the purposes of the fertility calculation to make a distinctly sub-fertile horse look acceptably fertile. This is obviously at odds with the aim of an insurance policy to provide cover against a stallion proving sub-fertile in his first season at stud. […]