Articles on things you’ll relate to during life as an equine groom!
If you love cross-country and a fast-paced life maybe a career in eventing is for you? What do you know the role of Eventing Grooms and Eventing Groom jobs? Do you have the relevant skills and experience? Do you want to gain them? Becky Parker takes us through the typical duties of a professional Eventing Groom…
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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?
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At any stage in your life, deciding on or changing a career pathway is a very tall order. We have to identify a working life that is enjoyable, that we are not only capable of but are likely to be good at, and that will sustain us financially and provide for our retirement. It’s hardly surprising that so many of us passionate horse lovers opt for a career with horses! So many young horse lovers stand on the threshold of their adult life envisaging a long future of playing with ponies every day and being paid to do it. What’s not to love?! Well, quite a lot actually – living the dream can soon become very disenchanting… unless you do it right!
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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. By 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.
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It is undeniable that if you work within an equestrian discipline that actually interests you and suits your personality traits and experience levels, then your working life will be much more fun and you will thrive in that role for longer periods of time and to a good level, everything else being equal! I can spot a square peg in a round hole at 1000 paces and, it has to be said, this forms the basis of many discussions I have with both grooms/riders and indeed, employers. This is one of the benefits of using a recruitment agency like ours, as discussed in our recent article Why Use a Recruitment Agency. What is true is that grooming within any discipline requires reliability, consistency, hard work, and initiative. But this week, we take a characteristical tongue in cheek, whistle-stop tour through just a handful of popular disciplines. Becky Parker will ponder the various discipline-specific characteristics and it will remind you of why you suit a specific discipline, or it might help you to finally decide which of the horsey disciplines suit you, or even some of the people you know. See if you can guess which one Becky seems to have a bias towards?!
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There are many perks to being a groom, but the greatest perk is the horses themselves. When you work with an animal day in day out it’s not just their beauty, their power or the thrill of going for a good gallop that keeps you hooked. It’s discovering their individual unique characters. The way they amuse us with their antics and the satisfaction we get from watching them learn and progress in their careers, as personalities we have a bond with, not just machines. That’s what makes the job so rewarding. A vital part of a groom’s skillset is the ability to recognise the different personality types and adapt the way they handle each horse to suit the individual. Of course, some horses make our job easier than others. Here are a few examples of the more ‘quirky’ characters you might come across as a groom or employer!
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Several times, every day I am involved in discussions with grooms and employers about salaries. One of the most commonly asked question by grooms in what is considered a poorly paid profession is, “what can I do to get the top end of the salary ranges advertised in your jobs?”. There are some basics you can achieve fairly easily, and any investment in your career will undoubtedly pay back dividends, but you don’t want to make moves and spend money on qualifications and licences willy-nilly. Through a series of articles over the next few months, we will tell you how you could get some serious extra money in your pay packet each month. Bookmark this page to easily access the entire collection of articles as it grows…
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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!
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At the moment there are so many blogs and articles discussing the negatives that grooms face, I often wonder if we have the balance right. We are always hearing about the grooms perspective and the horror stories encountered, which undoubtedly do exist and need to be aired. BUT….whilst they need to be addressed properly, mature, reasonable grooms will know there are also stories on the other side of things which can range from funny to annoying, to toe-curlingly bad, and sometimes dangerous in the extreme. The following article exploring some groom stereotypes takes a slightly light-hearted look at the other side of employment within the equine industry, poking a bit of fun here and there but nevertheless, a very serious message is underlying. Make sure you AREN’T one of these…!
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One of the most exciting things you can do as a groom is to take a horse you have been looking after and see it perform to its best at a competition. It’s a buzz and it’s a big responsibility. There is such a lot to of preparation required, so many things to remember to do and to bring, and so many places to be at certain times. Time to really showcase your skills and experience; oh and the chance for some cracking junk food at the show venue! All that being said, how would you cope if something went wrong with one of the horses in your care at a show? How prepared are you for a sick or injured horse?
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Rugging is both an art and a science. Sole charge groom positions are very popular these days and the owners and horses are reliant on you knowing your stuff and staying informed on the facts and latest thinking. Knowing where to start each Autumn is an annual dilemma for every groom, but this weeks guest blogger, Kelly Wallace Horne, gives us some useful reference points to help us take that first step into the winter season.
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Our first guest blogger reminds us of the importance of understanding the vital signs of the horses in your care. Would you know if your horse’s heart rate, pulse rate and/or respiratory rate is unusually high? Would you know if it is normal for him or her? Our guest blogger, who wishes to remain anonymous, talks us through the basic checks you can make to have a deeper understanding of how your horses may be feeling on any given day…
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It’s true to say that horses are not a hobby but a way of life and for the majority, if not all of us, horses are in our blood. It’s a passion that can’t be ignored, resulting in many of us keeping horses, working with horses – or both. But how do our four-footed family impact our employability and career development?
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