Grooms working xmas day?

At the training yard my horse goes to, the owners always say that Christmas day and Boxing day are the worst days of the year for them as they have to do all the mucking out etc themselves.
 
I would always work Christmas day and New Years as the day was easy (no riding or tacking up), and I got paid time and a half, and got a cash bonus. The grooms who were working would have mulled wine and mince pies at the yard and wold finish earlier than usual to get some Christmas dinner. The YOs would do late checks on Christmas day which was nice.
 
Whe I used to work as a groom I worked on various yards and never got Christmas day off, or Boxing Day/NY Day. I think providing the grooms get paid properly and/or time off in lieu they should work. However it does depend on the set up. I used to work on Hunting yards where the customers used to pay a lot of money for full livery. They weren't the kind of people who did their own work (much as I would have liked to see them shovelling poo!). I think on a small livery yard, where there is maybe only one groom, you can't expect them to work every day of the year, bless them!
 
I did every Christmas for the yards I worked at. I never had more than three horses to do though, so it wasn't a great hardship compared to some.

There were some years I would have liked a lie in after a few the night before, but on the whole I loved the quiet roads, the stillness and being able to play the martyr on returning home
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when I was a groom I did xmas day on the yards I worked at.. usually did a couple of hours in the morning and then one or two late afternoon.. if the liveries wanted their horse riding or turning out then they had to come up and do it but all neds were fed and mucked out e.t.c as usual...
 
"Following another post regarding christmas day, just wondering if any of you employ grooms and expect them to work xmas day?"

That would be shocking wouldn't it, when everyone else always has Christmas day off. After all, not even the doctors, nurses, hospital staff, careworkers, hotel and catering staff, vets and vet nurses or kennel staff work at Christmas. Who would take a job if they might have to work then. If they all have the day off surely grooms should too
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"Following another post regarding christmas day, just wondering if any of you employ grooms and expect them to work xmas day?"

That would be shocking wouldn't it, when everyone else always has Christmas day off. After all, not even the doctors, nurses, hospital staff, careworkers, hotel and catering staff, vets and vet nurses or kennel staff work at Christmas. Who would take a job if they might have to work then. If they all have the day off surely grooms should too
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Eheheh!

Maybe because an awful lot of grooms aren't paid terribly well and often aren't on a rotation, thus have to work most if not all, public holidays every year. Most, if not all, doctors, nurses, hospital staff, careworkers, vets and vetinary nurses do work on rotation and most, if not all, do get at least some public holidays off.
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This paticular situation i was refering to was basically a full time groom to 5 horses, the people she works for are retired, but not old, have no children at home, and basically what shalisdair put in her first post hits the nail on the head, poor girl lives up north workes 24/7 virtually anyway, so would have been nice if they had given her some consideration and got their own arses out of bed for once!!
 
i work weekends at the yard, and when the YM doesnt, i.e bank hols, xmas day, etc. il be working, but the horses will only be skipped out rather than mucked out, and il be charging slightly more than the usual rate.
 
Ive worked Chirstmas days - at one of thr yards i worked on it was a right giggle, the livery owners came down and helped, brought chocs, danish pastries etc

The other the YO sat on her ass indoors while I did 14 horses on my own. No hot drink, no toast, nothing.
I was not a happy bunny. None of the liveries came and helped and I was close to actually crying by the end.
It really altered my views on treatment of grooms and how, if and when I get my yard, I will treat my staff.




*i handed my notice in 3 weeks later*
 
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The other the YO sat on her ass indoors while I did 14 horses on my own.

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Just like the horse owners then? Presumably you were paid for working Christmas Day?
 
Yes i know what you mean baggage, its the attitude of some people rather than the fact you are being paid for the job. its often these kind of people which get through loads of staff.
 
Can't believe anyone could be mean enough to EXPECT a groom to work Christmas day. Surely circumstances vary according to the individual and this is something which should be dicussed and sorted in such a way that both employers and employees have some free time over the festive season.

If an owner only has a few horses I'd question why they actually have then if they can't find pleasure in caring for them themsleves at Christmas.

Our groom has been given time off but volunteered to help muck out in exchange for his Christmas dinner and some good company.

I don't agree that it's the lousy employers who have a big turnover. Our grooms are paid £2.50 an hour above the national minimum wage and often work less hours than they are paid if the weather is bad but they're still not easy to hold on to. We like to think we treat them well.
 
"If an owner only has a few horses I'd question why they actually have then if they can't find pleasure in caring for them themsleves at Christmas."

Actually, after 12 hour shift in care sector covering for other people's holidays, would prefer NOT to have to deal with horse!
 
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