This article is written by long-time groom Dani, who shares her personal experiences and reflections from years in the industry.
Showing Appreciation
I’ve been really fortunate to have worked for more great bosses than not-so-great bosses over the years. I’ve had employers go above and beyond for me, being generous with their time and their knowledge. When you have your eyes and ears wide open, and your mouth shut, it is amazing what you can absorb in the right environment!
My experience as a groom has been really positive overall. I have had great bosses, horses, and clients over the years, many of whom went above and beyond to show their appreciation for the care and quality of care I put into my job.
A Perfectly Timed Cup of Coffee
To me, showing appreciation, whether it be a thank you, a tip, or an unexpected but perfectly timed cup of coffee, can make my entire day. I love being the person that clients can smile at when a trip goes great or frown in disappointment when the round doesn’t go as planned.
I listen as I untack and offer a quiet shoulder to absorb the upset, the stress, or the worry that they have done wrong by their horse. I often offer small pieces of advice, all while taking care of what is often their most prized possession.
Trust
My employers have always trusted me to have horses ready on time, looking their best, and show-ring ready. To me, that alone speaks to the respect that they have for me as a groom and a professional.
Walk a Mile In Someone Else’s Shoes…
So now, after talking about how well respected and trusted my past employers have been, I will tell you about another past employer. We all know the saying “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes”. Now I know what it’s actually like to have one of the crummy employers.
That particular employer actually told me how to wash a cut, EVERY SINGLE TIME a horse got cut. I’ve been working as a professional groom for over 20 years now, ran farms, had employers leave for weeks at a time. They trusted me to look after all aspects of the operations, but now I’m being told how to look after a cut…
Not Appropriate In The Office, But Appropriate In The Barn?
They expected perfect communication via personal cell phones, with limited service in the barn, but then didn’t return it. In my time there, I was never asked how things were going or how I was doing, nor was I shown any appreciation. Being in an area with cold temperatures and lots of snow, you would think that operations would pivot on extreme cold days or days when the snow is knee-deep? Nope, not there. Every barn in the area closed because of the weather, nope not this barn. No coffee, no hot chocolate, no nothing, other than being asked ‘why are you behind today?’ Being yelled at after forgetting something on a long to-do list was also a favorite behavior. It’s not appropriate in the office, so why is it appropriate in the barn?
Photo Courtesy of RebeccasPictures from Pixabay
Real Life Survivor
I learned, while being there, that the more knowledge and the more experience you have, the less you are respected. Why? I think because it put their ego, their shortcomings, their own insecurities on the forefront, and they didn’t like that.
So not only did I make less than I had ever made (after being promised something different), I was treated like I just walked off the street and didn’t know how to put a halter on, let alone the difference between a virus and a major life-threatening infection!
They Picked Favorites
They picked favorite employees, regardless of knowledge, and then passively-aggressively put staff against one another. It was like real-life Survivor!!
Respect and Appreciation
After talking to several other professional grooms, we agreed that being respected and being shown appreciation are what need to improve first. When people are respected, they are more willing to do more, work long hours, and miss a day off because a co-worker is sick, etc.
Being a groom is a hard job, no one can dispute that, it’s a passion job, and to get a simple thank you for working hard, for showing up in difficult conditions, and for caring for each horse as if it were your own, goes a long way.
Looking After Horse Takes a Team
This brings us to the next point of improvement; this one requires slightly more work for employers. Looking after a horse takes a team; not one person can take a horse from the field as a yearling and turn it into a show horse on their own. It takes a team, farriers, vets, body workers, feed stores, saddle experts, the list goes on. Grooms are central to this team.
Employers, Show That You Care!
Employers, you care when your farrier is hurt. Why can’t you show the same care when a groom is hurt? Grooms can’t do a good job when spread thin or working nonstop.
“Grooms can’t do a good job when spread thin or working nonstop.”
– Dani –
If you can’t pay an appropriate wage for the number of hours worked, you should review your business model. Either you have too many horses or not enough grooms.
We have fewer new grooms coming in and older grooms who are sour and burnt out. The older grooms don’t want to train, employers don’t have time, and then young grooms get frustrated and quit!
What Can We Do?
I love training new grooms, but I don’t get paid to share my knowledge and the experience I have worked years for and spent money on. So what do we do? Certifications? Training courses? A standard of care for all horses, regardless of level?
What can we do? We can leave the crappy jobs, the underpaying, no-appreciation jobs. We are in short supply. If you are good at your job and humble, work will find you. We can be picky. We need to know our worth and start negotiating our worth with potential employers. Yes, we chose this career path because of our love of horses, but we need to thrive too, and let’s face it, life is expensive.
A 5 Day Work Week
Another idea that has been bounced around is a 5-day workweek, Monday to Friday, or even half a day on Saturday. There are so many mucking services around now, or students who can do part of our work. Or employers can try to figure out other ways to give us a basic work-life balance.
Appropriate Compensation
Of course, this is during the off weeks/seasons, and not during show season when it’s all hands on deck, 7 days a week. But in the same breath, we need to be appropriately compensated for working extra hours. Immigrant grooms, regardless of your immigration status, this includes you!
As a groom community, we need to stand together, regardless of whether you are looking after short-stirrup ponies or 5* horses. Care is care, and horses are horses, and they all deserve the best care possible!
“Happy Grooms = Happy Horses”
– Dani –
Happy Grooms = Happy Horses
Let’s face it, when the grooms are happy, that makes the horses happy. When the horses are happy, the riders are happy. When the riders are happy, they are better able to do their job, and when they do their job well, owners are happy.
Lead Photo Courtesy of Shelley Paulson Photography
I’ve built my life around horses. Their care comes first, always, often before my own needs, my own rest, my own time. I’ve learned to notice the smallest changes, to stay quiet when it matters, and to give everything I have, day after day. It’s work I’m proud of, even when it’s not always seen or understood. Like many grooms, I don’t speak up easily. Not because I have nothing to say, but because this job teaches you to put the horses, and everyone else, before yourself.
If you work with someone like me, take a moment to truly see them. Because behind every well-cared-for horse is a person who is giving more than you might ever notice.
