Whether you’re a groom, working student, freelancer, barn manager, trainer, rider, or horse owner, clear agreements and professional working relationships benefit everyone.
Many equestrian jobs begin with a handshake, a phone call, or a few text messages. Most employers and employees have good intentions. But when expectations aren’t clearly discussed or documented, misunderstandings can quickly arise.
- What happens if you get injured at work?
- What if you’re promised one salary but paid another?
- What if your housing, travel expenses, or bonuses were discussed but never put in writing?
- What if your employer never gives you a contract?
- These are situations many horse professionals encounter, yet few know how to handle before problems arise.
Webinar “Protecting Yourself While Working in the Horse Industry”
During our practical webinar “Protecting Yourself While Working in the Horse Industry” on Tuesday, July 21, Kimbrell Hines will explain how horse professionals can better protect themselves, their careers, and their working relationships through clear communication, written agreements, and good recordkeeping.
What We’ll Cover
During the webinar, Kimbrell will discuss topics including:
- Why legal protection matters
- Employee versus independent contractor classification
- Fair pay and employment benefits
- Why contracts matter, even when you trust your employer
- What to do if your employer doesn’t provide a written agreement
- Recordkeeping that can protect you in a dispute
- Insurance and liability
- Workplace safety, harassment, and reporting concerns
- Practical steps every horse professional can take to better protect themselves
One of the most valuable discussions will focus on what you can do if there is no contract.
Many people assume they have no options if an employer doesn’t provide a written agreement. In reality, there are practical ways to document expectations, create accountability, and formalize your working relationship, even when a formal employment contract doesn’t exist.
Professionalizing the Horse Industry
This webinar is about much more than legal protection.
It’s about helping to professionalize the equestrian industry.
Clear agreements, documented expectations, and professional communication create healthier workplaces. They help employers and employees understand one another, reduce misunderstandings, and create stronger teams, all of which ultimately benefits the horses in our care.
As the horse industry continues to evolve, professionalism is becoming just as important as horsemanship.
Relevant Wherever You Work
Although Kimbrell Hines practices law in the United States, this webinar is valuable for horse professionals around the world.
Employment laws, regulations, and workplace protections differ from country to country, and in the United States they can even differ from state to state. Rather than focusing on specific laws, this webinar explores the universal principles that help create professional working relationships wherever you work.
Clear agreements, written expectations, good recordkeeping, and open communication are valuable whether you’re working in North America, Europe, Australia, South America, or anywhere else in the world.
Introducing the HorseGrooms Legal Corner
The webinar also marks the beginning of the HorseGrooms Legal Corner, a recurring educational series featuring equine attorney Kimbrell Hines.
Through regular articles and educational content, Kimbrell will answer questions submitted by the HorseGrooms community and explain legal topics that affect grooms, working students, freelancers, employers, riders, trainers, barn managers, and horse owners.
Future topics will include:
- Employee or Independent Contractor? Why It Matters
- Working Student Agreements: Questions to Ask Before You Saddle Up
- Handshake Deals and Horse Industry Headaches
- What Every Groom Should Track to Protect Their Pay
- Injured at the Barn: What to Do Immediately
- Understanding Liability Waivers Before You Sign
- Social Media Mistakes That Can Cost You a Job
- Housing, Board, Lessons, and Other Non-Cash Compensation
- Professional Boundaries in the Barn
- When It’s Time to Put a Contract in Writing
“The best legal dispute is the one that never happens,” says Hines. “Through the Legal Corner, I hope to give horse professionals practical tools they can use every day to recognize potential issues early, protect themselves, and build stronger working relationships throughout the industry.”
The goal of the Legal Corner is simple: to make legal information practical, understandable, and useful before problems arise.
Join the Webinar
Protecting Yourself While Working in the Horse Industry
Tuesday, July 21
2:00 p.m. ET – 11 a.m. PT. – 19h UK – 20h CET
The webinar was originally developed as an exclusive educational session for HorseGrooms Insiders. Because of the importance of the topic, we’ve decided to open it to the broader horse community.
HorseGrooms Community members and the general public can register for just $10.
HorseGrooms Insiders receive complimentary access through their membership.
Everyone who registers will receive access to both the live webinar and the replay.
Register here.
About HorseGrooms Insiders
HorseGrooms Insiders is our premium membership for horse care professionals who are committed to learning, growing, and connecting with experts from across the equestrian industry.
Insiders receive complimentary access to webinars and replays, exclusive live Q&A sessions, mentor access, educational resources, guides, audiobooks, partner discounts, and special opportunities throughout the year. Members are also eligible for exclusive giveaways and programs such as the Corro HorseGroom of the Month, where one Insider receives a $100 Corro gift card and is featured by HorseGrooms and Corro.
By occasionally opening selected educational sessions to the wider horse community, we hope to make valuable knowledge more accessible while continuing to provide exceptional value to our Insiders.
If you’ve been thinking about becoming an Insider, there’s never been a better time to join.
Learn more about HorseGrooms Insiders here.
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.
