First Equine Insurance Group

08/12/2026

Over the past several days, severe storms, tornadoes, high winds, and heavy rain have caused significant damage across Illinois and other parts of the Midwest.

To all of our farm families who have been affected, please know that we are thinking about you.

Having worked with so many of you over the years, I know these aren’t just farms. They’re your homes, your livelihoods, your animals, and in many cases, something your family has spent generations building. Seeing the damage these storms have caused is heartbreaking.

If you have suffered damage, **please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.** We’re here to help however we can—whether that means helping you understand your coverage, reporting a claim, answering questions, or helping you work through what comes next.

And even if you’re not sure whether something is covered, call us. That’s what we’re here for.

Most importantly, we hope you, your families, and your animals are safe.

**Our thoughts are with everyone across Illinois and the Midwest dealing with the aftermath of these storms. Please stay safe.**

— First Equine Insurance Group

06/02/2026

Most farm policies either don't include equine specific coverage or charge you extra for it. We only work with carriers who offer equine specific coverages that are included in your policy - like protection for your pasture fences, tack, and hay - in addition to all your personal, commercial, and farm protection needs.

Give us a call at (708) 269-2048 or email Lou at [email protected], we'll review your farm insurance and get you a quote - our goal is to get you better coverage at a better rate!

05/29/2026

As the great Willie Nelson sings, "On the road again, I just can't wait to get on the road again."

Okay, I'm old-fashioned, and I love this man and his music! God has blessed Willie, and we have all been blessed to experience him and his music over so many years. You can't help but think of country music, Western movies, and horses when you think of Willie and his legendary career. Thank you, Willie!

I will be "on the road again" starting the third week of June. My tour of farms begins in Northern Illinois and then heads up into Southern Wisconsin. During the latter part of July, I'll be roaming horse country throughout Michigan, and in the fall, I'll be traveling through Ohio. I'll be visiting upwards of 250+ farms and will have some great information to drop off for you!

In addition, I have a wealth of equine insurance knowledge and experience to share with you—about 45 years' worth! These days, all I do is equine farm insurance and equine mortality insurance. That's it. One hundred percent of my time and effort is dedicated to the equine industry. We are the leading equine farm insurer in the Midwest, and when you do only one thing, you get pretty darn good at it!

While I'm galloping around your state, if you'd like me to slow down and sit a spell with you to discuss equine insurance, please let me know. It's easy—just email me directly at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).

In closing, I've learned over the years that every state has a Farm Bureau, and in addition to the many things they do, they also sell farm insurance. What I've also realized is that they are often not competitive when it comes to equine farm insurance. They generally do not offer the tailored, equine-specific coverage that horse farms need.

We work exclusively with A-rated insurance companies that specialize in equine insurance. That's all they do—and guess what? They're pretty darn good at it, too!

In almost every case, we beat Farm Bureau rates, offer better coverage, and provide equine-specific insurance programs. We're usually able to improve your coverage while still saving you money. Call me on my cell at 708-269-2048 or shoot me an email and see what we can do for you. Saving money on insurance is just like giving yourself a raise! See you soon!

Lou

05/05/2026

Insurance is no fun. After 45 years in the industry, believe me, I know that! It is that “necessary evil” as I have heard it referred to so much in the past. As an Independent Agent representing numerous insurance companies, I am caught between the proverbial “rock and a hard place”: I represent the insurance company and I represent my clients. Most of the time I understand, and sometimes I agree with the insurance companies’ side. But I ALWAYS understand and agree with my client’s side. It can be a
frustrating industry and at times seem unfair. Anybody that has ever experienced a claim knows that it just doesn’t turn out as you would like or expect it to.

Insurance only gets more complicated as more rules and laws crop
up. Technology is frosting on the cake when you talk about insurance being complicated. There just isn’t much we can do about this, and I’m afraid it’ll get even more complicated for the consumer in the future.

