Tag Archives: grooms

Horse Jobs

Lauren Shannon and Horse Scout

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Welcome to my new fortnightly blog for Horse Scout!

My name is Lauren Shannon and my team of Shannon Eventing horses are based in Leicestershire at Mushill Farm.

I have ridden for British Young Rider teams, after spending 13 formative years in the United States-and picking up an American twang to my voice in the process. I have also competed horses that I have produced from youngsters all the way to four star at Badminton and Burghley horse trials.

My team and I built the stables at Mushill Farm last year, and moved in just after the beginning of the season. We have settled in well, and are now looking forward to a bumper year of competition both at British Eventing and FEI events. We are a fairly small yard by competition standards with only 14 stables, but I’m lucky enough to compete a select few very talented horses and train students who are based with me along with helping out the competitive amateur liveries here at Mushill. It’s a great mix of people, and we all get on brilliantly because we all love bringing horses on and competing!

I’ve got three lovely girls who work for me, Mollie, Bex and Amber who all have horses based here competing and I couldn’t get anything done without their constant help. My other half Tom also gets roped in to all the maintenance jobs around the place, as well as being affectionately called our “catering manager” at events!

So with the eventing season fast approaching, we have become very busy at the yard with schooling and show outings every weekend and most of the week too. I have a couple stunning young horses to sell in the next month or so, so they are out learning what life is about while the older horses get their eye in before our first event at Oasby in the middle of March.

Alongside all this I am teaching a fair bit and trying not to freeze to death, as I tend to stuggle in the cold quite a bit! So do keep checking back for more updates as we brave the last of the winter and head into another exciting year of eventing!

Horse Jobs

Job Vacancies – Apprentice Grooms or working Pupils Berkshire

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Farley Hall Equestrian Centre in near Swallowfield  in Berkshire. They are looking for dedicated apprentice grooms (through Merrist Wood College) or working pupils looking to sit BHS qualifications. There will be a small amount of riding and the chance to work with some exceptional competition horses and take part with managing training clinics with top coaches.

Apprentices and working pupils are actively encouraged to help the trainers during clinics and to assist with the running of the British Eventing Horse Trials held on the estate.

These positions are live-in.

Farley Hall Equestrian Centre is situated on the Farley Estate, located in the picturesque village of Swallowfield. The yard was first opened in February 2010. The Livery Yard is home to an array of horses and ponies, from happy hackers to advanced competition horses. All of our four-legged friends have their needs individually catered for.

The BHS have recently awarded the Equestrian Centre with a ‘Highly Commended’ status, quoting “I congratulate you on the High Standards of Stable Management and Horse Care throughout your centre, which I’m confident, will be a credit to the BHS Approval Scheme”.

The Farley Team are passionate about horses and all aspects of their daily care, working to the highest standards and striving to improve and expand their knowledge. We have recently been awarded by “Investors in People”. The Farley Estate is home to many other Enterprises. It is able to offer the Equestrian Centre over 1750 acres of Private Estate Hacking which also connects with a large bridleway network, to include the highly sought after Bramshill Forest.

If you are looking for work elsewhere check through our listings on Horse Scout  and you will see a button on the top right hand corner of the Professional Trainers  or Yards  advertisement that says Staff Required.

 

Horse Jobs

Being a groom – Careers advice 

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

You love horses and really want to work with them? Lets look at being a professional groom

As a groom, you would:

  • provide food and water for horses
  • replace and move baled and bagged bedding and feed
  • clean equipment such as saddles and bridles
  • clean, brush and sometimes clip, horses’ coats
  • muck out stables, sweep yards
  • Possibly set up jumping courses, move poles etc
  • watch out for changes in the condition of horses and report problems
  • treat minor wounds, change dressings and give certain medications
  • follow instructions from vets when treatment is needed.
  • You may also be responsible for exercising the horses each day.

If you work with show jumpers or race horses, you will prepare them for events, and may accompany them. In studs and breeding yards you will work with stallions, mares and foals, and may help vets to deliver foals. In riding schools you may greet clients, lead riders out on foot, and accompany them on horseback.

Grooms who work with competition or racehorses will get many opportunities to travel both in the UK and abroad. This can lead to a very exciting job if you are part of a professional team; there is no greater buzz than seeing the horse that you love and care for winning a race or a medal! As a groom you can also work in a stud with stallions and mares, which is really exciting in the spring time when the foals are born.

Hours

You would usually work 40 hours a week, including early mornings, late nights and weekends. Overtime is often available, and you may be able to do part-time work, casual work or work on a freelance basis.

You would need to be prepared to work in cold, wet and muddy conditions, and you would wear protective clothing and footwear.

Income guide

Starting salaries for unqualified grooms can be around £10,000 a year.

Qualified grooms can start at around £12,000 a year.

Experienced grooms can earn £16,000.

Some employers may provide you with accommodation and food. Some may also offer free stabling for your own horse along with riding lessons.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

You may not need formal qualifications to work as a horse groom. Experience of working with horses is valuable and could give you an advantage and help you find work.

Volunteering or looking for temporary work in a stable can be a great way of getting some experience. It also shows employers that you are keen to work with horses and learn more about the industry. It can help you to meet new people and make contacts that may be useful when you start to look for paid work.

Horse Jobs

Are you looking for work as a Groom or Work Rider?

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Are you looking for work as a groom?  Horse Scout has several trainers looking for new staff.

You can advertise yourself FREE on Horse Scouts Website. Click here to see the great set up we have and register your details with us.

However we do already have some professionals looking for work riders and grooms, so if you are thinking of becoming a groom or looking for a new placement there are several professional trainers and riding establishments who have open positions at the moment check out Justine Armstrong Small in Essex who is a professional show rider who has won at all major county shows including royal international and horse of the Year Show over the past 20 yrs. Her passion is particularly focused on showing working hunters.  So expect jumping and a high standard of turnout to be on her list of priorities.

