What is a groom?

The groom is a specialist who works in direct contact with horses, whether they are out at grass or stabled. This is the person who spends much of their time on the horses' daily care and who maintains the working areas and facilities. So who exactly is the groom? That is what we look at in this article.

What is a groom?

The groom is the person who works in direct contact with the horses. The job involves maintaining the bedding, working out feed rations according to the horse's work, giving care, checking the horse's health through its behaviour, and carrying out various maintenance tasks on the grounds and the equipment.

A groom's duties vary depending on where they work, whether that is a stud, a racing yard or a riding school. The groom may be asked to take the horses out to the paddocks. They must also be able to "loosen up" the horses, do trotting work with them and work them without necessarily riding.

The groom should be able to back young horses. In other words, they must be capable of giving them their first schooling. They may also present a horse at a breed show or for a sale.

What qualities and skills does a groom need?

A groom must be genuinely passionate about the equine world. They need the basics of riding. This specialist must be an observant professional in order to pick up on any kind of change in a horse's behaviour.

The groom needs a very good knowledge of the horse's anatomy, so as to spot any problem and provide first aid. It is important that the groom is in excellent physical condition in order to be able to carry out all sorts of maintenance work and to lift bags of forage, soiled straw or other feed.

Having some mechanical knowledge is also important for a groom. It means being able to carry out a few repairs on the tractors, for example. Mechanical know-how will also help the groom with farriery tasks such as putting a nail back in or removing a shoe.

Finally, it is advisable for the groom to hold an HGV licence, which would allow them to accompany the horses to competition venues, for example. It is also recommended that the groom knows how to choose their horses' accessories from online shops such as La Sellerie Française.

In what conditions do grooms work?

The groom is a professional who works in studs or on horse breeding operations. They may also work in riding schools or in racehorse training yards. This professional's days are dictated by the horses.

The groom may therefore start work early in the morning and still finish late in the evening, depending on the care the horses in their charge require.