Do I have a small claims case over horse euthanasia costs?

[Annywell]

Just wanting some thoughts please.
I loaned my 22 yr old mare to a lady and we signed a British horse society loan agreement. This stated that she should have full insurance and she should use a particular vet. It said I should pay for euthanasia, if necessary, but we changed it to say ‘unless insurance covers’ which it would normally do with full insurance. Very sadly my girl had to be euthanised after 3 months due to collapsed discs. I had been told all was fine but it turned out that they had seen some behaviour changes, which I wasn’t told about until after a vet had done xrays and the vet felt my mare should be put to sleep. This was not the vet we had agreed upon and I hadn’t been told of any change. There was less than 24hrs between my phone call, once I had been to see the horse and her being put to sleep and I didn’t know that the loaner hadn’t got proper insurance. I have now had a £630 and asked the loaner to contribute £200 She is refusing. Does anyone know if I have a case if I go to the small claims court please?

It sounds as if you could have asked for a 2nd opinion from your own vet, before agreeing to pts. Did you do that?
Regardless your loaner would have been very unlikely to find an insurance company that would pay for a 22yr old horse with a chronic condition which you knew about, because of the hock treatment, to be pts.

So what did you have her hocks treated for then?