What is with people.....

N

not_with_it

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We've been trying to find a groom now for a couple of months, if not longer and having no luck what so ever. We want someone part time to do a few hours each day, a few days a week. Horses are turned out by YO before he goes to work and so said groom can come at any time to suit. 5 horses to muck out and do nets, one to ride if they wanted.

First person we had did a fantastic job with the stables but then started bringing a friend down with her that was a complete novice and not really with it. I wasnt happy when said friend began to handle my horse and began to do all yard work while the groom sat in her car. We got rid of her and noticed that loads of our stuff had gone missing.

Interview number 2. Nice girl, previously worked at a riding school but wanted a pay rise before she had even started.

Interview number 3. Know it all type, very opinionated, stated "you get what you pay for", wanted £10 per hour. Yeah right, get real, its horses.

Interview number 4. Lovely girl, arranged for her to come this morning to get to know how things work. Never turned up and wouldnt answer her phone.

Why is it so hard to find someone decent and that doesnt expect to be paid a fortune?
Are we being unreasonable in what we are asking?
 
We used to have a groom because both OH and I worked full time and we had 8 horses. It was a nightmare. First one was OK when we were home but we went away and she neglected the horses so we sacked her. Second one used all my gear on her horse and so she went too. After that we gave up it was too much hassle.
 
i know exactly how you feel, we have also been searching for a part time groom for some time now and cannot seem to find anybody to suit.

it is so frustrating, good luck xxx
 
OP: I'm thinking you'd like someone to do all your dirty work, show you due deference, and generally grovel politely, must know all there is to know about horses, but of course defer to you if you disagree, and must be willing to work 'a few hours' (thus unable to do a proper job) and must not want to be paid above minimum wage.
I would say it's you that needs to get real to be honest.
On the other hand, you could just wait a while, as when the recession really cuts in, presumably people will be desperate for work.
In the meantime, I think what is with people is that they have some self respect, and want to earn a decent living, rather than going into domestic service.
I could be wrong, of course.

Mattilda: I shouldn't employ anyone who can spell 'employment law' if I were you.
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Weezy, are you sure you would though, if your prospective client said 'yeh right, get real, it's horses'?

I'm assuming you can do well over two boxes an hour?

This kind of attitude still gets up my nose, and I'm well out of it. The law of supply and demand seems to be evading these people. It's like whining because you can't get a decent bottle of wine for £2.50.

PS Weezy I was in the sodden Cotswolds last night at a party and boy, are they sodden!
 
Excuse me
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OP: I'm thinking you'd like someone to do all your dirty work, show you due deference, and generally grovel politely, and must be willing to work 'a few hours' (thus unable to do a proper job) and must not want to be paid above minimum wage.

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We would like them to muck out, isnt that what grooms do?
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Hours to suit actually. Im sure my YO doesnt want to pay someone to sit on their arse all day. Paid a set amount for the day, not unreasonable pay, can go home early if they are finished and will still get paid. Oh and above minimum wage.

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must know all there is to know about horses,

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Well it would be nice if they knew the front end from the back end.

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I would say it's you that needs to get real to be honest.

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Could you please explain?

Who the hell do you think you are being so rude?
 
It is why I got out of professional grooming in my teens LOL! I would do nets as a favour as there are 5 horses on site. The way I see it, look at assisted livery charges, or *favours* lists - £5 muck out, £1.50 to hay and water, £1.50 change rugs, etc., etc., etc... So why do people expect freelancers to charge less, when they have travel on top
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Beats me!

Yes, I am not joking when I say I live in the Sodden Cotswolds, this last 18 months has been ridiculous (and boy, didn't it rain last night
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Actually skewbald the first groom spent 2 weeks while we were away starving our horses, didn't muck out, turn out or feed properly. We came home to RSPCA cases and were furious. She had also run up a huge phone bill. She was lucky we didn't kill her we were so angry. The second girl left by mutual agreement. Both were employed full time and lived in. The second girl kept her horse here free of charge. Went home for Christmas and left us to do her horse without discussing it with us first. We are by no means lazy but could not do 8 and work full time as well.
 
I am sorry, I am not being any ruder than you were.
'Yeh right, get real, it's horses' indeed.

Who do you think YOU are?

Why is it rude for me to suggest you need to 'get real' whereas perfectly acceptable for you to say the same about 'grooms' ? As if they were some lower form of life.

As in all forms of business, good jobs attract good candidates.
 
Round us people charge 6-10 ph. £6 is for a numpty, proper groom is 7-8 depending on travel and how many hours. Not worth driving somewhere to work for one hour and get £7 for your trouble. Weekends and bank holidays are £10.
Sounds a good job for someone with children at school just wanting a bit of extra crash with the credit crunch.
 
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Interview number 3. Know it all type, very opinionated, stated "you get what you pay for", wanted £10 per hour. Yeah right, get real, its horses.

