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BGA Freelance Grooms Liability Cover

KBIS Freelance groom Public Liability cover

For just £278.49 per year or £25.12 per month protect yourself and your freelance business with our trusted insurance. 

If you are a freelance groom our bespoke KBIS insurance policy will provide you with the protection you need for both your liability to the public (against claims made by a third party who has suffered an injury or property damage due to your negligence) and the horses that you care for. 

If you coach then you can increase the policy (just £55.68 per annum) to include that cover - no qualifications required.

It is not personal accident insurance, that is a separate type of cover that protects you and
your income if you were to have an accident at work.  

Scroll down the page to watch the video explaining the insurance you need. 

 
LIABILITY INSURANCE FOR FREELANCE GROOMS, AT A BESPOKE PRICE.


£278.49/year or £25.12/month

Provided by KBIS British Equestrian insurance for freelance grooms & includes:

  •  
    Public Liability insurance (£2mil per incident)
  •  
    Care Custody & Control (£15k per horse)
  •  
    Covers all grooming activities including clipping
  •  
    Covers exercising and riding horses
  •  
    BGA Member bespoke price
  •  
    Add in teaching cover for just £55.68
  •  
    Can be paid monthly  for £25.12 per month
  •  
    Trusted by grooms insurance cover

For freelance grooms and BGA members only 

This KBIS Liability Insurance Policy is designed specifically for grooms and is trusted by grooms. Join the BGA on any membership level, select freelance groom, and at the end of the joining pathway, you will be given the option to purchase the policy.

On application, you will be required to confirm that you have a Health and Safety Statement and Risk Assessment in place. Don't worry, you get these for free as a BGA member, so confirm you have them and ensure you download the templates once you have completed the purchase. 

Read the insurance policy details:

Please be advised when viewing these documents, that only parts B and C refer to the Freelance Grooms Liability Insurance cover. 



Insurance options


Watch this short video to discover which insurance protection you should consider:

Got a question?

How much does it cost?

The cost of the Freelance Groom Liability policy is £278.49 per annum/£25.12 per month (including Insurance Premium Tax) for grooming activities only or £334.17 per annum/£30.14 per month (including Insurance Premium Tax) if you choose to include instruction too. 

This does not include competing horses on behalf of clients/third parties and does not include additional coverage such as Employers Liability. 

The cover is provided at £2,000,000 per incident with a £500 excess in respect of Third Party Property Damage.

It also includes Care, Custody or Control cover at £15,000 per animal limited to £100,000 in the policy year with an excess of £500 for each and every loss (increased to £1000 where the claim arises out of clipping) 

You have the option to pay for the policy in full by credit or debit card or by monthly direct debit. Monthly direct debit payments are facilitated by Premium Credit Ltd and are subject to an 8% interest charge. 

What is Public Liability (PL)insurance?

Public Liability insurance covers you for any claims made against you in respect of third party property damage or third-party injury.

Should a claim be filed against you then your insurer will act in one of two ways; in the event that they feel you are not liable, the insurer will defend your position and cover any legal costs incurred.

In the event that insurers are unable to defend the claim or that the incident has been caused by your negligence then they will settle any claims up to your limit of indemnity. You should not, at any point, admit liability.

Do I need to have my own Public Liability policy in place?

If you are employed then speak to your employer. They must have a public liability policy in place covering the business activities and you must be covered under this, they must also have Employer's Liability Insurance. 

If you are covered and do not carry out work for anyone else then you will not need to take out your own Public Liability policy.

If you are self-employed or a freelance worker you may need to have your own policy. You can check with the people who contract your services to see whether any policy they have extends to cover you but, you must bear in mind that their policy will not cover you if a claim is made against you by any of your clients. 

As such, having a policy in place which covers as many eventualities as possible is preferable and should be considered as part of your business’s running costs.

If you increase your prices by just 25p per hour, then in approximately 1000 hours of work, or 20ish working weeks,  you will have covered the cost of your Freelancers Liability Insurance. 

This policy is designed specifically for grooms, by KBIS British Equestrian Insurance, so you can rest assured that you will be fully covered in your line of work.

Why do I need Public Liability?

