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Feeding YOURSELF for performance – healthy eating for equine grooms!

Healthy Eating for Equine Grooms – You Are What You Eat!

by Becky Parker

Feeding YOURSELF for performance - healthy eating for equine grooms - horses eat better than most grooms

Take a stroll around any yard at feed time and you will see grooms carefully measuring and allocating feeds for each individual horse. Usually, there will be a complex ever-changing board to ensure each horse has a diet relevant to their workload that allows them to reach their peak performance. Often topped up with 54 different kinds of supplement for any even half perceived ailment, mental imbalance, weather fluctuation or skin condition.

Feeding YOURSELF for performance - healthy eating for equine grooms - junk foodBy contrast, poke your head into the groom’s kitchen, take a peek in the tack room bin, glance in a grooms car passenger footwell and the chances are high there will be great evidence of a less thought out diet. For some reason when it comes to caring for ourselves the trend for living on Redbull and Mars bars still prevails for many grooms. Yet it makes no sense! If our end goal is to provide the best possible care for the horses in our charge, one of the first steps should be to ensure we are in our best possible form to do that job, and that begins with the fuel we use to power ourselves.

 

Why is healthy eating so important for equine grooms?

  • Feeding YOURSELF for performance - healthy eating for equine grooms - a balanced dietTo sustain consistently higher energy levels throughout the day – no more need for 4pm daydreams of curling up in the corner of the stable and sleeping
  • For improved brain function e.g. problem solving and memory recall – vital skills in a groom’s day to day life, not to be mention to ensure speed of thinking and response times, essential to survive and thrive even the everyday rigours of working with horses!
  • For increased strength particularly over the long term as correct fuelling helps the body build muscle
  • To feel happier! We all know feeling HANGRY is a real thing!
  • Because grooms don’t have time for being sick , poor nutrition weakens your immune system leaving you far more susceptible to annoying inconveniences such as colds, migraines and an upset tummy
  • In the long term, a bad diet can lead to not maintaining a healthy weight along with associated risks eg: diabetes, digestive problems, liver and kidney disease and even cardiovascular problems
  • Bad toxins clog up the liver slowing down the body’s ability to process any good food you feed it into energy

 

 

Feeding YOURSELF for performance - healthy eating for equine grooms - alcohol IS included in your dietDon’t forget that alcohol is part of your diet too! Alcohol puts excessive pressure on the liver’s performance, which in turn affects the body’s ability to digest and process food – which impacts your stamina, energy levels and overall ability to cope with daily activities.

We know this is relevant because this image is one of the most popular posts on our Facebook Page! 

 

 

What is a ‘healthy eating’ for an equine groom?

In simple terms, healthy eating is a balanced diet, made up of a variety of unprocessed whole foods from across all the food groups. These are:

 

 

CARBOHYDRATES – 45-60% of your Daily Intake

Contrary to what some ridiculous fad diets might suggest, Carbs are not bad, they are a vital part of your daily diet, especially if you have a physically demanding job. Carbohydrates contain fibre, starch, sugars, vitamins and minerals all of which the body needs to operate at its maximum potential.

All Carbs can be split into two categories depending on how high they score on the GI (Glycaemic Index) which measures how quickly the food can be broken down, absorbed and converted into energy. Low GI foods are generally considered better as they will leave you feeling content and energised for longer. Examples of low GI foods would be:

  • Feeding YOURSELF for performance - healthy eating for equine grooms - CarbohydratesPasta
  • Milk
  • Yoghurts
  • Bananas
  • Apples
  • Legumes
  • Nuts

 

 

PROTEIN – 25-35% of your Daily Intake

Protein is the bodies version of a building block used to create new cells that repair damaged tissue and build new muscle. It is thought that the average person requires 0.75g of Protein per kilogram of body weight. Examples of foods rich in protein would be:Feeding YOURSELF for performance - healthy eating for equine grooms - Fish is a good source of protein

  • lean meat
  • fish
  • spinach
  • broccoli
  • eggs

 

 

FATS – 20 = 30% of your Daily Intake

‘Fat’ is a word with such negative connotations that it is easy to think it is something we should avoid altogether, but this is not so. Good fats are an important part of our diet that provide energy, help our body to absorb the nutrients it needs and form an important part of brain, nerve and cell function. These fats are even known as ‘essential fatty acids’ – must be good then!

There are in fact 4 types of Fats. 2 we do want and 2 we should try to avoid.

 

 

Feeding YOURSELF for performance - healthy eating for equine grooms - Eggs are a good source of Polyunsaturated FatsThe Good

Polyunsaturated fats contain Omega 3 and Omega 6 which promote healthy cell function, these can be found in fish, linseed oil, sunflower oil, pine nuts and eggs.

Monounsaturated fats promote good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol for a healthy heart these can be found in Olives, Avocado, Cashews, peanuts and Pistachios.

 

 

The Bad

Saturated fat is mostly found in animal products such as meat and dairy but also in coconut and palm oil. This is one of the highest causes of weight gain and heart problems in our diet. It can be found not only in high salt, fatty processed foods such as crisps and snacks but also in:

 

  • Feeding YOURSELF for performance - healthy eating for equine grooms - Cake contains saturated fatcheddar cheese
  • sausages
  • pies
  • biscuits
  • cake

You know, all the things we like to snack on most whilst at shows!

