For anyone who is/has been a groom, tell me you experience?

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Tiffany Blue

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I won’t mention names on here, but I was very shocked after going for a trial with a top competition rider, to find a very poorly run and stressful yard. Is that really the kind of environment you would want your horses to be around? How can you tell the good employers apart from the bad?
 
I take it you haven't been worked on a big yard before? Fair enough most yards are not poorly run but stressful is fairly normal. I'm a groom for a top competition rider going abroad etc so if you have any more questions pm me
 
teamsarazara said:
I take it you haven't been worked on a big yard before? Fair enough most yards are not poorly run but stressful is fairly normal. I'm a groom for a top competition rider going abroad etc so if you have any more questions pm me
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I'm guessing by your name you work for.. zara phillips? :o

Or am I completely wrong xD
 
I have worked at about 5 different yards now and what goes on behind the scene in every single one has put me off full livery for life!!

One yard I worked at was not stressful in the slightest, in fact it was far too laid back as the owner waltzed in at about 10/ 11 am and didn't bother riding most of the horses. He would stand about for hours chatting to people instead of doing any work. When I left, I turned up one morning at 11.30 to get my cheque and return keys to find that the horses hadn't been fed yet and had no water!

2 of the yards I have worked at have been very busy competition yards (one I am still at currently). I wouldn't say they are mega stressful but horses have been abused at times (hit with rakes, left on walker for hours (by accident) etc.) One horse the yard manager didn't like so they used to drape rugs over all the walls so the YM couldn't see the horse and if they were still annoyed by its existence, it was put on the walker for a few hours. I have left that yard now and the one I am at currently isn't too bad. It is stressful at times but I think when you have responsibility of someone's very expensive, beloved horse; it is going to be stressful!
 
Parachute I can pm you if you are that bothered lol I just don't want it plastered everywhere! I've never been in a situation like rowy where the horses have been abused or left on the walker by accident everything is planned down to a T and these mistakes would not happen. The only time id say is stressful are when we go to day shows and have to do all the yard/excercising work before we go. Saying that we are at day shows 2-4 times a week and stay away shows most of the time.
 
teamsarazara said:
Parachute I can pm you if you are that bothered lol I just don't want it plastered everywhere! I've never been in a situation like rowy where the horses have been abused or left on the walker by accident everything is planned down to a T and these mistakes would not happen. The only time id say is stressful are when we go to day shows and have to do all the yard/excercising work before we go. Saying that we are at day shows 2-4 times a week and stay away shows most of the time.
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Now I sound like a stalker.. :eek:
But go on then :D
 
I would say compared to most ' normal ' yards a big competition yard is stressful. Lots of horses, lots going on!! But all the ones I have worked on have been organised chaos if that makes sense. Plus it's all about the horse as an athlete, their happiness and well being, but then these have only been Eventing and Dressage.
Rowy what you describe sounds like neglect!! Unacceptable. None of my guys would do that. Ever.
 
No never been on a big yard before. Big livery yard yes, but not competition yard. I was actually looking for a show yard as I'm only small myself and wanted to care for/ride and produce show ponies. However dressage comes in at a close second for interest so thought I would give it a go. I thought I'd be in too deep due to the horses being so well bred/finely tuned and big but that was actually not a problem at all. Just everything else.
 
I think a lot goes on in the big yards, not so much at the one I'm at ATM but where I was before affairs happened, big arguments happened, very illegal things happened and the riders knew that the grooms knew but you were almost expected just to turn a blind eye.
 
I thought it would be a good step to gain experience but to be honest I would benefit more from a livery yard consisting of 2 donkeys. It definitely confirmed some of my concerns with British Dressage lately.
 
Daughter has works on a competition yard & really enjoys it. The yard is well organised, the horses are well cared for & happy and, although it can be busy, it isn't stressful, except on show days & when they go to away shows. It isn't a big yard though, and she doesn't live in. Maybe the OP would be better off starting on a small yard with fewer people / horses to deal with.
 
lme said:
Daughter has works on a competition yard & really enjoys it. The yard is well organised, the horses are well cared for & happy and, although it can be busy, it isn't stressful, except on show days & when they go to away shows. It isn't a big yard though, and she doesn't live in. Maybe the OP would be better off starting on a small yard with fewer people / horses to deal with.
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I've already done a large livery yard, stud and vets. the job requirements were within my capabilities but I was just disappointed with varying aspects and quite shocked.
 
