I hate being told off at work

[Toast]

Your really not alone, i know how your feeling entirely. I had to deal with it on a daily basis. Rise above it, you know your better x

 

[littlemisslauren]

I am a groom and I work my arse off everyday, it really does hurt when someone calls you slow or lazy etc. I have never had a coffee break

I would never have left a horse stood in its own mess though, I would have stayed late.

 

[FionaM12]

I would never have left a horse stood in its own mess though, I would have stayed late.

The OP did say she was short of time as her kids were finishing school. If they are young kids, and needed collecting from school, then surely their safety is more important than the horse being mucked out.

 

[ridefast]

I am a groom and it is hard when everyone works differently, has different standards. I'm not the fastest but I am thorough, I have worked with people that have been faster than me but imo didn't do as good a job. It's not nice to get a message like that when you've worked your hardest. However with the 2 year old if you are in a similar situation in the future could you not put her on the horse walker to muck out, or in a clean stable so she isn't left in a dirty stable? Not judging, just ideas to make life easier

 

[Honey08]

I have been a groom and now have a groom a few days of the week.

Personally I would rather my employee left any horse that they were worried about (as long as had hay and water) rather than get hurt. On the days that my young groom comes I would never ask her to turn my husband's horse out as he is a big 17h thing that can dance a bit, I'd also never ask her to catch my horse who can be a bit tricky,

I think mucking out eight boxes properly, including tidying muck heap and sweeping the yard, plus doing hay and waters is plenty in three hours, let alone tramping backwards and forwards to fields.

I think some employers really take the mick, yes they may be able to do it faster, but that doesn't mean their employees aren't working hard. Its the reason I don't work with horses anymore, and try to treat my employees as well as I can so that they want to stay!

 

[emmab13]

This morning in 3 hours I mucked out/hayed/watered 9, including brushing the yard. Hayed and watered another 5, fed and hayed two that live out and brushed the walker. And that was going at 5000 mph, and not f-ing about catching things and turning out.

Think what you managed to do in that time was above and beyond, don't worry.

I like to think I'm a nice boss, when I have help that is! Normally I am so happy to see an extra pair of hands I practically die of gratitude if they fill a haynet/put a horse on the walker/muck one out!

 

[lula]

I have been a groom and now have a groom a few days of the week.

Personally I would rather my employee left any horse that they were worried about (as long as had hay and water) rather than get hurt. On the days that my young groom comes I would never ask her to turn my husband's horse out as he is a big 17h thing that can dance a bit, I'd also never ask her to catch my horse who can be a bit tricky,

I think mucking out eight boxes properly, including tidying muck heap and sweeping the yard, plus doing hay and waters is plenty in three hours, let alone tramping backwards and forwards to fields.

I think some employers really take the mick, yes they may be able to do it faster, but that doesn't mean their employees aren't working hard. Its the reason I don't work with horses anymore, and try to treat my employees as well as I can so that they want to stay!

absolutely agree with honey.

employers may indeed be able to muck out their horses faster but when you're an employee id rather take the option of doing a thorough job that may take an extra 10minutes than a sloppy one as you're being paid and will be judged on your work.

i read in H&H last week in Graham Fletcher's column that he thinks the word 'groom' is too last century, too often likened to 'slave' and the job title needs to be changed to something like 'trainee yard manager' to command more respect and reflect the skill set you need to have to work with horses.

I think that's an excellent idea

 

[zoelouisem]

As i said in my previous post i wouldnt have been particually happy if i employed a groom and left a horse stood on on pooh. She did have the option of turning them out instead least it wouldnt have been on its mess. By the sounds if thats what her bosses gripe is.
If she isnt happy handling a 2 year old then working on a std isnt the best place.

Im just seeing this from the other side. If somebody came on here saying there groom had left there horses stood in all day on pooh and they were paying them people might not be so sympathetic. Everybodies quick enough to moan when there next door livery does the same thing

But so agree that texting wasnt the best commication.

 

[PonyIAmNotFood]

Its the turning out and bringing in that's time consuming, in 3 hours me and another groom muck out, hay and straw 21 horses, sweep yards, do muck heap and feeds with time to spare. Add turning out to that and i reckon you'd add a good hour maybe. Good job they take themselves to the field really. But yeah, id have stuck dodgy horse in stable next door rather than not do it.

 

[littlemisslauren]

The OP did say she was short of time as her kids were finishing school. If they are young kids, and needed collecting from school, then surely their safety is more important than the horse being mucked out.

Well of course her childrens safety is of more importance than a horses stable. I was just saying what i would have done. I dont have kids and I could never leave / put a horse in a dirty stable.

There have been days where I have cried while mucking out because I knew I would have to work through lunch and stay late just to get done so I do know that horrible feeling you get when there is just too much work.

OP - Chin up, next time you are in walk in with a smile on your face and just get your work done. Next time you deal with that particular horse remember it is a pain and muck it out while it's on the walker / out of the box.

 

[DragonSlayer]

But yeah, id have stuck dodgy horse in stable next door rather than not do it.

This^^

No, it's not nice your boss having a whinge, but then, everyone these days is under pressure to perform and produce results, your boss is likely to be under the same sort of stress I'm sure, and you being the employee are in the firing line, and now it means she has to come back to finish the stables off when I'm sure she thought you were perfectly competent to sort out, was probably the icing on the cake after a bad day. AND if she thought she would be returning to everything completed...was more than likely enough to piss her off....!

Chin up, we are all only human, and tomorrow is another day!

