Groom

Grooms provide practical daily horse care to ensure the horses health, welfare and safety.
They take part in exercising horses, cleaning and maintaining the stables, buildings and territory.

Grooms typically do the following:

• give horses food and water
• clean equipment like saddles and bridles
• clean, brush and clip horses’ coats
• muck out stables and replace bedding
• monitor the condition of horses and report problems
• treat minor wounds, change dressings and give some medications
• take horses out for exercise

Grooms work generally at riding stables. They spend most of their time working outdoors, in all weather conditions. They usually wear protective clothing.

Grooms have a high risk of injury. They may be bitten, scratched, or kicked when working with scared or aggressive horses. In addition, a lot the work involves physical tasks, such as moving and cleaning cages, lifting bags of food, and exercising horses.

The following job titles also refer to groom:

stud hand
horse grooms
trek assistant
jockey
riding coach

A high school diploma, or a vocational certificate in horse management or horse care is required to work as a groom.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Groom is a Skill level 1 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to groom.

equine worker
livestock worker
catcher
carriage driver
vending machine operator

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of groom. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of groom with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

equine yard manager
farrier
mixed farmer
shepherd
poultry sexer

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of groom.

• Livestock reproduction: Understand natural and artificial reproduction techniques, gestation periods and birthing for livestock. Understand the humane destruction of relevant animals in accordance with national legislation.
• Young horses training: Principles and techiques of educating young horses important simple body control exercises.
• Animal nutrition: Aspects of how different animal species are fed and provided water. Different types of animal food, the quality criteria for animal food and methods to feed and give water to animals.
• Training equipment for riding: Training equipment used in different riding styles such as saddles, bits/curb straps, neck sweats, athletic boots, etc. 
• Animal welfare legislation: The legal boundaries, codes of professional conduct, national and EU regulatory frameworks and legal procedures of working with animals and living organisms, ensuring their welfare and health.
• Equine dental diseases: Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of dental diseases for horses.
• Transportation vehicles for horses: Types of transportation vehicles for horses and their safe methods of using.
• Breed-specific behaviour of horses: The behaviour and specificities of different horse species.
• Biology: Tissues, cells, and functions of plant and animal organisms and their interdependencies and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Livestock species: Livestock species and relevant genetics.

These skills are necessary for the role of groom.

• Operate agricultural machinery: Operate motorised agricultural equipment including tractors, balers, sprayers, ploughs, mowers, combines, earthmoving equipment, trucks, and irrigation equipment.
• Train horses: Harness, dress and train horses as per the instructions provided. Take into account the age and breed of the horse and the preparation purposes.
• Control animal movement: Direct, control or restrain some or part of an animal’s, or a group of animals’, movement.
• Control livestock disease: Control the spread of disease and parasites in herds, by using vaccination and medication, and by separating sick animals.
• Maintain farm equipment: Use oil, grease guns, and hand tools to lubricate, adjust, and make minor repairs to farm equipment.
• Maintain the farm: Maintain farm facilities such as fences, water supplies, and outdoor buildings.
• Provide nutrition to animals: Provide food and water to animals. This includes preparing food and water for animals and reporting any changes in the animal feeding or drinking habits.’
• Keep task records: Organise and classify records of prepared reports and correspondence related to the performed work and progress records of tasks.
• Supervise hygiene procedures in agricultural settings: Ensure that hygiene procedures in agricultural settings are followed, taking into account the regulations of specific areas of action e.q. livestock, plants, local farm products, etc.
• Breed stock: Breed and raise livestock such as cattle, poultry, and honeybees. Use recognised breeding practices to strive for continuous improvement in the livestock.
• Clean stalls: Clean stalls to remove all soiled bedding to prevent moisture and fumes from building up and to cut down on potential parasite problems.
• Perform farm equipment hygiene: Clean and sanitise equipment used in milking: milk storage tanks, collection cups, and udders of the animals. Ensure that procedures for the sanitary handling of milk are followed.
• Transport horses: Transport horses using safely special vehicles for horse transportation; lead horses to vehicles taking into account the safety of people and horses.
• Maintain pastures: Ensure that animals on pastures or grazing lands have enough feed. Employ pasture-conservation measures such as grazing in rotation.
• Assist animal birth: Assist in animal births, and care for newborn livestock. Make sure the animal has a clean and quiet place where it can give birth. Have clean drying towels handy at hand and a bottle filled with iodine.
• Teach young horses: Socialise young horses (cleaning, collaring, bridling, raising feet, etc.), taking into account the safety and welfare of the horse and teacher.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of groom. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Project management principles: Different elements and phases of project management.
• Safe horseback riding principles: Safe horseback riding and training principles.
• Agricultural business management: Understand business principles behind agricultural production and the marketing of its products.
• Agritourism: Aspects of agritourism involving agriculturally based activities to bring visitors to a farm.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of groom. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Prepare equid hooves: Trim and dress horse hooves using the appropriate tools and methods. Comply with the agreed footcare plan.
• Provide care for horses: Provide care for horses includes cleaning, housing, preparing horses and ponies for riding, fixating and leading horses, taking into account the safety regulations for horses and people and the specific requirements of horse at hand, using proper methods and equine tools and equipment.
• Make farrier tools and supplies: Work sections of metal to produce farriery tools and horseshoes to required specifications.
• Clean horse’s legs: Wash and brush the legs of a horse. Keep an antifungal treatment cream or spray on hand to take care of infections as soon as they arise.
• Attach horseshoes: Attach the horseshoe safely, securely and in the correct position according to plan. Take all relevant information into account. Finish the hoof according to the specification, trot up the horse to confirm its soundness. Evaluate finished job and welfare of the horse.
• Advise horse owners on farriery requirements: Discuss and agree the farriery and hoof care requirements of the equine with the responsible person.
• Assess requirement for horseshoes: Discuss and agree with the owner on the horse’s shoeing requirements. Choose the most suitable type of shoe for the horse’s foot size and condition, the type of activity and working conditions.
• Assess the footcare requirements of the equid: Inspect the horse’s leg, foot and hoof while they are stationary as well as in motion to check for irregularities, interference, peculiarities in gait (how the horse walks) or abnormalities in size and shape of hooves and wear of shoes in discussion with the owner and given purpose and use of horse.
• Assess lameness in horses: Monitor if the animal travels in a regular and sound manner on all four feet. Identify lameness and act accordingly and under veterinarian instructions.
• Analyse animal locomotion: Analyse animal locomotion either by eye or using instrumentation for measuring body movements, body mechanics, and muscle activity.
• Manage horse events: Plan, arrange and manage different events such as races, auctions, horse shows etc, according to yard type, resources and the purpose of the event.

9212 – Livestock farm labourers

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References

1. ESCO
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
3. Horse groom | Explore careers | National Careers Service
4. Featured image: Photo by Barbara Olsen