Another high profile trainer is Event rider Lucienne Elms who is based at in the south ‘Blackwater Equestrain Centre’, which is potentially one of the most prestigious equestrian centres in the South West. Lucienne offers professional training up to CCI***, and is aiming for Bramham  again in 2015. Luciene has trained and worked with numerous world ranked riders including world number 1 2009, and UK number 1 2014 Oliver Townend.  She produces horses for sale, training & competition.  So this would be a great opportunity to be part of the Event world in a fantastic location.

Also, if you live in Scotland and are looking for a busy producing and competition yard there is Horse Choice based near Edinburgh who are also looking for experienced riders/grooms to become part of their team.

Horse Advice

Freelance Grooms and Instructors are you covered?

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Freelance grooms are defined as those professionals who work part time for different employers ,, trainer or instructor allows a degree of flexibility to both parties and also on a casual cover basis i.e. when permanent staff are sick or on holiday.

View Horse Scout grooms available here 

For clients looking for training, which is provided by a professional instructor, at home on their own yard the same freelance insurance cover principals would apply.

From the point of view of the professional offering a service to others it is essential that in todays litigious society we must protect ourselves from being sued by a third party and Freelancers are no exception. Whether you are an instructor, trainer or a groom you must protect yourself. Likewise those who employ trainers and outside horse help must make sure they are covered by appropriate insurances. The BHS offer Public Liability cover with their membership. Which for freelance instructors would protect you if the person you are teaching on their own horse was to fall and sustain an injury and you were found to be legally liability for the injury. Furthermore if as an instructor or groom you were to ride or handle someone else’s horse and the horse caused any third party property damage or bodily injury whilst doing so then the policy would protect you should a claim be made against you.

However for the professional freelancer it might be advisable to consider a more compressive policy e.g. SEIB who, unlike the BHS include care, custody and control for horses under your care.

Care Custody and Control cover is an optional extension to the public liability and would protect you as the instructor or groom should a horse whilst in your care, custody or control be injured and the owner of the horse were to claim against you for the injury. For example if a groom was clipping a horse and accidentally cut the horse, the owner of the horse may claim from the groom for the resulting vets fees from the accident.

Also it should be noted that anyone employing members of staff must carry Employers Liability and is essential cover if you were to have a helper or student to assist with your freelance instructing or groom duties. The cover protects you as the ’employer’ should the helper or assistant get injured whilst carrying out their ’employed’ duties.

 

 

Horse Jobs

Looking for Livery?

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Livery review

Ewelme Park Stables, Nettlebed, Oxon

Kate Lockwood who runs Ewelme Park says the yard is set, very peacefully,  in the heart of the Chiltern Hills. She goes on to say “We are very friendly and have a very relaxed atmosphere with amazing off road hacking directly from the stable door for miles and miles”

The yard has great facillitites with a lovely 20 x 40 outdoor school that never floods or freezes (although because Ewelme Park is in an area of outstanding natural beauty lights are not allowed on the school). All horses are turned out in single sex small groups. We don’t do grass livery but all horses are turned out everyday throughout the year. There is 24 hour supervision which is always reassuring.

As a bonus there is a lovely coffee room with a wood burning stove for those chilly winter days.

Kate Lockwood herself specialises in the treatment of horses and their riders. Using equine osteopathy along with the structural assessment of the rider she can make sure that you are both functioning at 100%, helping to increase your overall performance together as a team.

She is an ex Veterinary Nurse and has been a keen horsewoman all her life regularly competing in eventing and dressage.  She is currently bringing on her own young Warmblood.

I note that she has had a variety of interesting clinics hosted at Ewelme Park Stables including Pilates for Horses. Other sell outs last year where Equine First Aid, Lower Limb/Foot Anatomy and Dissection, Equine Dentistry, Bitting, and Saddle and Tack Fitting and also very usefully an Equine Massage for Horses course. All facilitated by experts in their own fields.

This sounds a charming well run stables in an exceptional setting for those who want to get out and enjoy their horses. A stables with the care of the horse and rider team at its heart.

 

Horse Jobs

FEI and grooms

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

The FEI recognises the crucial role that grooms play

To view the Horse Scout Grooms click here

The FEI Awards put a spotlight on the men, women, young people and organisations that are making an outstanding contribution to the progress and excellence of equestrian sport – in or out of the arena.

Long-standing groom Jackie Potts (pictured) has been rewarded for years of hard work with the best groom award at the FEI’s awards on Sunday (14 December).

She has been William Fox-Pitt’s right hand woman for 22 years. Jackie is one of the most well respected grooms on the circuit. She has groomed at 4 Olympic Games, 4 World Equestrian Games and 8 European Championships on top of countless 3 day events around the world. Jackie is the consummate professional, managing all aspects of William’s yard and horses from training to veterinary care. Her extensive knowledge of horse management and training means her advice is often sought from other grooms as well the management at Team GB.

Jackie, who had swapped he normal jeans and polo for an elegant black dress for the Gala Awards said “It is so exciting and an absolute privilege,” and in acknowledgement to all those thousands of grooms who work tirelessly in support of the horse world aid. “I feel like I am accepting this award on behalf of all other grooms, who are so hardworking and equally deserving.”

Other winners where: World Jumping champion Jeroen Dubbeldam (NED) for the Reem Acra Best Athlete Award.  The Longines Rising Star Award was awarded to Vaulter Lambert Leclezio (MRI), and the FEI Solidarity prize went to the equine therapy centre Equal Ark (SIN) with the final award called “Against All Odds” being awarded to Para-Equestrian Dressage athlete Sydney Collier (USA) with her service dog Journey