How much for a groom?

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LG's Skivvy

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Hi All,

I need some short term help and I'm wondering what I should expect to pay if I stated looking for a groom say mornings mon-fri for a few months.

I have no clue what the going rate is, whether they would charge by job (e.g. have a price lsit) would be my preference but probably unlikely or whether they charge by the hour and I'd have to commit to xhours per day

Any advice would be great, thanks
 
I pay a lady £250 per month to look after 2 of our 4 horses 7 days a week. She does everything from turning out and in, mucking out, hold for vet and farrier. She is a star!! If she does anything extra ie clean tack, clip we pay more.
 
It depends whether you pay someone who does it freelance, or whether you employ someone. Also what you want doing & how much skill is needed. If the job involves being alone handling highly strung comp horses, you'll have to pay more than if you need a field full of kids ponies poo-picking. Usually its by the hour, but again depends on what the job entails.
 
I pay £10 per hour free lance anday for travel if she has to come back later to catch up as fuel is so expensive.
 
I think I must be rather cheap! I'm paid £5 an hour, before I started full time work this was for two weekdays at the yard and one day at the races. Now it's two evenings a week and one day at the races - jobs mainly involve mucking out/tidying around the yard, jogging the horses, cleaning harness, fetching from field/turning out/putting on and getting off the walker.
Not a great deal of work (plenty of responsibility as the horses are all in training as racehorses) but I get meals included and I'm paid for to get into the races on the weekend (plus if my boss has a good day I get a drink in the bar at the end of the day!)
 
I think maybe I pay too much! I pay a girl £270 a week and she works 5 days a week mostly starting at 10.30 until 4pm on non polo days, but sometimes late as 9pm on polo days (mostly twice a week) We have 3 ponies in work and another companion, and they all live out at night.

I also paid for chukka membership to a polo club so she can play the ponies if I can't make it, and for her to take her lorry test so she can drive the lorry when I'm not there.

I'm not sure she realises what a good deal she has!
 
Mariposa said:
I think maybe I pay too much! I pay a girl £270 a week and she works 5 days a week mostly starting at 10.30 until 4pm on non polo days, but sometimes late as 9pm on polo days (mostly twice a week) We have 3 ponies in work and another companion, and they all live out at night.

I also paid for chukka membership to a polo club so she can play the ponies if I can't make it, and for her to take her lorry test so she can drive the lorry when I'm not there.

I'm not sure she realises what a good deal she has!
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WOW! Do you need anymore grooms? ;)
 
I have full charge of 3 polo ponies (in work april-end of august), 2 field ornaments and one youngster.
In exchange I get free livery for my 3 (it's just a field, no facilities etc), free feed and free hay all winter.
No stables to muck out, just checking them and 30 minutes exercise riding one and leading the other 2.
If you're able to offer livery that might be a good way to go!
 
Wow a real mix... I don't feel so bad for not having a clue now and I'm glad I asked!

I just need someone to do basic cash in hand work, feed, change rugs, turnout, muck out, bed down, bring in, change rugs, do feet

It's not much work but I need someone who is confident around horses or mine will take the P
 
I used to be a groom. Sole charge of 4 hunters. 4hrs a day Monday to Friday. minimum wage. I did whatever needed doing. Poo picking, stacking the haybarn, usual stable duties, yard sweeping, haying fieldies (was livery too),exercising the horses, tack cleaning, clipping, washing rugs numnah etc by hand, shampooing and plaiting horses, dealing with injuries, breaking in the youngster. Everything really, all the owner had to do was bring in at night and change rugs.
 