 

[aimeetb]

Its a good job I don't work in the industry anymore I'd be sacked straight away! It took me 2 hours today to turn 2 out and do their stables hay and water and put hay out and they are deep littered! Lol xx

 

[5horses2dogsandacat]

I used to do around 22 horses... hays, feed, muck out, rugs, turn out, bring in, pick feet etc I ended up seriously hurting my back which years on has never recovered... moral of the story its not worth it and you get no thanks, well I didn't and I certainly wasn't paid enough!

Chin up, its a very tough industry to be in. You have my sympathy, not everyone can be as perfect as some forum members on here

Xx

 

[tristar]

well to be honest its taken me three times as long to do everthing this week, what with slothering around on mud, getting soaked twice a day etc, and disturbed routines, like leaving in mud rash prone ones etc. extra mucking out.

i don't think, unless she does it herself, she's ever going to realise how much harder it all was this week.

i believe situations like this happen to make you learn to stand up for yourself, so you learn not to be at the bottom of the pecking order, and become a stronger person, well hopefully not nasty but a better person, also by standing up to her she will become better and develop some empathy for other people, at some point.

 

[Roisin_M]

The horse industry is difficult at the best of times, long hours and frig all pay. Its unlikely to ever change, but owners and bosses with absolutely no idea of the work involved that hand out ridiculous time scales to do things absolutely irritate me beyond belief.

I used to have a boss who'd bring me unhandled horses(& I mean unhandled, terrified and wild!) and give me ten days to break them in, regardless to say I didnt last long in that job!

 

[cattysmith]

You have my sympathy! I once got told off when I forgot to take a livery's outdoor over reach boots off as I was trying to get 20 in, unrugged and fed by myself and was feeling incredibly harrassed. I remember it was snowing, dark and I had to have it all done by 5.30. Boss went nuts at me in front of po-faced livery. Horrible! I was constantly exhausted, and travelling 33 miles each way and I just exploded...found out a week later I was actually pregnant! Perfect timing to hand my notice in. Vowed there and then I shall never work for the equine industry every again unless it's me in charge!

 

[cattysmith]

I used to do around 22 horses... hays, feed, muck out, rugs, turn out, bring in, pick feet etc I ended up seriously hurting my back which years on has never recovered... moral of the story its not worth it and you get no thanks, well I didn't and I certainly wasn't paid enough!

Chin up, its a very tough industry to be in. You have my sympathy, not everyone can be as perfect as some forum members on here

Xx

Couldn't agree more!

 

[SusieT]

Why did you turn the other two year old out anyway if you had been told not to worry about that-it doesn't take much to muck out round even an excited horse.

 

[springer1021]

Just forget about it, I understand why you're upset but it will probably all be forgotten about next time.

 

[JanetGeorge]

The horse industry is difficult at the best of times, long hours and frig all pay. Its unlikely to ever change, but owners and bosses with absolutely no idea of the work involved that hand out ridiculous time scales to do things absolutely irritate me beyond belief.

Agreed - and I'm an employer! But I WAS an employee for many years (on and off - I used to have to go back to office work from time to time so I could afford to replace my car, or similar financial pressures!) I know what's involved, and how easily things like mud up to your knees, or a problem horse, can cause havoc to the routine!

I have good staff - and I treat them well (just cooking chicken and bacon sandwiches for their lunch!) IF something takes too long I might have a quiet word to find out why - and encourage a 'better way' - but the thought of mucking out 27 single-handed as well as doing all the outside horses DOES make me appreciate my staff!

 

[DragonSlayer]

IF something takes too long I might have a quiet word to find out why - and encourage a 'better way'

That's the key....positive suggestions, might be all it needs sometimes.

 

[superted1989]

Sounds like it might have been just an 'off' day, even though that's no excuse for rudeness.
I muck out between 7 and 9 boxes (depends on the severity of the weather), plus my own, in the time it takes my friend to do one, rubbermatted box. That includes me sweeping the floors and turning the banks. However, it takes me half as much time again to do it on the day after my day off (not that it's not done properly, it's done differently!) so I know I have to budget my time better. Every now and again, I have a 'slow' day and just can't get finished, usually no reason for it but I do try to explain in person rather than by text.

 

[Mince Pie]

i read in H&H last week in Graham Fletcher's column that he thinks the word 'groom' is too last century, too often likened to 'slave' and the job title needs to be changed to something like 'trainee yard manager' to command more respect and reflect the skill set you need to have to work with horses.

A rose by any other name...


I used to have muck out 20, tack up, wash off, put horses on the walker, t/o and b/i and sweep the yard - took me 5 hours So it is doable but then as others have said, one persons version of quick is different to anothers.

 

[Colivet]

Probably just a case of frazzled boss reacting too quickly - but not nice to do it by text. I hope the atmosphere has cleared and things are back to normal.

With regard to not mucking out one horse, if this were a repeated offence then I would be annoyed with the person responsible. However, this sounds like a one-off, under time pressure and with health and safety of the groom in mind - SERIOUSLY, is a horse going to die because it is not mucked out ONE DAY?

 

[Toast]

Agreed - and I'm an employer! But I WAS an employee for many years (on and off - I used to have to go back to office work from time to time so I could afford to replace my car, or similar financial pressures!) I know what's involved, and how easily things like mud up to your knees, or a problem horse, can cause havoc to the routine!

I have good staff - and I treat them well (just cooking chicken and bacon sandwiches for their lunch!) IF something takes too long I might have a quiet word to find out why - and encourage a 'better way' - but the thought of mucking out 27 single-handed as well as doing all the outside horses DOES make me appreciate my staff!

JanetGeorge i want to work for you!!! x