Not a lot of people realise that salaries in the horse racing industry are different to those of any other equine sector. Certain Minimum Wage and employment standards are agreed between the National Trainers Federation and the National Association of Racing Staff (Also known as “NARS”), and these set the horse racing industry apart from any other equine industry sector. Read on to find out more about working in the horse racing industry.

The provision of accommodation with an equine job can be a grey area for both employers and employees, with so many varying arrangements from yard to yard and job role to job role. Get it wrong and at the very least an employer struggles to find and keep staff, the employee loses out on their salary entitlement and, worst case scenario, the employer and employee find themselves in very hot water. Here we attempt to put a complex matter into as simple terms as possible, regarding the provision of accommodation with a job, based on situations regularly seen within the equine industry.

The early part of the year can be one of the busiest times in equine recruitment. The blank canvass of the new year stretches ahead, full of potential, promise but let’s face it, sometimes dread to as finding good staff these days can be somewhat…er…challenging, to say the very, very least! Having the right team around you to fulfill that potential is paramount to any person’s (or business’s) success.  As equine workers resolve to move on at the start of the year, January is a prime time to assemble that team. To help you make the most of this busy period we’ve put together a quick guide to the key points – if you like, some New Years’ Resolutions for equine employers!

There is a great deal of confusion over the term “Freelance Groom”. We know, because it is demonstrated to us frequently. Understandably, many Yards (and Grooms) require flexibility within a work contract and so the term “Freelance” crops up. However, the status of “Freelance Groom”, or “Self-Employed Groom”, is not purely set by the label you place on it. If a worker looks like an employee then they are ARE an employee, regardless of what the contract (which you should have) says. Getting this wrong can lead to a huge legal and tax headache, with HMRC demanding backdated tax, plus fines and penalties – a very expensive outcome…

In April every year, at the end of one Tax Year and the start of the next, the National Minimum Wage and Living Wage increases. This is important for everyone in the equine industry – employers and employees alike. Equestrianism is a notoriously low-pay industry in terms of hourly salary, and salaries are frequently, if not always, topped up with extras, bonuses and tidbits. But in reality, how lawful are we in doing this without the advice and guidance of accountants and tax specialists? And what are the consequences of getting it wrong? The UK Government has strict laws regarding the minimum sum of money any individual can receive in return for work done and it can be confusing at least, a minefield at worst, when remunerating staff not just fairly, but legally too.  In this article, we take a timely look, and research answers to basic questions for both employers and employees regarding the National Minimum Wage and Living Wage and to highlight common misconceptions within the equine industry regarding wages, remuneration packages and the law.

The run-up to Christmas should be a time of excitement and anticipation.  Bonus boxes of chocolates in the tack room and singing along to cheesy Christmas carols on the yard. The problems arise when you find yourself stuck for Christmas gift ideas. How to find something that is the right mix of thoughtful, useful, appealing to that person and within budget. Well never fear, we are here to help. We have pulled together a list of our 15 favourite gift ideas specifically for people working in the equine industry, suitable for your employer, employee or college (or even yourself!).

There is often confusion surrounding employment status, with “Freelance Grooms” being treated as employees, and employees being made responsible for their own Income Tax and National Insurance. The legal ramifications can be detrimental to BOTH parties, so it’s essential that everyone is clear on the work agreement and arrangement they have.

The appeal of a working life flitting from yard to yard, meeting many, many new horses (and people of course!) is understandable but is this perception realistic?  This article attempts to give you an overview of freelance grooming – the ins and outs and pros and cons in a nutshell…

The Mental Health Foundation is a UK charity that campaigns for good mental health for all.  As you may have noticed (!) this week (14th-20th May) is Mental Health Awareness Week so naturally, we turn our attention to the matter of mental health in the equine industry. Taking the opportunity to reinforce our partnership with the BGA we are happy to support their initiatives where we can and as ever, to advise on issues which can arise within the yard environment, relating this directly to the employer : groom dynamic with which we are so familiar…

So you think you have found the candidate you have been looking for? That’s great, but WHOA just hold your horses a second… In my experience, interviewing alone can be a very inexact science. Before you shake hands on the deal, I strongly recommend all employers and all job seekers road test each other first with a job trial, at a pre-agreed paid rate of course. This might be the one thing that, for you, secures your decision. Of course sometimes, for some people, a job trial is not always practical, but if it is, move heaven and earth, do yourself a favour and have one. There is nothing like a road test for really seeing first hand if something might be a fit…

