“A horse without its tack is like a car without a steering wheel.” That’s how one victim of tack theft summed-up her frustration after thieves smashed their way into her locked tack room and stole several items, including valuable saddles, bridles and head-collars.

Alison Murfit lives a 10 minute drive away from her yard and the first thing she knew about the theft was when a neighbouring farmer disturbed the thieves and raised the alarm. When Alison arrived she discovered the thieves had smashed through the tack room door with a sledgehammer to gain entry, presumably after finding the door securely locked:

“My tack room is a brick building with secure locks but even this didn’t deter the thieves.  They had obviously come prepared to get into the building by whatever means necessary.”

Over the years NFU Mutual has built up lots of experience on the main causes of house fires and how to avoid them.  This is particularly important at wintertime, when the number of fires increases significantly.

The practical suggestions below will help you keep your home and family safe this winter:

1  Smoke Alarms – fit smoke alarms on each floor of your home (preferably hard-wired alarms which are connected to the mains circuit).  Test alarms once a week and replace worn-out batteries immediately.

2  Cooking Equipment – stay in the kitchen when cooking, as most kitchen fires occur because people get distracted and leave their cooking unattended.

3  Heating Equipment – have your boiler inspected annually by a qualified technician, and your chimney cleared and inspected annually.  Keep portable heaters at least 1m away from anything that can burn, eg. curtains, furniture, etc.

4  Electrical Equipment – ensure your electrical appliances don’t have loose or frayed cords.  Don’t overload plug sockets. 

5  Christmas Decorations – keep your Christmas tree away from all heat sources, including television sets.  Check decorative lights and discard any frayed or damaged lights or cords.  Switch off the lights when you leave the room.

6  Careless Smoking – always extinguish cigarettes properly and do not smoke in bed.

7  Children Playing with Fire – children cause fires out of curiosity or mischief.  Keep matches and lighters away from the children.

8  Candles – keep candles in a sturdy holder on a level surface, away from combustible materials and out of the reach of children and pets.  Blow them out before leaving the room.

9  Thatched Properties - if you have a thatched property, please refer to our specialist guide on thatch fire safety on www.nfumutual.co.uk

10 Insurance - make sure your possessions and home are insured.  Are any policy limits sufficient for your needs?  Does your insurer have a Defaqto 5 star rating?  The Defaqto Star Rating reflects the quality of features and benefits.  Visit www.defaqto.com to check what Star Rating your existing policy has.

Contact us today to discuss your own insurance requirements.  Find your local agent at www.nfumutual.co.uk or call 0800 197 1283.

NFU Mutual is The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited (No.111982).  Registered in England.  Registered Office: Tiddington Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 7BJ.  Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.  For security and training purposes, telephone calls may be recorded and monitored.

Statistics suggest that there are around 20,000 incidents* each day requiring breakdown assistance.  NFU Mutual’s car insurance policies now have the perfect antidote – built in RAC breakdown cover as standard, anytime, anywhere, for any member of the family.

Mutual Assist, which is now automatically included on all new and renewed car insurance policies, covers a car for breakdowns more than quarter of a mile from the policyholder’s home and, if necessary, recovery to a garage within ten miles of where the breakdown occurred.

There are also options available to enhance cover should you wish to:

·                     National Assist – all the benefits of the standard Mutual Assist service, plus nationwide recovery and full onward travel services

·                     National plus Home Assist – the highest level of cover with all the benefits of the National Assist service, but including breakdown at home.

“Without cover the cost of a breakdown can be expensive and cause a great deal of inconvenience.  Our policyholders now have peace of mind as standard, with an option to take out the higher levels of cover”, says NFU Mutual’s Blanche Surman.

“One of the reasons we chose to partner with the RAC is because, like our car insurance, its road rescue service is award winning.”

A horsebox and trailer can also be covered, so discuss your individual requirements with your NFU Mutual agent.

Find your local agent at www.nfumutual.co.uk or call 0800 197 1283.

* Source: www.breakdowncover.co.uk

NFU Mutual is The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited (No. 111982).  Registered in England.  Registered Office: Tiddington Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 7BJ.  Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.  For security and training purposes, telephone calls may be recorded and monitored.

For the third year in a row, insurer NFU Mutual has been rated as Britain’s best car insurance provider by readers of Auto Express magazine.

In a survey of over 32,000 of their readers, NFU Mutual gained the top overall rating.

1.      NFU Mutual offers a wide range of products, including general insurance, life, pensions, investments and risk management services.  These products and services are delivered through the agency network, as well as through a direct sales and service centre. Risk Management Services are delivered through NFU Mutual Risk Management Services Limited.

2.      With over 300 offices located in rural towns and villages throughout the UK, NFU Mutual has become part of the fabric of rural life and remains committed to serving the needs of people who visit, live or work in the countryside.

Continuing full insurance for older horses can be difficult but NFU Mutual is one of the few insurers to provide cover for horses over the age of 16 years.

Owning a horse is an expensive business and advances in healthcare and nutrition mean they are now living longer than ever.

While most insurers will provide accident-only cover for horses aged over 16 years, NFU Mutual will now continue cover for horses up to a maximum of 25 years for illness as well as accident and injury provided the horse is insured with the Mutual by the time it is 16 years.

NFU Mutual has a range of insurance offering to suit your lifestyle.  For details of your local agent, call 0800 197 1283* or visit www.nfumutual.co.uk

NFU Mutual is The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited (No.111982).  Registered in England.  Registered Office: Tiddington Road, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire CV37 7BJ.  Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.  A member of the Association of British Insurers. *For security and training purposes, telephone calls may be recorded and monitored.

Pest infestations are on the increase due to an abundance of food and shelter.  Yet whilst precautions against burglary are standard practice among homeowners, measures to prevent the arrival of these other unwanted visitors are less common.

Problems caused by nesting rodents, wasps or cockroaches could potentially affect all homeowners in the UK, irrespective of the property’s location - and the problem is getting worse.