Best Insurance for Grooms

A groom (or groomer) is an equine professional who is responsible for taking care of, cleaning and sometimes boarding horses. Many grooms assume they don’t really need business insurance because their work might not involve dangerous chemicals or heavy machinery. The truth is that any type of occupation involving horses can come with a wide range of legal liabilities that can leave you with thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees if you’re sued without insurance. That's why it's important to find the best insurance for grooms.

A comprehensive business insurance policy can help you protect your business and safeguard your livelihood. Our guide to groom insurance options will help you learn more about coverage choices, the types of protections that you need and more. We’ll also introduce you to a few of our favorite insurance providers offering insurance policy choices for grooms. 

Best Groom Insurance

There is a very wide range of insurance providers offering coverage options for groomers. Because there isn’t a singular all-inclusive policy for grooms, insurance options can vary depending on the provider you choose to service your policy.

Not sure where to begin your search? Consider starting by collecting quotes from a few of our favorite coverage providers offering groom insurance options below.

Types of Groom Insurance

Just like you have a choice of insurance provider, you can also mix and match coverage options to fit the unique needs of your business. The best type of insurance for your business will vary depending on where you work, the services you provide, the types of horses you care for and more. Browse a few of the most common types of insurance that grooms choose to protect their businesses below. 

General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance is a type of umbrella policy that protects you from a range of legal hazards and lawsuits. Some of the coverages you might see on your general liability insurance policy could include:

• 3rd-party bodily injury: This coverage helps pay for your legal expenses and court-ordered judgments if a client is injured on your property. For example, if a horse steps on a client’s foot and breaks one of his toes, that client might sue you for the cost of their medical bills. Your general liability coverage would help you defend your business in court.  
• 3rd-party property damage: This helps you cover legal expenses you incur after you damage a client’s property. Say that a client hands you her laptop, you drop it and the client sues you for the cost of a replacement. Your general liability coverage would help you pay for legal defense and any damages you’re ordered to pay.
• Advertising injuries: Advertising injuries coverage helps cover legal expenses incurred if a competing business owner sues you for defamation or copyright infringement. For example, if you accidentally use a competing business’ trademarked slogan to advertise your business, your general liability coverage would help defend you in court. 

Commercial Property Insurance

Commercial property insurance is a type of coverage that helps you cover the cost of damages you sustain to your physical business space and property. Like a homeowners insurance policy, most commercial property insurance policies include a list of covered “perils” or dangerous situations you’re protected under. Some perils covered by most commercial insurance policies include:

• Break-ins and vandalism
• Fire
• Electric storms

If your business property is damaged by a covered peril, you can make a claim with your insurance provider to help cover the cost of repairs.

Your policy will likely include a list of excluded perils as well. Some common examples of excluded perils include earthquakes and flooding. If you work in an area where an excluded peril is common, you may be able to add a supplementary insurance policy to your coverage to extend your policy to cover these types of damages. 

Business Owners Policy (BOP)

If you need both general liability insurance and commercial property insurance, you may want to combine both coverages together with a single business owners policy (BOP). A BOP is a single policy that includes both types of coverages with 1 monthly premium from 1 company.

Most business owners choose a BOP over purchasing each individual coverage separately because a BOP allows them to save on both coverages. You may also be able to customize your BOP to include location-relevant hazards to your commercial property — for example, by adding coverage for flooding and earthquakes. 

You might be required to purchase a workers’ compensation policy as soon as you hire your 1st employee. Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance that compensates employees for medical bills and injuries after being hurt while performing work-related duties. If an employee loses their life on the job, your workers’ compensation insurance may also cover end-of-life expenses on behalf of the employee’s family.

Workers’ comp laws vary by state. Depending on where you operate your business, you could be legally required to hold a certain level of workers’ compensation coverage if you have 1 part-time or full-time employee. Consider your state’s workers’ compensation laws and requirements before you choose a policy.   

Cost of Groom Insurance

The specific price that you’ll pay for your insurance will vary depending on a wide range of factors. Some of the things that could influence what you should budget for insurance expenses may include:

• Your location: Certain types of natural disasters and property crimes are more common in select states and cities. If you operate your business from an area where you’re statistically more likely to sustain damage to your commercial property, you’ll pay more for coverage.
• Types of services you offer: The types of services you offer your customers plays a direct role in the risk an insurance company takes on when they offer you a policy. For example, if you only offer basic grooming services, your company is lower risk. If you offer horse riding lessons and boarding services in addition to grooming, your insurance provider will charge you more each month because you’re at an increased risk of filing an insurance claim.
• Number of years of experience you have: Even the most careful groom can make a mistake. However, as you accumulate more years of experience, you’re less likely to make a major mistake that results in a client taking legal action against you. Expect your insurance expenses to decrease over time as you build your reputation.
• Number of employees you hire: If you own your business and you have at least 1 employee, your state might require that you purchase workers’ compensation insurance. The more employees you have working on your premise, the more likely an injury is to occur. Expect that your insurance costs will rise as you expand your payroll.

The best way to get an accurate estimate of how much you should anticipate paying for your insurance coverage is to speak with at least 3 competing groom insurance providers by requesting a quote. Because every insurance provider uses its unique formula to determine how much risk you bring to the company, it’s possible to receive the same insurance coverage from 10 different companies at 10 different price points.

A great place to begin your hunt for the right insurance is with our favorite insurance companies. Simply enter your ZIP code above to begin exploring groom insurance options in your area. Don’t be afraid to collect multiple quotes from all companies listed above to get the best possible idea of what you’ll pay for your insurance.

How Groom Insurance Works

The term “groom insurance” doesn’t refer to a single, specific policy designed only for equine care professionals. Instead, the term refers to a set of common coverages that grooms often use to protect themselves and their properties from damage and liability-related expenses.

Two of the most common types of protections that grooms purchase include general liability insurance and commercial property insurance. Depending on your insurance provider, you may be able to combine these coverages together with a single BOP. Most business owners choose to purchase a BOP over individual coverages because this all-inclusive policy offers a single monthly premium. You can also usually save money by purchasing both coverages through a BOP.

Depending on where you operate your business, you might be required to purchase a workers’ compensation insurance policy if you have even 1 employee. Consult with a local insurance expert to learn more about workers’ compensation requirements in your area. 

Find the Coverage You Need Today

Finding the right insurance coverage for your business doesn’t need to be a long, confusing process. Insurance providers make it easier than ever before to quickly compare quotes and learn about pricing information. Simply enter your ZIP code above to start learning about a few of our top choices for groom insurance around the country.