I work on a dressage yard for a promising young rider who is working her way up to the top, and there was one groom who has now left but she made the environment very stressful - constantly shouting at the horses and I think the horses fed off her negativity and were naughtier as a consequence. Since she has left however the environment is much better and the horses are more chilled, making my job easier.

it is stressful at times, I think all professional riders are demanding and with 15 horses to look after as well as helping the rider out (all the usual daily chores plus whatever else she needs that day) it isnt a walk in the park. But overall the environment is good, horses are well looked after and most of the time we are all happy.

I only do it at weekends so cant comment on what it would be like to be there all the time, and yes I dont always agree with the way she wants the horses to be kept - but we all have our opinions and we'd all do things differently if they were our own horses.

Dont write off all competition yards completely, they are not all bad - but none are an easy environment to work in.
 
i've worked on a few yards and a couple made me :eek: ! the one i am on now is fab! will lis my experiences with out naming people as a couple were big names

showing: the yard whas a s**t hole! alleyways never got swept there were 100's of rugs piled everywhere, rotting feeds, tack wasn't cleaned and horses never groomed unless they were going to shows. the owners would feed/hay in am and pm and not do much else, but would occasionally help if we were behind - which was quite alot. at the point i was there we had 30horses in in october, with broodys, yearlings, 2yos and oldies still out in the fields probably about 60/70 horses in total. we would swap the day horses and night horses over(some were in during the day some were out at night) we had 7 mares and foals to take out too who were a handful, then all 30 needed mucking out, the beds were massive and rank and not nice at all then they all needed a big tipper of straw each then they all needed bringing in again the day was generally 9-5/6 and we were just scraping in for those times as there was generally only 2 of us working full time with one girl working 11-3 - william fox pitt once visited the yard looking for some youngsters and left pretty sharpish! then they let slip they were planning on bringing ALL the horses in and i didnt fancy hanging around for that! last 2 weeks handed in my weeks notice and left the following weekend :o

eventing: nice yard well looked after, nice people, nice horses but compleetly unorganised and too many horses!! there was just the three of us; the two riders and me! at the highest point we had 24horses and this was out of season!! it was compleetly caotic and a normal day for us would be 14hours, i'd generally work 12 days then get 2 off. sometimes we would finish on the yard at 9pm, go and do our weekly shop, cook dinner and then have to do lates at midnight. one rider was a compleete perfectionist so nothing was allowed to slip. one time we'd been to an owners for a dinner party got back at 3am and still had to do lates which included watering all horses, skipping out all horses and soaping all the tack we'd cleaned earlier. i also used to get left on my own everyweek whilst they went compeeting with all those horses, who needed to go on the walker/be turned out/bought in it wasnt much fun and everyday was a slogg.

showjumping: current yard - is absolutly brill :) just me and my boss, we've currently got 9 horses in and 3 in the field (inc mine and companion) we have a fab routine and everything has a time and place to be done we start at 8, i feed , she hays then rides two whilst i muck the 9 in, out and turn out the 3 liveries and bring the two in from the field and turn one out and sweep - we go for breakfast at 10. come out at half 10 for 'morning yard' ride teh remaining ones and groom a couple turn a couple out, give lunch to those left in and go for lunch at 1. go out at 2pm then between us we groom the remaining couple and clean all the tack and do 'jobs' and bring in/turn out change rugs skip out, hay, sweep feed and done by 5-5.30 :) like a well oiled machine! she goes away compeeting alot and i stay at home as 'ground control' i'll generally have 6 horses left in at home +the field ones and its fgenerally nice and easy and beacuse theres already a routine its quite easy
 
I worked as YM on an 80 horse livery/riding school/dealer/hoarder yard!

I had a team of 4 pooh pickers (one of which showed great promise and I hoped to snatch him and train him up as my assistant), and the YO and her family (daughter and son in law).

My hours officially were from 10 til 4, and none of the family were on the yard til 10, when lessons, liveries etc would start, with me running around trying to feed, muck out etc before respective horses were needed!

I ended up starting at 7 just because it was better for the horses (and me) to have breakfast, muck out and turn out in peace.

The lad I was training up was then sacked - the YO didn't really like him, but he was a hard worker, willing to learn and great with the horses - so everything was then down to me!

In amongst the feeding, mucking out (admittedly most were out 24/7 - but that still involved checking them all over, rugging/unrugging, hoof picking etc), I was expected to work with the youngsters - handling, working them on the ground, and generally getting them used to everything. I loved doing this, so rewarding. But the YO always tried to rush things and would get really annoyed with me when I was enthusiastic about small steps :(. I would work with 2 or 3 a day, and kept detailed notes on their achievements!

