What I am doing to better myself as a groom.

It is common knowledge by now that I am a groom on an international Show Jumping yard, I am also working my way up to being of ‘manager’ standard and I thought I would share with you some things I do to stay on top of my yard and what I am doing to better myself every day.

1. Time checks

2. Thorough/Attention to detail

3. Knowing your horses

4. Knowing your people/not being afraid to ask the stupid question

5. Taking care of yourself

Time checks
The thing I would mainly focus on is time. How long or short do I take to complete a task and how can I cut that time without taking any shortcuts and ensuring my work is still of a high standard? To do this, I will be clock watching every day and trying to time myself to the minute. For example, of a morning I know it takes me 8 minutes to clean a stable from start to finish. Now to me – that is still too long – so I am trying to find a routine that will speed me up. My aim is to get to 5 or 6 minutes. So to do this I check the time when I start, once the 5 minute point has passed I check to see how far I have got and what else have I to do, doing this highlights what is taking the most time out of my task and I can then ask myself, “ok what can you do from here to make you quicker?’ Breaking the task down by time eventually becomes a habit in everything and will therefore highlight what to improve on. So my advice here is to set an achievable time goal and work towards it by breaking it down by the minute and find a routine that works for you, because everyone will do things differently.

Attention to detail
Anyone who has horses will know that the devil is in the details. This is what takes a well groomed horse, to one that will stand out from the rest. In a high paced yard it is easy to try and get everything done as fast as possible because the to-do list is often the length of your arm. The important thing is, not to forget the attention to detail, otherwise mistakes are made and potentially vital points are missed.
For example, you pull a horse in from the field that maybe you didn’t put out. Have they got any swelling in their legs? Have they come in with any cuts or lumps? DId they go out with boots on? When you actively try to pick up on these things you begin to catch a potential problem much earlier and it can be resolved quicker and prevented from developing into an issue. Cold hose the swelling as soon as you’ve brought them in. Clean and treat the cut to try and prevent any possible infection.
When grooming for turnout, wash their white socks with blue shampoo, towel dry them and finish with baby powder to make the whites stand out. Cover the entire hoof with oil and ensure you cover the textured top to leave a seamless finish. Keep your plaits the same size throughout the mane – I am still working on this one! My point is, in every aspect of keeping a horse is that the devil is in the detail.

Knowing your horses
Now when you’re on a new yard and have 25 new personalities to learn, this will of course take time. Do make sure you take the time to learn them, it will help you out a lot. Learn their quirks and behaviour patterns, it will help when the time is vital. You will be able to spot a colic quicker, whether they’re simply stiff in the muscle or they’re genuinely lame, whether they’re acting fresh or if something is actually bothering them. Regardless, learning your horse’s individual behaviour will not only help spot an issue much quicker but it will also ensure you’re able to adapt your routine to keep your horses happy and healthy.

Knowing your people
If you are working on a yard with a selection of people, it is just as important to get to know them just as well as you know your horses. I have found that learning when and why my rider does things in a certain order has helped me work out his priorities. This has meant I am now able to adapt my way of doing things to suit him and the way he wants his yard run. The days will run much more seamlessly when you are able to tune into their way of thinking too. When it comes to the people you work with, never be afraid to ask the stupid question, it might just be the right one. I have more than likely asked a more stupid question than you’re thinking, plus – if you’ve thought about it, it is pretty much guaranteed that someone else has too!

Taking care of yourself

This is the most important one of them all. I am a big advocate of the saying, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” Make sure you are taking care of yourself physically and mentally so that you can produce your best work. Working any physical job is a hungry business, ensuring you’re eating well, getting your 5 a day, drinking plenty of water and taking all the right vitamins so that you have the energy and strength to perform. Always remember to take care of your mental health too. You cannot expect yourself to be focused if you aren’t well in your own head either. Put time aside after work, on your days off or even on your lunch break simply to do something that keeps you grounded and in control of your own mind, I promise it will make the difference. 

So these are my 5 things that I suggest you should be doing to improve yourself not only if you are a groom, but this goes for anyone keeping horses. Good luck to you all, horses aren’t easy or everyone would be doing it!