Since April 2017, it’s compulsory that all eligible employees receive a Workplace Pension as part of their employment contract, and this applies to grooms working in the equine industry. There is still a lot of confusion surrounding Workplace Pensions, who is eligible for one and who should be paying into one. So, what is a workplace pension? What does this mean? Who should expect to receive one? We have put together a simple guide to answer 10 common questions regarding Workplace Pensions in the equine industry

It’s National Apprenticeship Week – a perfect time for grooms to explore the possibilities of gaining nationally recognised qualifications without having to take time out from work, and employers to consider expanding their team by taking on an apprentice groom! Whether you’re an employer or a learner/would be apprentice The Grooms List by Caroline Carter Recruitment is THE GO-TO place to go for Equine Apprenticeships! Everything both employers and learners need is here, in one place, from choosing a Training Provider to finding your next groom or job and everything in between!

All apprenticeships are supported by a specialist training organisation and choosing the right apprenticeship training provider is hugely important to a success outcome for both the learner and the employer. Here we offer employers some tips and advice on finding and selecting the right apprenticeship training provider for your yard.

Yesterday evening the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new, tighter restrictions on the movement and activities of individuals in Britain. As the no.1 equestrian recruitment agency, we’re keen that everyone understands how coronavirus affects equine recruitment, in order that disruption may be kept to a minimum while keeping everyone safe. This morning we have taken advice directly from the Government on how yards can cope with their staffing needs throughout this surreal and unprecedented time.

Never before has society been more aware of discrimination and the negative impact it has on all aspects of life. Quite rightly, the law takes acts of discrimination very seriously and, as with all matters pertaining to employment law, ignorance is no defence when it comes to the crunch! If upheld, a claim can result in a hefty fine! This blog is aimed to raise awareness and avoid not uncommon pitfalls.

There is more to managing job applications than you might think. The whole point in advertising a job vacancy is to receive applications from job seekers yet, once they start to come in, many employers lose out on their ideal candidate by making simple, easy to make errors when managing them. As seasoned recruiters, we regularly see or receive feedback from employers on the way they approach their job applications and, in turn, we see what works for them and what doesn’t. Here, we put together the do’s and don’ts of managing job applications.

Sometimes your recruitment drive gets stuck in a rut and needs a shove in the right direction to get things moving and pick up the momentum needed to fill an equine job vacancy. This is where The Grooms List by Caroline Carter Recruitment can help. The Grooms List seems to be the ‘go to’ equestrian recruitment agency these days for the majority of savvy employers and little wonder with over 20 years experience in FILLING EQUINE JOBS which is at your disposal when you subscribe to one of our recruitment packages, either our DIY website package or our bespoke equine recruitment services. This article is written specifically for employers using a DIY website recruiting route who, sometimes, can find themselves at an impasse finding suitable candidates and receiving applicants from appropriate job seekers.

There is often much confusion about employment contracts in the equine industry, and it’s very easy for both employers and grooms to make mistakes that, in the worst case scenario, can be devastating further on in time. Read our simple guide and make sure you’re in the know and on the right side of the law when it comes to employment contracts.

Sometimes, making and accepting a job offer can be somewhat rushed and not treated with the formality it really does require. Whilst it’s a huge relief to have reached this stage, it is by no means the end of the process! There is still time for things to unravel and go wrong, and sometimes badly wrong, which it’s why it’s so important for both employers and job seekers to approach this stage with care and to put aside a little quality time to get it spot-on! Read our guidance on making and accepting a formal job offer…

Offering and accepting a job offer can be a time of mixed emotions – happiness, relief, anxiety, and even confusion in some circumstances. But occasionally things go wrong when they’ve barely begun and the job offer is withdrawn. Where do employers and job seekers stand when a job offer/acceptance is withdrawn?

A “Written Statement of Employment Particulars” is the part of an employment contract that has to be given in writing within two months of an employee starting work, and both employers and employees need to know what it must contain and what it can contain. Make sure you know where you stand!

It’s National Apprenticeship Week 10th February – 16th February 2025 – a perfect time for grooms to explore the possibilities of gaining nationally recognised qualifications without having to take time out from work, and employers to consider expanding their team by taking on an apprentice groom! Why is this so important to the equine industry? Because the equine industry NEEDS you to! Before dismissing the idea of becoming or employing an apprentice, read our 5 reasons why the equine industry needs Apprentice Grooms…

Understanding payslips is easier than you might think. From the 6th April 2019, it is an employee’s statutory right to receive a payslip, so it’s important that everyone understands them! Unless you are genned up on the ins and outs of gross salary, income tax, allowances, Workplace Pensions and National Insurance it may look like a confusing bunch of numbers, especially if you’re a worker receiving payslips for the first time. In this article we give you a basic guide to payslips, from who should be given payslips and why, through to understanding the various codes and figures.