Then there was the medicine run - giving jabs, etc.

And teaching/taking hacks out - again, something I really enjoyed.

All in all - it was hard work, for minimum wage, and not a huge amount of encouragement, despite working blooming hard - usually 7 days a week (as when I had a day off, nothing got done, so it was easier to do everyday), 7 am til it was finished - usually not before 7pm.

Would I do it again? Too right I would, just not for that family!
 
I've worked on 2 show jump yards for well known names. Both were reasonably well run. Bit chaotic at times but that's just how it goes on occasion. On one of the yards, it was 95% professional and kind to the horses. There was the odd moment where a horse got a lesson in being well behaved but never out and out mistreatment. I left the other yard due to some terrible treatment of one horse in particular, who had stopped jumping (looking back, it probably had a problem but it was a long time ago, well before we all cottoned on to the fact that teeth, back and tack should be reviewed first).
 
I've worked on livery, racing, riding school and event yards. Every single one was run differently but the main take away was its blummin hard work although its a great job - very little stress and its great to be outside :)
 
In my young horsey days I worked on several yards. The best was a private yard owned by a rich person who loved horses, but really only rode out at weekends and did a bit of hunting. He loved to see his horses compete, which we were happy to do for him! It was really like having your own stable of beautiful horses which someone else was paying for. It was well run (just 2 of us) and about 15 horses, a mixture of riding/brood mares/youngsters and oldies.
I also worked in a flat racing yard for a time - again very well (and strictly) run, and no shortage of staff/lads. I learnt a lot there.
The worst was a private yard with sole charge. The owners were novices, but thought they knew everything - the sort that can buy expensive beasts but have no idea how to ride them. It was torture, everything I did was queried because they knew nothing about stable management and they were horrible to their horses because they blamed the horses for their own inadequate riding. I only stayed about 3 months. There were many more, but these ones stick in the mind. It was hard work, but I enjoyed it. (Oh, and the pay was ALWAYS rubbish!)
 
I have worked on all kinds of yards, currently am freelance as needed some breathing space and took a chance to work for myself. Really glad I made that decision as I don't think I realised how stressed I have been working for some really crazy people!

I worked abroad, at a very big and busy showjumping yard travelling around USA and Canada and it was super stressful. I loved it, got some incredible opportunities and met some brilliant people but the problem was they wouldn't employ enough staff. Some weeks I would have to work seven days, with some very unsocialble hours and it was just too much. I dont have a problem with hard work, or late nights but when it's constant it's hard to keep up. I'm a perfectionist and I was burning myself out trying to maintain standards very under staffed.

I came back to the UK with a job lined up grooming for a supposed up and coming eventer ..... That yard was wild! The manager was mental. She would literally scream at me in front of clients for basically no reason. She would ask me to do things I was already doing just to exert her authority. She picked at everything I did, even if it was something I was doing for and being paid by someone else to do and therefore none of her business. She would change her mind at the last second about what was to happen and then yell at me about why wasn't it done ... Err, because I'm not a mind reader! I was walking on egg-shells the entire time I was there. The girl I was there to groom for was also really strange. It was like she couldn't be bothered. She would swan onto the yard at lunchtime, ride her horse for like twenty minutes and then spend all afternoon just hanging about gossiping. And then she wondered why she wasn't succeeding at BE ..... I stuck it out for over a year before I legged it.

A job came up through a friend of a distant friend caring for exercising polo ponies so I headed to give that a go. It was worse than the previous job! The girl who was apparently the manager was just awful! She was the most unfriendly person ever, she couldn't manage the team properly so everyone was at each others throats and she was having some kind of weird affair with the owner of the place which it seemed his wife knew about :eek: it was all very awkward .... She also had some very unsafe practises - her riding out routine was ridiculous. I remember nearly getting hit by a motorbike because this girl couldn't organise the staff and had everyone all over the road. I did not stay there long.

There have been a fair few others but these jobs stand out .... Can't believe what I was willing to put up with! Apparently before I came along no-one had lasted longer than three months on that crazy eventing yard! Just shows you when you love it and it's your dream you'll take any flak!
 
The two most notable yards I worked on were poles apart. One showing, one eventing.
The showing yard was a small family run affair, very high standards expected (and rightly so) but extremely poor pay. I lived in and was paid £60 a week (that was 20 years ago).
Eventing yard was also live in again the pay was extremely poor BUT you got two hours in the saddle tuition a day and the yard team was almost like family.
Horses although kept in very different ways, always came first.
 
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