Groom wage

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ajph

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Hi there,

How much would you pay per week for a groom doing on average 7.5 hours weekdays and travelling to shows at the weekend per week? No accommodation, but will give lunch/breakfast and will put groom up for the night if show early next day.
Yard duties being; mucking out 10+ horses, riding horses, feeding etc.
Would love to know how much you would all pay, and whether age (i.e 18) would make a difference

Thank you in advance for comments x
 
I was on £8 per hour

on a private estate

5 - 7 horses max

usually stable duties plus all aspects of riding and training plus preparing for Hunting, but I didn't hunt - not really my thing ;) Plus being left in sole charge when head groom was away which could be for as little as 3 days or as much as 4 months :D sorry not much help :)

Oh I didn't have accommodation!
 
$9 (~£6) per hour, plus $20 (~£13) per day
Average weeks earning would be around $550 (~£360), plus we pay most expenses when travelling, e.g. food and drinks, good living accom in wagon. This is waaaaay above minimum wage in my area, in which case they'd earn £130 less, which I don't think is a fair living wage.

I wouldn't hire anyone under 18 because I already have my own 3 kids running round the place, plus the kids I teach, so I'm happy with some adult company for a change.
 
Patterdale said:
If you're planning on one groom mucking out and riding 10+ horses you'd better give her a fair bit as she'll only be getting a couple of hours sleep.
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The OP is assuming a 7.5 hour day, so I guess the groom is not expected to ride 10 horses, unless they don't eat or go to the loo!
 
How long to you anticipate mucking out one stable to take? Just asking as I know how long it takes me to muck out 4 & ride 2. Plus extras like filling haynets & water buckets, mixing feeds, giving haylage, sweeping yard, etc.
 
I work on 3 different yards, the one yard that sounds the most similar to yours in set up has 37 horses (a stud) of which 10/12 are in and others need bringing up for farrier/vet/physio etc, as well as checking the herd and doing anything to them.
I work 9 - 3 with a 15min break and a half hour lunch so 6 hours, and get £50.
Anything over the normal hours is 'overtime' and the stud are happy to pay extra.

In the 6 hours I am there, I muck out and bring in the stallion, then turn out the broodies, muck their boxes out and bring them back in. Then do the same with the youngstock and riding horses. On average (and depending on what else I am needed for) I can muck out and re-bed 8 stables....and I'm not slow. I think for a groom to go to you OP you would need a fairly sizeable remuneration package.
 
Mucking ten shavings boxes should take less than 10 minutes a box so I'd say mucking 10, riding 2, and all other basic duties are easy done in that timescale!

As a riding groom I'd expect £7p/h + depending on experience.
 
Thanks for the input! I am the one who am going to be the groom, so making this to judge how much I reckon I should be getting paid, all inputs have been great and if anyone else has anymore would be great! Thank you
 
I suppose you you need to find out if these beds are full and thick ie traditional style, or just rubber matting. This can make a huge difference as to how long the job will take, and the work involved. Remember that it is not only the mucking out,but waters, rug changes, Hay nets and grooming/brush off/feet etc.
It really does depend on the yard setup and how much they expect you to do?If it is just you then you could get into a routine and stick to it, however 10plus horses a day plus exercise is a lot if you want to maintain standards!
 
Patterdale said:
If you're planning on one groom mucking out and riding 10+ horses you'd better give her a fair bit as she'll only be getting a couple of hours sleep.
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I agree! Sounds more like a job for two grooms unless the owner is working too. I'd rather have a decent job done than a rush.

I've paid between £8 and £12 for good freelance grooms per hour, and pay £10 for a teen to muck out two horses and do haynets and waters one day of the weekend.
 
Jenni_ said:
Mucking ten shavings boxes should take less than 10 minutes a box so I'd say mucking 10, riding 2, and all other basic duties are easy done in that timescale!

As a riding groom I'd expect £7p/h + depending on experience.
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Absolutely agree, One yard I do is 5 minimal beds on mats, they take me 5/10 mins each, yard 2 is 5 deep, thick shavings beds on mats and they take me 10/15 mins each (2 stables are 20x18 and thickly bedded, another is home to a box walking stress head!) and the stud is thick straw beds to the doors in the broody boxes and normal straw beds everywhere else. these can take me between 15 and 25 mins depending on the size of the box and the work needed on them.
 
Jesus, I was very underpaid judging this (and now I run my own yard, most definitely underpaid by about 75%...). About 4 years ago On a weekly sum with accommodation included - a leaky, cold, damp and mouldy house, with an outside toilet and mice leaving in the kitchen, I got paid £180 a week on a very busy hunting yard. There were 10 in on straw beds, regularly had 8 hunting on each hunt day twice weekly and 2 out on a Monday. It wasn't unusual for me to work 6.30-10pm on hunt days. Mind there was another girl helping too 3 times a week.

On another yard a few years back, I had sole charge of between 10- 14 whilst owners were away competing and I only got about £150 per week. As a bit of advise, if possible go for an hourly rate rather than fixed weekly rate. That way you'll not end up working your ass off for nothing.

Best paid job I ever had was working in a very well known NH yard at 16!
 
Well i get 50 pounds a day working at a full livery yard. I work monday to friday and one full weekend in three along with one part day weekend. I get time off in Leui so wage makes me 250 pounds per week if that's any help?
 
Apologies for a thread 'hijack' but a little bit relevant.

I am currently building a brand new yard (ready next year) and would like to employ a full time groom. 4 horses Eventing / Hunting. I need a v good rider, capable of high quality turn out. I have room for the groom to bring a horse and good facilities (school, walker etc). I would like a live in and am having a new flat built for groom. On the downside, quite lonely as only groom and me on the yard. I am also away a bit, so sometime left alone (and iwould need help with dog and 5 hens) I was thinking of offering accommodation, room for own horse and an annual salary of £15k ? Is this the right budget ? Advice gratefully received!
 
I charge between £7 and £10 ph. And definitely sole trader/ Ltd company is the way to go.

Bestdogdash said:
Apologies for a thread 'hijack' but a little bit relevant.

I am currently building a brand new yard (ready next year) and would like to employ a full time groom. 4 horses Eventing / Hunting. I need a v good rider, capable of high quality turn out. I have room for the groom to bring a horse and good facilities (school, walker etc). I would like a live in and am having a new flat built for groom. On the downside, quite lonely as only groom and me on the yard. I am also away a bit, so sometime left alone (and iwould need help with dog and 5 hens) I was thinking of offering accommodation, room for own horse and an annual salary of £15k ? Is this the right budget ? Advice gratefully received!
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So you're offering £15k pa, plus accomodation and a stable for a personal horse? If there was a contract with good Ts&Cs, I'd jump at it!
 
I get 250 take home wages a week with free livery, live out working a 5 day week 8-5ish. I teach as an instructor and muck out between 4-11 boxes.
 
Bigrob34 said:
I charge between £7 and £10 ph. And definitely sole trader/ Ltd company is the way to go.



So you're offering £15k pa, plus accomodation and a stable for a personal horse? If there was a contract with good Ts&Cs, I'd jump at it!
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Thanks BigRob - well summed up. Good to know I am in the right ball park. Will be advertising about January and based in Oxfordshire.
 
I've never been on more than minimum wage per hour, quite often less! :'( :'( I guess that's what happens when you do things for love.. and I'm a good groom too
 
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