 

 

Feeding YOURSELF for performance - healthy eating for equine grooms - choose your food wiselyThe Ugly

Trans Fats come in two types, the naturally occurring kind found in meat and dairy which there is little evidence to show has a negative effect on our body and the artificial kind, created through the industrial process of hydrogenating vegetable oil. This is done as a cost-effective way to improve the taste and texture of fast food and processed products. It is proven to actively increase the risk of heart disease and is just a whole load of rubbish you don’t want in your body!

 

 

Never go long hours without food, no matter how busy you are. When you do your body goes into ‘starvation mode’. This mechanism, which is believed to be the body’s natural defence against starvation, means the body becomes super efficient at making the most of the calories it does get from food and drink, which in turn causes you to put weight on, and it also makes you susceptible to diabetes. Going hours without food then scoffing a Mars bar with a can of coke is just about the worst thing you can do!

 

Simple tips for healthy eating

  • Choose a breakfast that is high in protein as this will kick-start your metabolism, give you a good burst of long-lasting energy and keep you full for longer
  • Aim to eat every 3-4 hours which should include 3 good meals plus 2-3 healthy snacks (snack on the go by storing cereal bars/little bags of dried fruit and nuts/fresh fruit in your pockets or the tack room for easy snacking whilst on the way to the field or whilst cleaning tack)
  • Ignore faddy, extreme, unsustainable diets
  • Find healthy food you actually like that will appeal to you
  • Drink plenty of water, during the summer 1-2 litres per day is the recommended daily amount. Keep a bottle on the yard, in the lorry, or in your car for busy freelance grooms, to make sipping on the go easy. This alone will reduce hunger, headaches and improve overall health.

 

 

 

Feeding YOURSELF for performance - healthy eating for equine grooms - Healthy Food Chart

www.healthyfood.co.uk © Crown copyright 2016

 

Feeding YOURSELF for performance - healthy eating for equine grooms - eating a balanced dietThis may seem like a cliché after all the above info but, if we are honest, in the busy hectic schedule of a groom the occasional chocolate bar is going to slip by even the best healthy eating defences and, do you know what? that is ok! The message here is only to ensure you keep the bad things in moderation and make yourself aware of the better effect a banana would have had in keeping you going until the end of the day.

My solution, as we all know the chocolate bar is by far the more appealing option… have one as a treat!  – on those days, have a banana in one pocket and and a chocolate bar in the other….there we have the perfect balanced diet. I have so got this sussed! 

Click here for lots of great simple recipes that will help you maintain healthy eating.

 

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Job Description Perform daily stable yard and field duties, including feeding, handling, and grooming horses. Muck out and clean stables to a high standard. Report any horse ailments, infections, or injuries to the Head Groom immediately. Administer necessary treatments to horses as directed. Exercise allocated horses daily through lunging, hacking, schooling, or track cantering. Safely lead fit horses, including stallions. Check and maintain the safety and serviceability of all equipment, reporting any repairs needed. Ensure riding arenas are clean and tidy at the end of each day. Transport horses as required. Assist in client activity preparation tasks and riding activities, following correct procedures. To buddy with new starters as part of their induction. Any tasks or responsibilities as requested by management within the scope of the position.   Knowledge and Skills: Experience working as a Groom (Essential) Experience in horse care (Essential) Ability to ride to BHS Stage 2 standard (Desirable) Clean driving licence (Essential) Experience working with children (Desirable) Equine qualification (Desirable).  
We’re looking for a knowledgeable and motivated Yard Manager to take the lead on our day-to-day yard operations and support our horses, riders, and team. This is a hands-on, leadership role for someone who loves being in the thick of it, is confident managing others, and has a true passion for horse welfare and stable management. As Yard Manager, your duties will include: Taking full responsibility for the day-to-day running of the yard Ensuring all horses are healthy, well looked after, and prepared for daily lessons Overseeing the grooming, feeding, turnout, and medical care routines Managing feed and bedding supplies, as well as record-keeping for horse health and farrier/vet schedules Leading, mentoring and organising junior staff, volunteers and apprentices Upholding high standards of cleanliness, safety and yard presentation Communicating with riding instructors to ensure smooth operation of lessons and horse allocation We’re after someone who is: Experienced in yard and horse management (minimum 2–3 years in a similar role) Knowledgeable and confident in handling a variety of horses A calm and kind leader with great people skills Reliable, self-motivated, and organised Committed to the highest standards of equine care Comfortable working in a busy yard environment and able to adapt to the day’s challenges Ideally BHS qualified (or equivalent experience) We believe in supporting our team and rewarding hard work. As part of your role at MA Equestrian, you’ll receive: Staff riding opportunities – keep up your riding with our wonderful horses Ongoing training and professional development A warm and welcoming team environment Possibility to stable your own horse Beautiful countryside setting Real opportunities to shape the role and grow within the business Full-time position with a flexible rota, including weekends and some evenings

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Caroline Carter Recruitment Ltd
PO Box 89
SHEFFORD
SG17 9AY

info@carolinecarterrecruitment.com
0203 006 5730

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