What to Look for in Groom Employment Contracts

As a horse groom, there are several things you should look for in your employment contract to ensure that you are being treated fairly and that your job requirements are clearly defined. Everything is a tradeoff. Find out what is most important to your employer and consider what is most important to you, then you can land in the best middle ground!

Here are some of the key points to consider:

1. Job Description

Make sure your contract clearly outlines your job responsibilities, such as feeding, grooming, exercising and caring for the horses, as well as any other duties you may be required to perform, such as cleaning stables or assisting with veterinary care.

2. Hours of Work

Your contract should specify the hours you are expected to work, including any overtime requirements and whether you will be working on weekends or holidays. Also, make sure you understand how your employer will track your hours and how you will be compensated for overtime.

Look for language like “exclusive.”  

Are you allowed to do side work to make extra money? What hours are you allowed to do this? Will you receive a 1099 or W2? Check out our article explaining W2, 1099, and LLCs for groom side gigs.

But wait . . . there is more!

For the HorseGrooms Community, Emmy Sobieski details more pointers for contract reading so that you can be the best advocate for yourself when looking at a potential new job. All you have to do is set up a free profile in the HorseGrooms Community and you’ll gain exclusive access to special resources, opportunities, courses and more. 

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This is NOT a financial, legal, tax, or investment advice. 

This article is for educational purposes only. It is not advice. Why isn’t it advice? First, I don’t have the licenses necessary to advise you. Second, I don’t know your specific situation, which I would need to know in order to advise you (if I had the licenses, which I do not).  

Whenever someone gives you advice, ask yourself these two questions above: do they have the credentials, and do they know your specifics?  If either answer is no, treat their advice like a starting point of learning, and not as advice.

Let these blogs serve as a starting point in your education, not an end answer. Only you can find your answers to your specific situation.