# Insurance for animal naturopaths and animal physiotherapists in Germany

> You treat horses, dogs and cats in Germany, perhaps after training in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands. Here the work of an animal naturopath (Tierheilpraktiker) or animal physiotherapist is not regulated by a specific law, so anyone can set up in practice. The risk is real all the same: a horse that goes lame after a session can be worth tens of thousands of euros. This page explains which insurance you need and what it roughly costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-animal-naturopath-and-animal-physiotherapist.php  
Updated: 2026-10-14

## Does my liability policy pay if a horse I treat is injured?

Only if it expressly covers damage to animals in your care or under treatment. Many general business liability policies exclude exactly that. Look for professional liability for animal therapists that names treatment damage to the animal, with a sum high enough for an expensive horse.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No statutory compulsory insurance; the profession has no specific legal regulation in Germany
- **Biggest risk:** Injury to or death of a valuable animal, such as a competition horse, after treatment
- **Basic cover from:** around 120 euros a year for professional liability without staff, a guide value from our quoting experience
- **Legal limit:** Under section 50 of the Veterinary Medicines Act (TAMG) you may only use prescription veterinary medicines as instructed by the treating vet
- **Often forgotten:** Your own injuries: one kick from a horse can keep you off work for weeks

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Treatment damage:** A horse goes lame after mobilisation, a dog's back gets worse after massage. The owner claims vet bills and loss of value.
- **Remedies and supplements:** Herbs, oils or homeopathic remedies can cause reactions, and for competition horses there may be anti-doping issues.
- **Missed illness:** If you should have seen that the animal needed a vet and did not refer it, the owner can hold you liable.
- **Third parties:** A dog bites another client in your waiting area, a horse kicks the person holding it.
- **Your own injury:** Kicks, bites and falls hit you first. As a self-employed therapist you have little to fall back on.
- **Equipment on the road:** Lasers, underwater treadmills and therapy devices are expensive, and mobile work means everything travels in your car.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 4, Fire and water 2, Theft 2, Cyber 1, Downtime 4, Health 4

## The insurance you need

- **Professional indemnity** (Essential): Pays when an animal you treat is harmed or a person is injured, and defends you against unfounded claims. Check that treatment damage to animals is included. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Accident insurance** (Strongly advised): Pays a lump sum for lasting injury after a kick or bite, whoever was at fault. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-accident-insurance.php
- **Occupational disability** (Strongly advised): If your back, hands or knees give out, it replaces part of your income. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php
- **Business contents** (Depends on the business): For your own practice room: treadmill, laser, treatment table and supplies against fire, water and burglary. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Depends on the business): For expensive therapy devices, including operating errors and damage in transit. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Car insurance** (Depends on the business): If you work on the road, your vehicle needs the right business use and cover for the equipment. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-car-insurance.php

## What it costs: example prices

Professional liability for animal therapists is affordable. What drives the premium is the species you treat, horses above all, your methods, the sum insured for animal damage and whether you employ staff.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional indemnity | Small animals, no staff, 3 million euros cover | around 120 to 250 euros a year |
| Professional indemnity | Horses, mobile work, 5 million euros cover | around 200 to 450 euros a year |
| Accident insurance | Age 40, 100,000 euros base sum with progression | around 150 to 300 euros a year |
| Business contents | Practice with underwater treadmill, 40,000 euros contents | around 150 to 350 euros a year |
| Occupational disability | Age 35, 1,500 euros monthly benefit to 67 | around 1,000 to 2,000 euros a year |

For comparison: Liability and accident cover cost about as much a year as five sessions with a horse.

_Guide values from our quoting experience, as of October 2026, excluding German insurance premium tax. Your premium depends heavily on species and methods; we obtain the exact quote for you._

- [Section 50 TAMG: use of veterinary medicines by non-vets](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/tamg/__50.html)
- [Verband Deutscher Tierheilpraktiker](https://www.tierheilpraktiker.de/)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Start** (Animal naturopath or physiotherapist for dogs and cats, no own premises): Professional indemnity, Accident insurance. Together: around 270 to 550 euros a year
- **Mobile** (Mobile practice with horses and equipment in the car): Professional indemnity, Accident insurance, Electronic equipment, Occupational disability. Together: around 1,500 to 3,000 euros a year
- **Complete** (Own practice with underwater treadmill and staff): Professional indemnity, Accident insurance, Business contents, Electronic equipment, Occupational disability. Together: around 1,800 to 3,500 euros a year

## The worst day in an animal therapy practice

Six things that really happen to animal naturopaths and animal physiotherapists. Here they all hit on a single Wednesday. Tap through the day and see who pays.

- 08:15: A dressage horse is lame after mobilisation. The owner claims vet bills and a lost competition season. (€18,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 10:00: A young horse kicks you in the knee in the stable. You are off for six weeks. (€6,000, Paid by: Accident insurance)
- 11:30: A dog jumps off the treatment table and breaks a leg. (€3,500, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 14:00: In the waiting area a dog bites the hand of another client's companion. (€4,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 16:30: The laser unit falls out of the boot while unloading and is beyond repair. (€5,000, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 21:00: A burst pipe floods the treadmill room. (€12,000, Paid by: Business contents)

**Damage so far:** €48,500

## Practical tips from your broker

- Check that your policy covers damage to animals under treatment, and choose a sum that would cover an expensive sport horse.
- Give the insurer every species and method you use, including acupuncture, leeches or laser therapy.
- Record findings, what you told the owner and your advice on when to see a vet for every animal.
- Use prescription veterinary medicines only as instructed by the treating vet, as section 50 TAMG requires.
- Insure yourself against accident and loss of earning capacity; kicks and bites hit your income first.
- If you work on the road, ask whether equipment in the car is covered.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We check the animal damage clause:** As an insurance broker, Norman Nammert compares several insurers and makes sure damage to treated animals is not excluded in the small print.
- **We know claims handling:** In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves. We know what an insurer wants to see when an owner makes a claim.
- **Advice in English:** We explain German policy wording in plain English, and you get the documents explained before you sign.
- **Brokering since 1989:** Our advice costs you nothing, as the insurer pays our commission. You speak to people who know your policy.

## FAQ

### Is liability insurance compulsory for animal naturopaths in Germany?

Not by law. Without it, though, you are personally liable when an animal is harmed after your treatment, and many yards and partner practices ask for proof of cover.

### What does professional liability cost?

As a guide from our quoting experience, around 120 to 250 euros a year for small animals. With horses and mobile work it is usually 200 to 450 euros.

### Doesn't the owner's pet liability cover it?

That pays when the owner's animal harms someone else. It does not pay for harm you cause to the animal during treatment; that is what your own professional liability is for.

### May I give medicines to animals?

Under section 50 TAMG you may use prescription veterinary medicines only if the treating vet prescribed or supplied them and gave treatment instructions. Registered non-prescription homeopathic remedies for animals not kept for food are an exception.

### Is my foreign qualification recognised?

There is no state licence for animal naturopaths or animal physiotherapists in Germany, so there is nothing to recognise. Insurers look at your training and methods when they quote.

### Who pays if I am kicked or bitten?

For employees, the statutory accident insurance of your trade association. As a self-employed therapist you are not automatically covered there; private accident insurance closes the gap.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-animal-naturopath-and-animal-physiotherapist.php#anfrage

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Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT. Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act. Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company. It does not arrange your contract.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.