Ok this is something I have debated about writing for a few days now but I feel it has to be said. **warning: for those of you that dont like my essays please stop reading now!** If you are still reading, this may be of interest to grooms/ex grooms or riders that employ grooms and please feel free to share. Behind every well turned out horse at a big horseshow you will probably find a tired, worn out, underpaid groom. Recently I responded to an advert looking for a groom at very short notice. The job needed the applicant to travel to 2 countries in Europe with 4 horses for 2 weeks. I applied explaining that I was an experienced groom and would be available to travel. I got a quick reply which suggested that they wanted me to go with them and was asked how much I would charge for the 2 weeks. My initial reaction was great Ive got it and I started to worry about how much I should charge because I didnt want to scare them away from hiring me. I contacted a friend of mine who suggested asking for around €250 to €300 per week. Sounds good on paper... Until I sat down and worked out my expenses. I eventually decided that €400 per week (€800 for the fortnight) was more along the lines of a reasonable rate to ask for. Now, I can almost hear my Facebook friends drawing in air in complete shock at my price but lets break it down. It would work out at €14 per horse per day or €56 per day. If you are still reading this and are non horsey, let me now point out that a day of horse work is NEVER 8hrs a day! I would be getting up every morning for 14 days at 6am (If not earlier) and I would be hoping to finish physical work (ie lifting, cleaning, dragging etc) at around 10pm every night. Thats a 16hr day. What in the name of god would I be doing in a 16hr day I hear you ask? Lets start: Feed breakfast Fill water buckets and carry/drag back to stables Muck out the stables Remove and fill Haynets Remove rugs (blankets) Remove bandages/boots or put on bandages/boots. Walk each horse out to grass to stretch their legs (if they are stallions its more like be dragged to any destination or woman they desire while avoiding hooves and ear busting screams of delight to be alive!) Start preparing each horse for the days show, this would include grooming or washing the horses, plaiting the manes/tails oiling hooves etc etc Clean tack Polish riders boots Skip out the stables Put studs into all the horses feet (2 studs per hoof on 4 horses, 32 studs =back breaking work) Send the first horse out for his/her class Run back and forth from the warm up arena to the stable block to get everything and anything the rider requests such as hoof oil, water, sponges, buckets, hats, boots, cooler rugs, lead ropes. (Please note these requests can come in any order and will never be asked for at the same time as each other) Cool down the returned horse while preparing the next horse to go out at the same time (the rider will normally have disappeared to feed themselves at this stage between their classes while groom gets on with the horses) When all Classes of the day are finished including jump offs etc its time to prepare all animals for bed. The must be fed, water buckets filled, Haynets filled, stud removed, rugged up, bandaged up, plaits taken out, stables skipped out and all taken for one last walk before being stabled for the night. Phew thats a long day BUT it doesnt finish there. Throughout the night I make it my business to check the horses in my care at 12am and then again at 2am. I do this for a number of reasons: 1. To ensure all animals have enough water for the night 2. To ensure that all animals are not coming down with colic 3. To ensure that rugs havent slipped or horses have got stuck in nets etc. while Im in the stable block I will always check the other horses not in my care that are neighbouring us. That could be up to 20 horses! After some dinner its time for my bed and back up at 6am to start the day again! I havent even mentioned the days we arrive or leave the show grounds, take most of the above and then add the packing/unpacking of the horse lorry, the settling of horses and the setting up of awnings, gazebos and tents. Living conditions are far from 5*. Think cold showers that you must queue for first thing in the morning or last thing at night, dirty toilets and blow up beds normally on muddy ground, basically the Oxygen festival without the booze! Now, the minimum wage in Ireland is 8.65 per hour. With the 16 hour days I would be working it would mean I would be working for €4.32 per hour. That works out at €1.08 per horse per hour. When you look at it this way, paying just €1.08 to get your horse plaited doesnt seem too bad does it? When I do get the opportunity to eat Id have to buy my own food. For anybody that knows show grounds, you will know that the only places you can buy food is over priced burger stands and pop up restaurants. That means Id be dropping at least €10 per meal, thats a ridiculous €30 per day on food out of my €56 daily wage!! After all of what I have told you above (and I would like to thank those that are still reading my rant) you may wonder why I would do it. The answer is simple. Im a perfectionist, I love working with horses and turning them out to the highest standard I can. Our Irish horses are on show representing our country and they should look their best. I dont mind working below minimum wage for 16+ hour days but what I do mind is being insulted, shouted at, reduced to tears in front of others and being spoken about as if Im not there: my one (meaning groom) can sweep was one statement I heard about myself one day at a show. Its about time grooms are appreciated for their work and paid a fair wage for a fair days work. €250 per week just doesnt cut it. Without grooms, riders and horses would not be where they are today. I have done my internship as a work experience groom and rider and I am qualified through the British Horse Society (BHS), all I am looking for is for grooms to stand up and insist on a decent wage for decent hours work, we need to earn a living after all. Thanks for reading.
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 11:22:09 +0000