Does a Georgia boarding barn need workers' compensation?

If a boarding barn has three or more employees, yes. Georgia requires workers' compensation insurance once a business reaches three or more employees, under O.C.G.A. 34-9-2(a)(2).

Workers' compensation is coverage that pays medical costs and a portion of lost wages when an employee is injured on the job, regardless of who was at fault. It is separate from equine liability coverage, which responds to injuries or property damage a barn causes to third parties such as boarders, visitors, or lesson clients. Barn hands, lesson instructors, and office staff paid by the barn generally count toward the employee threshold; farriers, some trainers, and other independent contractors are often treated differently, and the distinction affects both the count and the premium calculation, covered on the workers' compensation glossary page.

### Where the two coverages split

Example: A boarding and lesson barn in Cherokee County employs four people: two barn hands, a lesson instructor, and an office manager. Once the fourth hire crossed the three-employee threshold, Georgia law required the barn to carry workers' compensation. When one of the barn hands strains her back lifting a hay bale, workers' compensation pays her medical treatment and a portion of her lost wages. Equine liability coverage, built to respond to a boarder's or visitor's injury, would not apply to the barn's own employee in that situation.

Cost and structure for a commercial workers' compensation policy, including how claims and safety history affect pricing over time, are covered on the workers' compensation insurance page. Many boarding and lesson operations carry workers' compensation alongside equine liability, described on the equine insurance page, since the two respond to different people and different types of claims.

A coverage review can confirm employee counts, contractor classifications, and how the two coverages fit together for a specific barn. Schedule a coverage review.