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£10/hour sounds cheap to me.
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Yes, I am not joking when I say I live in the Sodden Cotswolds, this last 18 months has been ridiculous (and boy, didn't it rain last night
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)

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I wasn't driving so lets say I was less stressed about the weather on the way home, but blimey what a nightmare!
 
Well if you move to S. Wales i'd happily do the 'jobs' you were asking for £5 an hour .
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But then I am the idiot that turned 10 horses out a day for free
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Put your hand in your pocket and they'll be queuing up. If no-one competent will come to work for you its because they won't be paid enough.
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I work on a yard near me, I do 4 boxes an hour (5 on mon/tues/thurs, 10 on weds&fri - Sat I have a student so do about 7) all the nets (sometimes the feeds)and if I have time I dig banks in the school etc etc. im paid £6 p/h which is good for round here, and Im treated well.
I dont think what you are expecting is unreasonable from what youve said in your opening post.
I agreee that "the_skewbald" is being increadably rude! x
 
I am not being increadably or even incredibly rude!
Why is it rude to quote someone back at themselves, and tell them they have unrealistic expectations?!
If you find my purple prose offensive, I will simply answer the OP's last question.
Yes you are being unreasonable in what you are asking, because, as KVS has managed to put it so succinctly and SO politely (!) if you were paying enough, you would have people wanting to do the job.
Also, and I will now try to say this without any irony or humour lest I upset anyone else, your attitude does appear to be a teeny bit high handed and condescending towards 'grooms' in general, and maybe, just maybe, that comes across?
Now I am sorry if I came across as rude. But if you put a post on a public message board saying, basically, why can't I get a groom, I'm not seeing how it's offensive if someone tells you why you can't get a groom!
 
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Why is it rude for me to suggest you need to 'get real' whereas perfectly acceptable for you to say the same about 'grooms' ? As if they were some lower form of life.

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At what point did I say that?

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As in all forms of business, good jobs attract good candidates.

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We're not after someone who studied rocket science, just someone who can do our 'dirty work' as you so kindly put it

So what if we dont want to pay someone £10 an hour, you were quick to judge even though you dont know exactly how much were paying and assumed we are paying below minimum wage.
I would love to work with horses but it doesnt pay and im sure a lot of people on here would agree.

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Who do you think YOU are?


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Im someone who started a post and got nice replies from everyone but you as I seem to have hit a nerve.
 
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Interview number 3. Know it all type, very opinionated, stated "you get what you pay for", wanted £10 per hour. Yeah right, get real, its horses.

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£10/hour sounds cheap to me.
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Maybe its just us but I dont know anyone around her that gets paid that much to shovel poop
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My friend has just got a job for a five day week (ok, so a full time job, not part time) and is getting paid £350 a week, no live in and gets to keep her horse there.

Currently she is working 6 day weeks, no accom, horse kept there for £180 a week, move seems obvious to me!!!

The going rate round here is £10 an hour or £7 a stable.
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Same as above really, unless you are very lucky and just get someone who wants some extra cash as has kids at school or whatever. Other than that, if you want someone to be loyal and good - you are going to have to pay, people won't stay around when they can get a better deal somewhere else - I know I wouldn't.

I don't think the the_skewbald is being particularly rude either, for what its worth
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Put your hand in your pocket and they'll be queuing up. If no-one competent will come to work for you its because they won't be paid enough.
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How much would you expect someone to be paid?
They will have no responsibility, just turn up and muck out.

I can understand them being paid more if they did have more responsibility such as ordering in feed, organising farrier or even handling the horses. They dont even have to touch one if they dont want to.
 
I've found advertising in the local paper is a very good way of finding people who either have horses themselves and would like a bit of extra cash so they only want to do a few hours not a F/T job, or a professional group who prefers to have 2-4 jobs at different places. I have advertised with great success in the Yorkshire Post and Shropshire Star, got about 40 replies each time and had to chat to a lot of people to find someone suitable, but ended up interviewing 3-4 decent candidates. Our current groom is brilliant she has been with us for over 2 years (3 hours per day, weekddays, but also house-sits when we are away), and we pay her £8 per hour which, according to her, is more than her other jobs pay her (personally I think she's worth her weight in gold because she is reliable and experienced!).
 
Thanks, I will suggest trying the Yorkshire post. We have adverts in the local feed merchants. We have a woman who comes once a week and she is fantastic, its a real shame she cant work more hours.
 
TBH I'm not sure. I don't know hourly rates as I've always worked full time and know what I need to come out with for a week if that makes sense. I think you should be prepared to negotiate with interviewees that you like though. It sounds like at least one girl who came would have been right for the job, she told you what she was prepared to work for, you decided she wasn't worth it. I understand you holding out but IMO you need to think about what you are prepared to go up to attract someone you are happy with.

Good luck though.
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