Having a Public Liability policy in place means that if something goes wrong and someone sues you that you’ll be fully supported through the claims process. This means that:

 
  • The insurer will act on your behalf in the handling and assessing of the claim against you. 
  • Any correspondence that you receive from the claimant or their representatives can be passed on to the insurer, who will respond on your behalf.
  • You won’t incur any legal costs unless you choose not to use the insurer or their representatives to deal with your claim
  • Any settlement will be paid by the insurer (up to your limit of indemnity, less any excess payable) 

It is voluntary coverage, meaning that you are not required to have a policy covering this risk because of a law or statutory act.

However, you should still consider carefully whether you have Public Liability insurance as without it you could be liable for any claims against you.

If I am employed do I need to have a Public Liability policy? 

If you are working on a full or part-time basis then you should speak to your employer to ensure that they are providing Public Liability insurance covering your activities.

I am a freelancer. Am i covered by my client's policy?

Even if, for example, you work in a large riding school, a racing yard and a big dressage yard, if you are working as a groom on a freelance basis for a number of businesses the people using your services consider you to be a contractor, and would not include you within their Liability Insurance policy.

Speak to each business for clarification on whether or not you are covered under their insurance policies and make sure you understand any gaps in cover which may exist.

What is Employers Liability?   

Employer’s Liability is a type of insurance cover purchased by employers. The policy covers the employer where they are held liable for injury/death of, illness contracted by an employee/volunteer/helper in the course of working for them. 

Employers are only required to have it if they employ one or more members of staff. 

As an employee, you don’t need to purchase this cover.

I simply muck out, there is no public interaction?

Even if you are not actively interacting with the public as part of your job, you are unlikely to be in an environment where there is no public property nearby, roads, pavements or footpaths in the vicinity. For instance, is there the possibility a horse could escape?

Even if it’s accidental there are a number of ways in which you could be held liable for Third Party Property Damage or Bodily Injury without coming into direct contact with the public yourself.

I work at multiple yards and go hacking?

If you are working freelance for multiple different people you are unlikely to fall under their insurance as an employee so it would be strongly advisable to have your own public liability policy in place.

The Public Liability policy offered through the BGA policy covers you for all grooming activities, including when at an event, and also when exercising horses i.e. hacking out.

I occasionally teach as well?

Do you teach only a couple of lessons a month to a friend?

Worried it is going to increase the price of your policy and wondering if you have to include this in the insurance policy?

It is up to you if you would like to extend this to include teaching as well but if you don’t you must be prepared to deal with and finance any potential claims that may arise.

 

What about the Animals Act 1971?

I have been told that means that the responsibility falls with the owner of the horse. Why do I need Public Liability if this is the case? 

The Animal Act sets out when an individual is strictly liable and there are certain conditions that must be met. Liability claims are very complex, even if you are not liable a claim could still be filed against you and legal costs incurred.

MY BD/BE/BS/BHS membership includes PL?

I am a member of BD or BS, for example, and they say that my membership includes Public Liability Insurance. Why doesn't the BGA and what is the difference with those policies - they must be very cheap?

  It is important to remember that the BGA is a professional trade association.

Associations that are providing Public Liability cover as part of their membership package are usually doing so for consumers, not commercial activities.

Association policies can often provide cheaper cover because there tend to be a large number of people being covered under one policy. They might also be more restrictive in their coverage so it is very important to check the terms of the policy carefully.

What is Custodial Liability (Care, Custody or Control)?  

Care, Custody and Control insurance provides cover should a horse in your care sustain an injury/illness or die as a result of your negligence.

Benefits are usually paid for veterinary fees and in the event of the horse’s death, the current market value of the horse up to the incident limit but depending on the circumstances it might also include reimbursement for other costs, such as entry fees lost.

The BGA Freelance Grooms Liability policy includes cover for Custodial Liability, up to £15,000 per horse, limited to £100,000 in the policy period.

Can I get PL without the Care, Custody and Control?  

The Care, Custody and Control section of the policy is included without charge so doesn't affect the premium for the policy.

scenarios where grooms might have to use their PL?  

Examples could include

  • A horse escaping causing third party property damage,
  • If you do not adhere to an owner’s instructions or act in a negligent manner causing injury to a horse,
  • If you are wrongfully held liable for injury or damage and your Insurer’s are required to provide a defence on your behalf.

Would I be covered when abroad? 

Cover is provided on a worldwide basis but limited to claims brought against you under the law and jurisdiction of courts of countries that are members of the European Union only.

This means that someone can hold you liable for third party property damage and bodily injury arising as a result of an incident happening anywhere in the world but the claim must be brought against you in a European court of law.

This may change after Brexit.