Mariposa from a quick work out your groom is roughly on £6.50 hr which I think is a fair wage, especially with your added extra's. It is a shame more people dont pay a decent wage.
As for millsandboon thats only just over 2hrs minimum wage so unless you are getting the horses fully done in 2 hrs per day I would be asking for more money.
Personally I used to work on an event yard 6 days a wk 7am - 4.30pm for minimum wage plus I travelled to events so often getting up at 4am and staying over night at events. It was hard work but I enjoyed.
I now have an office job and look after a couple of horses when there owners are away and charge £6 per horse per day but the yard is on my way to work so I dont have to factor in travelling.
As to the original post its prob best to ask in your local tack shop for grooms they could possible recommend. Then work out exactly what you need doing and how long it should take. Bearing in mind you might find someone experienced who is quick and efficient with lots of knowledge but might charge more per hour but get things done quicker.
 
Hmm when I was a groom I looked after about 5 show ponies, 2 youngsters and a field ornament ... worked 8-4.30 Mon-Fri and was paid about £280 per week plus had a petrol card - good wages I suppose for a groom but think it was because I was paid via her husbands business!? She the paid me £20 to nip up Sat morning to throw them all out in the field ... :D - plus shoe days she just paid me extra.

I dont work there now but we've vey good friends still and also begs me to come back as she finds it so hard to find someone decent to look after her babies :(
 
It's a shame more employers aren't prepared to do the decent thing and provide a proper job, with a legal wage, consideration to health and safety, paid holiday. Or hire a self-employed person to do the work.

Cash in hand work is exploitation and one of the reasons many can't get a (real) job/make a living.

I'm surprised someone has posted about it on a public forum. Isn't it a bit like announcing for instance you're going out today to steal yourself some new trainers? Not that hiding what you plan to do makes it any better.
 
Sugar_and_spice to be fair the original post said she didn't have a clue and wanted advice, not that she was planning on ripping somebody off.
I think if its a 'business yard' then yes they should provide a 'proper' job with minimum wage etc.
The '' steal yourself some new trainers'' doesn't quite apply as the trainers dont have a say ;) but employees do.
 
We used to have a groom that worked for £10/hr as freelance. We even paid £12/hr for one, but she was fantastic -relibable, trustworthy, fab rider and never let us down ever, whatever the weather. Bearing in mind these girls pay travel and their own insurance etc, I think £10 is not a lot! Treat a good groom well and they stay. If you pay peanuts you get monkeys..

My friend has just gone back to working with horses. She has a small cottage, a car to use, a mobile for when she is at work, stabling for her horse and £250/week for the care of six horses. She thinks she has it bad!

ps. I agree with Sugar and Spice - people don't treat grooms well/pay enough. I'm an ex groom that was a real hard worker, but got fed up of feeling used and never being able to afford a life!
 
Sugar_and_Spice said:
I used to be a groom. Sole charge of 4 hunters. 4hrs a day Monday to Friday. minimum wage. I did whatever needed doing. Poo picking, stacking the haybarn, usual stable duties, yard sweeping, haying fieldies (was livery too),exercising the horses, tack cleaning, clipping, washing rugs numnah etc by hand, shampooing and plaiting horses, dealing with injuries, breaking in the youngster. Everything really, all the owner had to do was bring in at night and change rugs.
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I think you must be amazing, my hunter used to take up 21 hours per week, that is to say 3 hours per day, OK there would be less time with two or more, but how can anyone exercise four horses and all the rest of it in four hours.
I think the relevant phrase is "I used to be a groom"
 
Miss L Toe, I WAS amazing. I was happy in my job and my employer was happy with me. I also worked like a horse to get it all done! I didn't do all the fitness work and exercising, the owner rode too. I stopped being a groom due to moving 35miles away to a non-horsey area. I am no longer amazing due to being physically disabled (nothing to do with the groom job). I think your comment about the relavent phrase of me no longer being a groom was very bitchy.

Vicky_sut, its the later post where LGs Skivvy states about employing someone cash in hand, not in the first post. You kind of have a point about my trainers comment. BUT employees don't have that much choice when all the jobs available are illegal cash in hand ones where they can expect no employees rights and if they don't take the job someone else will (who may well be also defrauding the benefits system to top up their earnings).

