Working with competition horses, traveling to international shows, and sharing the experience online can look like a dream job. For Mya Ostick, there is plenty to love about it. There are also long days, a lot of responsibility, and the challenge of finding time for her own interests.
In this episode of The HorseGrooms Podcast, Mya joins Dinette Neuteboom to talk about her work with British show jumper Jodie Hall-McAteer, the effort behind her social media videos, and her interest in helping grooms look after themselves.
Finding Her Way to International Grooming
Mya’s love of horses began with the horses her grandparents kept in their back garden. Riding lessons followed, along with weekends and afternoons helping at a riding school. Without a pony of her own, spending time at the yard gave her a way to ride and learn.
After studying at equestrian college, she tried work outside the horse industry, including sales, recruitment, retail, and charity fundraising. That experience helped her realize that, at this stage of her life, horses were where she wanted to be.
Manifesting the Future
As she gained experience on different yards, her ambitions became clearer. She began manifesting the future she wanted by writing down specific goals: work for a five-star rider, earn her heavy goods vehicle driving license, and groom at a Global Champions Tour show. Working for Jodie has helped her achieve all three.
Mya speaks warmly about her workplace, where she values the balance between friendliness and professionalism. At home, a typical day runs from around 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with breakfast and lunch breaks when the workload allows. Show days can be much longer.
Knowing the Horse Behind the Performance
For Mya, good horse care starts with keeping the horses comfortable and happy. Daily leg checks, walking, hand-grazing, and stable toys all have a place in her routine.
Just as important is knowing each horse well enough to recognize a change. A normally friendly horse standing at the back of the stable, a change in appetite, or unusual manure output can tell her that something needs attention.
Those observations come from spending time with the same horses every day. Knowing what is normal for an individual horse helps a groom notice when something is different.
International Travel
International travel adds another layer of responsibility. Mya talks about packing ahead, checking passports and travel documents, and sharing the driving on longer journeys. Once at the show, the team tries to keep the horses’ routines familiar while adapting to their competition schedules.
She also enjoys the team spirit of Nations Cups. The pressure may be greater when others are depending on the result, but so is the sense of people supporting one another.
The Work Behind a Short Video
Mya initially began filming her life as a groom as a personal diary, something she could look back on and see how far she had come. As people became interested, it also became a way to share a part of equestrian sport that many never get to see.
Mya has created thoughtful, well-made videos that have received strong engagement and positive feedback. By sharing practical grooming knowledge and an honest look behind the scenes, she gives viewers an insight into the care and work behind international competition horses. Her content also shows how much grooms have to offer when they share their experience.
Practical Knowledge and An Honest Look Behind the Scenes
Her audience responds especially well to practical knowledge and an honest look behind the scenes. But creating that content takes more than pressing record. Camera angles, sound, editing, voiceovers, and deciding how to tell the story all take time. Sometimes she collects so much footage that editing it becomes overwhelming. During a busy show day, setting up a tripod is understandably far down her list.
Mya has received products and clothing from brands and would like to develop more ongoing partnerships of her own. The challenge is finding a consistent approach that fits alongside her work with the horses.
Looking After the Person Doing the Grooming
Fitness and eating well are important parts of Mya’s own life. She finds that making time for them helps her feel happier and approach her work in a better frame of mind.
Other grooms have asked her for content about cooking in the truck, shopping on a budget at shows, and exercises that fit into life on the road. She would like to explore this further, while developing her own knowledge of fitness and nutrition.
Meal Prepping
In the conversation, she shares some of her personal habits: preparing meals ahead, keeping easy snacks available, and having a reliable breakfast. Her favorite is Greek yogurt and granola.
For now, she still has goals she wants to achieve as a show groom, including flying horses abroad to a competition. Alongside those ambitions, she is thinking about how her experience and interests could eventually help other grooms.
Her story offers a useful reminder: caring deeply about the horses and making room for your own wellbeing can belong in the same career.
Listen to Mya’s Episode of The HorseGrooms Podcast
Hear the full conversation with Mya Ostick on all major podcast platforms and the Equus Radio Network.
If you enjoy the episode, please leave a review of The HorseGrooms Podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Your review helps more people discover the stories and knowledge of the people behind the horses.
Follow Mya Ostick
Follow Mya on Instagram under @myaosticksj and on TikTok under @myaostickk (with two k’s), for more glimpses of her life as a groom.
This Episode of the HorseGrooms Podcast Is Presented by Horcery
Horcery AI-powered Stall Monitor helps horse owners, grooms, and barn managers stay connected to their horses around the clock. It monitors activity inside the stall and sends intelligent alerts when unusual behavior occurs. It is an extra set of eyes that can provide valuable peace of mind when you are away from the barn.
HorseGrooms readers and listeners receive 5% off a Horcery Stall Monitor with the discount code HORSEGROOMS05.
Read this article or visit horcery.com to learn more about this helpful tool for the barn.
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**All photos are from Mya’s private archive. We would love to credit the photographers and have been trying to find them but with no success. If you recognize a photo you have taken, please contact our head groom via headgroom@horsegrooms.com and we will add your name or take the photo down if you’d want to.
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.
