Feasibility of being a freelance groom

[Muddywellies]

I see daily adverts for people looking for a freelance groom. Seems that there just aren't enough, as people appear pretty desperate for help. I've become very unhappy with my fairly well paid office job and have been thinking about a career change. I've worked as a groom in my youth and I know it's 'donkey work' (pun intended ?) but can it work out financially, and can it be satisfying. Or do you get tired of dealing with other people's sometimes naughty horses, and mucking out filthy stables that have been left untouched for months ? ?

 

[Xmasha]

My daughter did it for a bit, she met some lovely people and enjoyed working with the horses. However, it became clear that there really wasnt enough money in it for her. But, she was just doing yard duties and not riding. I guess if you can ride /turnout to a high standard you may be able to charge a bit more. Clipping is another thing that can add value. Good luck

 

[planete]

I would start doing it week-ends first. If you can turn horses out to a high standard and are fairly unflappable and organised, helping owners without a full-time groom on competition days can be fun and financially rewarding. Feeding, mucking out and turning out not so much and very poorly paid. You need to be more capable than the average horse owner when it comes to clipping, plaiting, nursing wounds (think veterinary bandaging of leg wounds for instance) and handling tricky horses. If you can build a reputation for calm efficiency in all fields then you will be in demand and able to earn above the minimum wage. If people trust you to be in charge when they go away there is good money to be made there as well. But everyday stable chores do not pay enough and exhaust you, leaving you looking for a less physically demanding job in your thirties if not before.

 

[Orangehorse]

I occasionally employ a freelance groom, she used to exercise, including racehorses, or hunter exercise and help with breaking in horses, used to plait for a local dressage rider and she still does a LOT of clipping, although no riding now she is older and for quite a long time it was only horses she knew and was familar with.

You could find yourself doing a lot of driving around for not much reward. People advertise for free-lance as they don't have to be "an employer" and all that entails, like holiday pay, pensions, deducting national insurance, etc.
Of course, some don't have enough work for a full time groom, but they like to have someone to do fill in to cover days off, or even older people who can't manage to do heavy work.

Maybe the best paid would be at a racing stable, where some like to have freelance grooms at the weekend to cover time off, or as above as an event groom.

Or you maybe content to go round for looking after horses when owners are on holiday, and other regular jobs.
Remember to charge enough to cover travel, or to have one price for a certain radius and then more for further afield.

 

[fankino04]

I setyself up a few years ago as a dog walker and freelance groom ( no riding), it worked well in that I got in with a local yard who needed 5 afternoons a week (3-5.30) so it was good regular work, as was the dog walking which was fixed clients at set times. I wouldn't take the and hoc jobs that come up on Facebook as you don't know the horses or the yard so things take longer than they should and you're always chasing around looking for the next job. Good riders and people who turnout to a high standard will probably pick up plenty of work, but if I had to rely on the odd jobs on Facebook (although there has been an uplift recently) I would be very stressed about if I would be earning enough each month.

 

[mariew]

Kind of depends what salary you need. Work out what you would need to earn, then work back to an hourly rate. Work out of that hourly rate is something someone is going to pay. This is bearing in mind you won't get any benefits or pension contributions, just cash.

I would be surprised if you would be in anything other than minimum wage territory but I might be wrong. Teaching is probably the only way to earn ok money being freelance. Or clipping maybe.

 

[chaps89]

Going rate for a freelancer for normal grooms work is £10 an hour around here. Self employed so no pension, sick pay or holiday and you should really have insurance cover too (both business use cover on your car if going to multiple yards and liability cover for your actual work)
I got laughed at by one yard for saying I would charge £5 extra per visit for fuel/travelling due to their location, they were 45 minutes away so a round trip would have effectively been an hour and a half unpaid, £5 doesn’t really cover the time or the costs! (They got in touch with me and my location was stated in my ad)
I don’t see how you could make a living really.
If you can ride, do show prep and/or clip you would be in a better position to charge more.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Yes people want freelance grooms, only most of them don’t want to pay what they are worth. 15 years ago I was charging £10 per hour much of my work was by being employed on yards. Private owners would phone, book, then cancel because some kid offered to do it for £5 per hour only to not turn up and the owner then call me again. I am BHS qualified, was fully insured and my best clients were those that had rehabbing/special needs horses as they appreciated my equine vet nursing experience. I only did yard duties, I wasn’t about the be the one they chucked on anything because I was the expendable freelance. Pet sitting, house sitting and horse sitting can also work but do they pay a decent wage covering sick pay, holiday pay? Not in my experience. Teaching, clipping somewhat better and if you do it, insist on payment on the day and a non-refundable deposit on booking.

 

[my bfg]

Reckon if you can quickly build up a regular client list then it can work well. However know a few people who have done this and found themselves dealing with stables that haven't been mucked out properly for months/fields full of poo/unkept horses etc, all of which was expected to be at a good standard on the owners return. So would say assess each job before giving a price in case you end up working additional unagreed and possibly unpaid hours trying to do a good job
Also agree with the comments above that offering services such as clipping/plaiting/being a groom at a show etc would be a big selling point

 

[Muddywellies]

Thank you everyone. Many valid points there that have put me off the idea. Thank goodness for forums like this where people can give you a realistic view on things.