Instructor teaches 3 students 1/week lessons, on their own horses, at a general boarding facility. Instructor is not on property at other times and does not direct any part of care of the horses. Instructor does not ride at all. These conditions are different than anything I can find in other threads on this forum. How is this service described? Is it like a personal coach? Would the insurance just be general business liability?
Contact the insurance agent in your area who does this sort of policy. They will provide the correct coverage. It’s not cheap.
1 Like
Nope. General commercial liability covers stuff like damage to rented facilities, 3rd party slip & fall, failure of physical products. Most insurers will require you buy that as a foundational product. It’s inexpensive. The really important (and pricey) coverage needed is the equine trainer version of professional E & O .
I have this same situation with my instructor - she comes to the boarding barn once a week and does 4 or 5 less. The insurance I got was for an instructor teaching lessons and came to just under $600/year.
It was Equisure (had to go digging to find it). http://www.equisure-inc.com/ Super nice to deal with.
At our barn, the instructors are covered under the barn’s policy and they are considered employees of the barn/lesson program. The instructors do not need additional insurance over that.
Who has the arrangement with the instructor? Do they fall as more of an employee of the barn (i.e. the barn owner gives them a 1099) or do the clients pay them directly? I would check w/ whoever you have your barn coverage with or call one of the equine insurers and ask them. It could be you need to have coverage for them, and also request that they carry trainer insurance as well.
1 Like
The arrangements and relationships are between the students and the instructor. This facility is general boarding: the only employees are the people cleaning stalls, feeding, and taking care of the facility. There’s no training or lessons offered, other than what boarders arrange on their own.
In our case they are employees of the barn, no direct payment. Additional insurance is not needed according the the insurance company.
Something that is not pertinent to the OP’s situation but I’ll throw out there: it can [or may] be worth having individual E & O even if you are an actual employee of a barn that has their own policy. Why? 1) E & O covers defense costs, including lost wages incurred for court appearances related to the case. Many policies cover the employer but offer little to the employee being sued. 2) E & O policies contain a provision unusual in the insurance industry: the Consent to Settle Provision. This provision requires the insured’s consent to settle instead of the insurance company having the leeway to unilaterally settle with a plantiff out of court as they can with auto, homeowners/renters, etc. This provision exists to give the insured a say because an out-of-court settlement could damage the insured’s reputation.
Does this apply to all E & O policies? No. Is it worth checking into? I personally think so. If I had to take a week off work for court, I’d like to get reimbursed an amount somewhat close to my actual salary to do so. And that often is not the case with employer-provided E & O. I’d also like to be the one who decides whether or not I settle out of court. Especially if the particulars of the situation may have been beyond my control in the first place.
- Insert the standard language stating that individual needs may vary, talk to your insurance representative, and the above is a general overview & should not be taken as individual advice*
