During the live Q&A, Josie Eliasson spoke about her approach to horse care, building trust with horses, and the day-to-day work that goes into keeping equine athletes healthy and happy.
A Groom with a Horse-First Philosophy
For Josie, grooming isn’t just about preparing horses for the show ring—it’s about truly understanding each horse as an individual. She tailors her care to their specific needs, focusing on keeping them physically and mentally balanced.
Her Olympic experience with the stallion Don Juan van de Donkhoeve and his rider Jessica Springsteen illustrates her dedication to this horse-first philosophy. Preparing a horse for such a high-pressure event requires extraordinary care, but Josie emphasizes that her approach remains the same, whether she’s at an Olympic venue or back home at the stables: always prioritize the horse’s well-being.
Josie’s Initiative: Connecting the Equestrian Industry with Yehaww
Beyond her work as a groom, Josie is the founder of Yehaww, a website designed to connect people within the equestrian industry. This innovative platform creates a free database where users can post jobs, create profiles, and match job seekers with suitable positions. Yehaww serves a variety of purposes, including helping job seekers find roles that align with their skills and preferences, assisting employers in locating qualified candidates, and fostering networking opportunities to build successful equestrian careers. Covering disciplines such as showjumping, eventing, dressage, driving, racing, and polo, Yehaww is a versatile resource for anyone in the equestrian world looking to grow their career or team.
Click here for a video interview we had with Josie at the beginning of 2024 where she talks about Yehaww.
Key Takeaways from the Q&A
In the Insiders Q&A, Josie shared:
- How to build trust and connection with the horses you care for.
- Tips for keeping performance horses healthy, mentally and physically.
- Her approach to daily routines, turnout, and travel preparation.
- The small but meaningful details that help horses feel their best.
- How her experience as a groom inspired her to create Yehaww, a platform that connects equestrian professionals and helps match job seekers with employers.
More than anything, Josie emphasized the power of community and the value of exchanging knowledge and ideas. “This isn’t about being better’ than anyone else—it’s about exchanging ideas and highlighting the importance of every groom’s role in a horse’s life.”
Watch the Replay with HorseGrooms Insiders
The full Q&A replay with Josie Eliasson is available exclusively to HorseGrooms Insiders as part of their membership.
By joining as an Insider, you’ll get:
- Exclusive access to monthly Q&A sessions with top grooms like Josie.
- A $25 Corro gift Card
- Expert resources on horse care and management.
- Discounts on products and services from trusted equestrian brands, like the equine massage courses of Freely Forward Bodywork.
- The chance to connect with the HorseGrooms Mentors in our private Grooms Chat.
- A FREE annual subscription to print version of The Plaid Horse Magazine
- The chance to be chosen as the Corro HorseGroom of the Month and win a $100 Corro gift card and a featured interview that will be published in the Corro Newsletter and shared in the HorseGrooms Community.
If you care deeply about horses and want to continue growing your skills, knowledge, and network, HorseGrooms Insiders is for you.
Join Insiders Today and Start Learning From the Best in the Industry.
Read more about the HorseGrooms Insiders Membership here and here.
Visit the HorseGrooms Community to become an Insider and watch Josie’s session on-demand.
Go here to become an Insider now. You always get a week long free trial first!
Bonus: If you’re a USEF member, you get 20% off your HorseGrooms Insiders membership! Just head to the Member Perks page and click on the HorseGrooms logo to claim your discount.
Not a member of U.S. Equestrian yet? You can already join USEF for free with a Fan account—perfect for grooms who don’t compete or own horses at USEF competitions, but do want access to the website, live streams, and Member Perks.
Join Insiders Today
HorseGrooms is a platform of resources, education, and support for grooms by grooms. This is an online community, hub of resources, and spotlight of industry highlights born out of love for the horse and love for the sport. But our mission goes beyond simply providing resources and creating content.
Our goal is to create a space to keep horsemanship alive; for grooms to support and educate each other; and to help advance the craft of grooming. HorseGrooms is dedicated to ambitious grooms everywhere.
