The Groom’s Job Description!
I started to think about how much time a Groom actually spends Grooming. Not so much! So I compiled the beginnings of a Groom’s Job Description so that aspiring Grooms can have a sense of the responsibilities involved.
- Cleaning stalls.
- Providing hay, feed, rations or supplements, and water.
- Cleaning buckets and tubs used in the feeding process.
- Grooming, saddling, unsaddling, and bathing horses.
- Cleaning all horse equipment.
- Hand walking horses.
- Lungeing horses.
- Turning horses into pasture or turnout.
- Maintaining the barn area – sweeping, washing, and general cleaning.
There’s also the “hurry up and wait” factor.
- Laundry of horse gear.
- Administering medications and appropriate bandaging.
- First Aid delivery to horses.
- Following instructions and directions from the trainer, farrier, veterinarian, or other equine care providers.
- Unloading hay and grain bags.
- Sneaking some quality time with your favorite horse.
SOME of the things to put up and take down for shows.
- Travel to and from horse shows, be it locally, nationally, or internationally.
- Packing equipment for horse shows.
- Unpacking equipment at the show grounds, preparing the stall, and acclimating the horse(s) to the new surroundings.
- Loading and unloading horses from trailers.
- Flying with horses.
- Braiding the mane and/or tail for horse shows.
- Trim a horse’s coat with clippers (face, legs, ears).
- Totally clip a horse for winter with clippers (entire body).
- Monitor and maintain the level of feed, hay, and bedding in stock.
- Ordering supplies when necessary.
- Handling horses for the veterinarian, farrier, or trainer during medical or other treatments.
- Farm maintenance and repairs.
- Working with and operating small and large farm equipment.
- Handling horses in the breeding shed.
HOLY *$&# – That’s a lot of things aside from Grooming. Perhaps we need a new name??
My question to you is – did I forget anything, and if we could re-name ourselves – what would you like to be called? Executive VP of balancing one million horse tasks at once? That sounds good!