Working With Horses
By Paul Hegarty
Where there are horses there is always work to be found. The job description for a groom will vary from yard to yard, however there are several duties that always go with the job. These duties include feeding, grooming and mucking-out (cleaning the stables). Initially as you begin to fill the shoes of a groom you may realize that it can be hard physical work, especially cleaning the stables.
Your mind and body both need time to adjust to the rhythm and work load. A task that may take you 30 minutes to complete should eventually take you at least half the time to complete as you become competent and efficient.
All horse care facilities, yards and stables have a set routine that is carried out from morning to night. As a groom you would perform the routine for more than one horse. A groom can be in charge of three to seven horses. If you manage to take care of a single horse, consider yourself lucky and if you care for more than seven. I hope you do not end up with an extensive list of duties for each horse!
Here is a basic breakdown of possible daily routine when working with horses:
1. Feeding of the horses (breakfast)
2. Turning out of some horses
3. Grooms breakfast
4. Rotating horses to be turned out
5. Mucking out
6. Exercising the horses
7. Feeding lunch to horses
8. Grooms lunch
9. Bringing all horses in from the field for the night
10. Grooming of the horses
11. Tack Cleaning
12. Skipping out of stables (taking out of droppings)
13. Feeding of the horses (supper)
14. Sweeping the yard
15. Preparing the feed for the following morning
16. Yard check of horses and lock up of yard
17. Grooms supper
18. Late night check of the yard and horses.
Every day the above duties will be carried out and there are usually interruptions and additions as the day goes on, such as a scheduled visit from the farrier or an unscheduled visit of a veterinarian for a sick horse. Take each day as it comes.
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