There is a saying: “knowledge is power.” I’m not sure just how much
power we will ever have over insurance companies, but I do know
knowledge will help you be aware and better understand some key issues when it comes to your equine farm insurance coverage. Why is my stable/arena insured for this amount? What happens if I’m underinsured at the time of a loss? If my barn is destroyed, do I have enough coverage to rebuild the barn and haul away all the debris? (You know these are two separate limits in the policy, don’t you?) What is Recoverable Depreciation? These are just a few of the questions where you should know the answers before you have a loss – it’s too late AFTER a loss.

We always do our best to explain some of the most important terms and clauses in the equine farm insurance policy. Some can be a bit confusing, so we have designed a collection of what we call Info Sheets. These are simple one page sheets explaining terms, coverage, clauses and pitfalls. Right now we have half a dozen posted on our website, www.firstequineinsurance.com. We are currently adding more to build a resource library for you to have access to help you learn and understand insurance better and hopefully avoid one of the deep holes created by the
complexity of the insurance policy.

Check out the Info Sheet library on our website and let us know if you have any questions about the information or how it relates to your policy. And if there’s a topic you’d like to see an Info Sheet on, just let us know – this is meant to be a resource for you!

04/22/2026

Considering Mortality and Major Medical Insurance? We can help you find the right policy and coverage for you beloved and valuable equine investments. Call us for a quote!

03/31/2026

Well, we’ve been like a herd of turtles getting onto Facebook! The good news is—we’ve got reinforcements and are gearing up to make a more consistent and meaningful appearance.

In one of our first posts, I mentioned that we want to help our clients—and all equine insurance consumers—better understand their insurance. Let’s be honest: insurance is complicated. We get it, and we share in your frustration. Nothing is simple anymore.

Forty years ago, policies were about 20 pages long. Today, we regularly see policies over 200 pages. They’re still the “least read, best seller.” And honestly, that’s not just unfortunate—it’s ridiculous.

In my nearly 45 years in the business (coming up this November), I don’t know a single person who has read their entire policy—and I don’t blame them.

Policies today are full of constant changes, additions, modifications, and confusing language. But like it or not, we all have to deal with them as best we can. The worst time to find out what your policy does—or doesn’t—cover is after a loss. Unfortunately, that happens every single day.

So, to help, we’re launching a series of educational posts along with our Info Sheets. These are something we’ve created here at the agency to break down and clearly explain some of the most important and commonly misunderstood parts of equine insurance.

Our goal is simple: make insurance a little easier to understand—and help you avoid unpleasant surprises when it matters most.

If you ever have questions, need clarification, or want real-life examples, don’t hesitate to reach out. Call, text, or email anytime.

More to come soon—thank you!

Call now to connect with business.

11/27/2025

🦃🍂 Happy Thanksgiving from First Equine Insurance Group! 🍂🦃
We are grateful for the trust you place in us to help protect what matters most. Wishing you, your families, and your horses a warm, safe, and joyful holiday!

08/08/2025

Are your stable workers really Independent Contractors?
We don’t mean to burst any bubbles on our first Facebook post, but they are not. They are employees. Sorry.

We know, we know, you have been treating them as Independent Contractors for a long time, your friend(s) have also been doing it for a long time, We get it! We are going to talk about the differences in regard to insurance, whatever your accountant says I am not concerned with.

From an insurance standpoint, and from a court’s standpoint, they will determine your worker to be an employee of yours and you are responsible in the event they are injured while working for you. I have said for many years if your employee is injured and it’s minor, probably no problem. But, if your employee is seriously hurt, disabled, or killed while working for you – you will have a big problem unless you have Worker’s Compensation coverage.

We’re not going to solicit you, bug you or chase you to buy Worker’s Compensation insurance – we just want you to know that you will be held accountable by a court for a worker’s injury. A signed Independent Agreement, a 1099 or even paying a worker cash – does not get you off the hook. Even if you are not required by your state’s law to carry Worker’s Compensation – you are still not off the hook!

I realize this is a long post – but well worth reading to help protect yourself. Check out our fact sheet on Employees vs Independent Contractors, and if you have Independent Contractors who work for you, give us a call or visit our website for a personalized coverage review to make sure you are properly covered.

Thanks for trusting us for what matters most.
Lou

07/09/2025