Many employers need their prospective employee to drive a car, tow a trailer, drive a tractor, a horse box or HGV lorry and, rather like reference checks, don’t always bother checking an individual’s licence for what they are legally able to drive, or even if they have any points or disqualifications. You need to know who is going to be doing the odd school run for you, transporting your horses, driving your tractor etc. Do yourself a favour, grab a strong coffee, take the phone off the hook for 10 minutes and have a read of this!

As we all know, recruitment is an inexact science and pre-employment checks such as securing valid and recent references gives us important information that helps us to decide if a candidate is suitable for a particular role.

Over the years I have taken references on behalf of thousands of employers and prospective employees as part of delivering bespoke recruitment services. This has lead me to have many positive, long-term placements and via the same established processes of due diligence, I have also diverted my clients away from certain disaster on more than one occasion!

Interestingly these days many grooms, having known me through their careers, give me as a reference to their ‘journey.’  Similarly, and not infrequently, employers will ask me for information about a particular prospective employee and of course, where I can fairly and legally comment, I do.

Over the years, more especially in the equestrian recruitment environment, I have been struck by how many employers who recruit for themselves or via other routes don’t seem to bother taking up references, opting instead to completely ignore these critical pre-employment checks just hoping for the best; many seem to live to regret this omission sooner or later…

Everyone likes to keep things simple, and sometimes gathering all the information needed before making decisions and acting on them can be time-consuming. With this in mind, The Grooms List team have put together a simple step-by-step guide to employing an Apprentice Groom, from writing your advert to retaining your fully trained Apprentice Groom beyond their final qualification.

In so many of the blogs and articles we write for equine employers, we find ourselves referring to common difficulties when sourcing, securing and retaining good equine career grooms. It’s reasonable to conclude the pool of experienced grooms wanting to remain working with horses and available to yards is diminishing as the years pass. Trainee grooms, including apprentices, are a lifeblood of the equine industry and the ins and outs of employing them need much more consideration than they currently get.

Taking anyone on as an employee is a big responsibility with plenty of legislation to adhere to along associated pitfalls, so it’s very tempting to aim to keep things simple by seeking to only take on employees with experience and a solid employment history. Not only could you find this attempt to keep things simple actually complicates your recruitment drive, as you struggle to attract and secure established, experienced career grooms in what is undeniably a very competitive recruitment market for employers, but by shunning the notion of taking on an apprentice, quite simply, you could be missing out!

This week’s blog is for all those interested in knowing more about the facts concerning employee wages, accommodation charges, holiday entitlements and finally sick pay, income tax, national insurance and pensions.

Linda Hudson, Head of Business Development at Educ8 Training, has in the last 10 years worked in both college and private training organisations and rather usefully, has also studied employment law. Linda now kindly offers us all a short review with some handy hints, tips and links for good measure!

Last week we took a sneaky peek at an equine employers ‘wish list’, this week we thought we would do the same (only fair!) to give those employers who might need it, a gentle nudge towards a better understanding of what grooms are looking for when they make a job move. It is surprising how often we come across bewildered employers wondering why they are still groom-less months down the line. Apart from the fact that the reality is that good grooms are in really short supply, often on further investigation into the job vacancy details the reasons can be somewhat closer to home….

The Grooms List by Caroline Carter Recruitment Ltd is delighted to publish this article by equine apprenticeship expert Linda Hudson, busting some common myths that often stop employers, would-be apprentices, and even parents from considering an equine apprenticeship.

We all know horses don’t look after themselves, and it appears that this may lead to some confusion at times regarding holiday entitlement in the equine industry. Whether you’re an employer or an employee, don’t make assumptions about holiday entitlement, make sure you know the law!

In my experience, most employers want to find an equestrian recruitment agency with whom they can form an enduring relationship to weather the storm we all find ourselves in currently. But this isn’t always that straightforward. Following are five tips to building a strong relationship from the moment you have decided to entrust your job vacancy with Caroline Carter Recruitment Ltd and our services, including The Grooms List.

Looking to build a successful career in a particular discipline or sector of the equine industry? Find out about the course options available to learners via and equine apprenticeship.

Trainee grooms, including apprentices, are a lifeblood of our industry and the ins and outs of employing them needs much more consideration than they currently get – the yard junior, the trainee and of course the official and safeguarded version of the working pupil, the apprentice groom, are the future. What we all invest today could reverse the sometimes depressing current trends in the industry for tomorrow. If you are sitting comfortably with a large glass/cup of whatever keeps you awake and concentrating, please do read on. We hope you will be glad you did and that you will share this info to anyone you think might benefit from it –  THE EQUESTRIAN INDUSTRY DESPERATELY NEEDS PEOPLE LIKE YOU!