My client's horses are very valuable – does this cover me for the full value if they were to get injured due to me? 

The policy automatically includes cover for up to £15,000 per horse restricted to £100,000 in the policy year where an owner of a horse holds you liable for the death or injury.

If you need to increase this please contact KBIS to discuss your requirements (please be aware an additional premium is likely to be due if you choose to increase this limit). 

It is very important that you do NOT tell your clients you have this cover, and that in the event of an incident occurring you do not admit liability as this could prejudice your position in the event of a claim and potentially result in the policy not providing any cover.

if something happened and I didn’t have PL insurance?  

The process of any claim, as outlined below, would not change but instead of an insurer managing the process and paying any settlement due, you would have to handle the claim and cover any settlement yourself.

1. You will likely receive a notification of the claim from either the injured party or the injured party’s solicitor. 
2. You’ll be asked to respond. We would recommend you discuss this with a solicitor or appoint one to represent you. 
3. Either an agreement for charges will be reached or it will proceed to court. In any situation, it is vital that you don’t ignore any claim made against you.

Does the policy cover me when on my own horse?  

Yes, the policy includes a personal liability extension which would cover the insured on their own horse. The policy will protect you, or anyone riding or handling horses belonging to you with your permission for pleasure purposes and not in connection with the business. 

What is the age limit? 

If under 18 years old the policy must be taken out by a parent/guardian with the minor as the Insured person. Please contact us if this situation applies for further information as to how to apply for cover. 

This only will cover minors aged 14 and up and excludes the provision of instruction. This is subject to the following additional information being satisfactory: 

  • Details of experience
  • Confirmation they are a true freelance groom and not in fact a case of false-self employment
  • Details of why they need this cover

Temporary Total Disablement


What is Temporary Total Disablement?

Temporary Total Disablement (TTD), available under both the Silver and Platinum insure membership options, pays a weekly benefit should you sustain an injury at work and that injury temporarily prevents you from working.

TTD is the most claimed benefit on a personal accident policy and is important cover to consider, especially if you do not receive any statutory sick pay.


The Key Features of TTD

The maximum weekly benefit paid under TTD depends on the level of cover you have chosen to take out and your gross weekly wage.

Under our Silver insure membership the maximum weekly benefit paid is £250, whilst under our Platinum insure membership, the maximum weekly benefit paid is £350.  Following a successful claim you will receive this weekly benefit amount or 65% of your gross weekly wage, whichever is the lower figure/amount.

When choosing the level of TTD it is important to select the one which is the most comparable to your current earnings, as a higher limit does not guarantee a greater pay-out. In order to receive TTD you must be receiving an income as oppose to benefits etc.


The Key Limitations/Exclusions of TTD

A claim will only be successful if your injury entirely prevents you from attending your normal duties at work. You will need to be signed off by a doctor and the injury must prevent you from working for more than 21 days.

Once your claim is agreed by underwriters you will start to receive a weekly benefit after the first 21 days immediately following the injury or illness. The weekly benefit is payable for a maximum of 104 weeks.
If order for a  to claim to be successful you will need to prove your gross weekly earnings and the insurer will determine from this, and the level of cover you have taken out, the weekly benefit which shall be payable. If you are self-employed and therefore do not have any pay slips to use as proof of earnings you will need to provide some other form of documentation, such as a tax return.

TTD cover is only payable to those aged 16 years and over and with the appropriate cover in place.

It is always important to read the terms and conditions of your insurance cover carefully.

What the personal accident policy covers you for:

  • Whilst at work
  • All stable duties – mucking out, grooming, washing off, turning out
  • Clipping
  • Riding – including hacking and jumping
  • Hunting
  • Lunging
  • Breaking in
  • Holding horse for a vet and other procedures
  • Travelling horses both in the UK and abroad
  • Competing in line with your job including: jumping, dressage, eventing
  • Injuries that may happen to you whilst you are teaching - but you must also be grooming as part of your duties and not be a sole instructor

What the personal accident policy doesn’t cover you for:

  • Riding in a race, point to point or team chase
  • Stunt Riding
  • Accidents occurring whilst travelling to and from work
  • Riding and competing your own horse (but you can upgrade when applying for membership to include this)
  • Public Liability – this is a separate insurance policy - the Freelance Groom Liability Insurance
  • Care Custody and Control – this is a separate policy - the Freelance Groom Liability Insurance

If you require additional cover then please contact KBIS directly.