Employers are just that, whether they be a business or a private individual. The law still applies and they are still exploiting people if its not a legal job. It's something I feel very strongly about.
 
LG's Skivvy said:
Wow a real mix... I don't feel so bad for not having a clue now and I'm glad I asked!

I just need someone to do basic cash in hand work, feed, change rugs, turnout, muck out, bed down, bring in, change rugs, do feet

It's not much work but I need someone who is confident around horses or mine will take the P
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Be aware that even if you think you are paying "cash in hand", particularly if you are subsidising someone who is being subsidised by the taxpayer, you will also be liable for taxation and NI and if long term employment, probably pensions! You should also have insurance, employers insurance. You can't opt out of the system I'm afraid.
 
Miss L Toe said:
Be aware that even if you think you are paying "cash in hand", particularly if you are subsidising someone who is being subsidised by the taxpayer, you will also be liable for taxation and NI and if long term employment, probably pensions! You should also have insurance, employers insurance. You can't opt out of the system I'm afraid.
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So even if I just want someone for a few months, 4 to be precise and it's for a couple of hours a day I have to formally employ them? I thought tax etc was based on some sort of minimum earnings threshold... :confused:

I don't want all the hassle of having to formally employ someone, I just want to be able to bung someone 20,30, 40, whatever, quid a week and know my horse is going to be looked after when I'm not there :D
 
I am on £5.50 an hour atm and work roughly 3-4 hours in the morning including feed, hay, water stabled horses and field horses, skipping out and poo picking paddocks.
Will be going up to £6.50 i think when I turn 21.
 
I think it all depends on the employer and employee. Like I said, I'm paid £5 an hour and when I was first offered that five years ago I bit the guy's hand off as I'd only been working for £3.50 as a waitress on weekends. I still think it's great that I get paid to mess about with horses and go racing every week for free!

A friend of mine has a totally different set up. She has 11 horses to train (as well as the same number again of yearlings/2yos). She lives rent-free in a flat at the yard, all her bills (gas, electric, tv licence etc) are paid for her, her boss fills her car with petrol for her, replaces all work clothes (e.g. boots and coats) as and when she needs them, pays for her to get into the races. During the summer months when we race (April - September) he doesn't pay her a regular wage. He has horses in training all over the UK, and the agreement they have is that if any of his horses win, he collects the prize money. However, if they come second, third (or in some cases fourth), my friend collects the prize money as her wages. One day she had three horses racing and took home £170 for the day, compared to my £30. I'm not sure how it works during the winter as she is there to break the youngsters but she's happy with the agreement.

Perhaps an advert for a groom could say 'pay negotiable'? I'm sure there's plenty of people out there willing to do the work and perhaps the remuneration can be agreed once it's discussed what is required of the groom?
 
Yes you should formally employ someone. They may not earn enough to pay tax and NI but still have rights as an employee. If you don't want to employ someone then hire a self-employed freelance groom. That way you just pay for the service they provide and they sort out their own tax, NI and insurance.
 
Sugar_and_Spice said:
Yes you should formally employ someone. They may not earn enough to pay tax and NI but still have rights as an employee. If you don't want to employ someone then hire a self-employed freelance groom. That way you just pay for the service they provide and they sort out their own tax, NI and insurance.
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Thats what I'm looking for then a freelance groom! I would say I assume they are the same sort of price, but, cost seems to vary greatly having looked at some of the posts
 
That's what you are after round here what I pay (£10 ) is what a good freelance costs thats someone who rides does yard work is very handy ie builds electric fencing mends windows puts oil in the lorry etc etc and is paid by the hour and comes when I need her and she's not promised elsewhere .
 
I get 1700 pcm for sole charge of 1 horse 5 minis and 5 ponies, i also keep 5 of mine there and can do them in work time, i work 6 days a week 9-5 have a works car and all uniform and equipment is supplied..I also keep my horses for the price of feed and shoes..dont know how good i have it!!
 
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