It’s an occupational hazzard that when you work with horses, sooner or later you will succumb to ailments and injuries of some sort which may have short, medium or even long term consequences and are specific to our industry. Working with horses + age = creaking gate syndrome, hard to avoid…or is it?

Finding decent equine staff in this very tough equestrian recruitment market is not easy, it can be very time-consuming, costly and not least of all incredibly frustrating. Trust me, after 15 years as a professional equine recruitment specialist, I know! Follow my 5 simple tips to get the best out of your equestrian recruitment drive – save yourself time, a considerable amount of money, and an awful lot of headaches!

This article is designed to share just a few useful hints and tips if you are about to embark on filling an equine job vacancy, or for those who have been looking for a time and don’t feel they are making the progress they should be. I have recently fulfilled a long-held ambition to sponsor the British Grooms Association in all they do on behalf of the grooms. We work closely with the BGA but independently we have published a lot of very supportive articles/blogs which are being shared far and wide and which promote change with well-researched advice and views on current issues. So, this week we start to turn our attention a little to the other side of this equation, the employer. Employers get tired of hearing “it’s a groom’s market” right now, I know I seem to say it several times daily, but really, it is. Here I will share with you some of the benefits of my many years as an equine recruitment consultant…

The Grooms List by Caroline Carter Recruitment is delighted to work in partnership with the British Grooms Association (BGA) and Equine Employers Association (EEA). As an equine recruitment agency, by joining forces with these invaluable organisations we believe we can strengthen the professional equine industry by making accurate advice and resources easily accessible to all employers and employees in the equestrian world, in the right way, at the right time…

There are of course many factors which influence the longevity and success of any working relationship. Between grooms and employers, none of these are more hotly debated these days than that of grooms’ salary and the general package. You don’t have to look too hard on social media to see the disgruntled outpourings from all sides and every day I have conversations which clearly demonstrate much is still left to be done for this situation to become resolved. I don’t pretend to have an answer as to how we raise the income levels of this particular sector, (which is in many ways is similar to many of the “caring professions”) but I believe how and when the topic of salary and terms is covered within the whole interviewing process, if addressed, could have a positive impact on the longer term security of those involved.

In this article, I give both grooms and employers my advice on laying the foundations of long-term, happy, healthy and successful employment.

By having a 7.5 tonne+/HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) license, and a certificate to legally transport horses (as part of your job, or as your job) you can add anything from circa £200 up to £1000 or more to your monthly wage. If you are a freelance groom to add this service to your skills repertoire can really improve your “offerings” to prospective clients. The outlay required to get these qualifications can be steep for many, but at The Grooms List we have many jobs that come in where the Employer is happy to fund this training in return for a contractual promise to remain in the role for which you were employed for a mutually agreed fair period of time. The Grooms List by Caroline Carter Recruitment has negotiated a cracking 20% discount for you or your employer to make this more affordable for you by partnering with a specialised HGV trainer who trains over 200 people per month. They are the UK’s largest specialist vehicle training company, training for some of the UK’s biggest organisations. Becky Parker has done some further research on the nuts and bolts of the subject. You need to read this…

When working with horses, whether as a groom or an employer, we do need to acknowledge the physical risks we put ourselves and others in, often in remote locations. We have all seen the gory pictures, we don’t need reminding and most of us have at least one story to tell. As the first in a series of articles about how grooms can increase their salary, let’s start with the simple, effective, inexpensive and possibly life-saving step – get a First Aid certificate PLUS get a 10% discount on the course fees via The Grooms List! But beyond financial considerations, let’s not forget that we need to look after ourselves and each other. Find out more about options available to you, the difference it makes to your business or career and, of course, claim your 10% discount here!

Finding your way through the minefield that is job hunting is a tricky task. Some may liken it to the proverbial hunt for a needle in a haystack, but No! let’s not bring that kind of negativity here. Undeniably there are many shady employers around but equally, there are still quite a few good, generous, kind-hearted and appreciative ones too. Becky Parker outlines the role we play in the recruitment process of both employers and jobseekers in the equestrian industry.

Finding and employing a new member of staff for your yard can be a daunting prospect, with so many possible routes to consider and potential pitfalls along the way. Whichever route you choose, to stand the best chance of success you are going to have to write an advert for your job vacancy. To help you out, Caroline Carter Recruitment has put together a suggestion for the recipe to a good job vacancy advert. This will not only help you not only attract equine jobseekers, but will help you to define your needs and your wishes regarding your next equine employee.