$ for groom at horse shows

[TresGauche]

[QUOTE=MHM;8880032]
Thanks for the insight into horse show life. That’s the best laugh I’ve had in a long time.

I can assure you that I’ve been at horse shows at all hours in many capacities, but I’ve never slept in a stall in the process. Nor have I seen others do that. Again, my experience is based on standard practice on the East Coast.[/QUOTE]

Good for you!

I am utterly amazed that you have never seen a groom stall sleeping in all your career.

[IPEsq]

I was briefly a groom on the east coast in early 2000s. I got shared hotel and $75/day. I either shared tasks with the others for the entire barn (usually split by skill, so I wound up doing less mucking, more tacking and bandaging and holding at the ring and setting jump), or in other programs I had sole charge of 3-4 horses. No one in these programs was asked to sleep in a stall. I did it as seasonal summer show work. Only one client ever gave me a tip. The regular, year-round grooms got tipped by most clients.

[ladyj79]

[QUOTE=TresGauche;8879740]
Because they are not expected to sleep in a box.

Grooms are paid for hotel lodging. The ones who get paid cash before the show to acquire lodging choose to spend it how they wish. Many if not most of the younger guys will choose their portable cot and sleeping bag, most of the older guys either use a camper or a hotel. Some (not most) trainers will just purchase a hotel room.

Which “straight fei shows” do you attend?[/QUOTE]

Atlantic Tour/champions tour Vilamoura, Lummen, Sentower, Asten, bonheiden, lier, Eindhoven, valkenswaard…

Shall I continue?

I don’t know any grooms sleeping in boxes at csis.
most are staying in lorries. Some in apartments and hotels. last year I lived in the Hilton for a month, where I was referred to as the vip groom…by all the grooms living in half million Euro lorries. That said some more people seemed to have camper trailers this year, but they’re less popular in Europe.

Whose fei grooms are sleeping in boxes?? Riders are generally pretty competitive all around and no one really wants people talking about the horrible conditions they keep their grooms in.

Since the barns are technically closed overnight, you can’t sleep in them. Places like lummen and sentower the barn areas are locked up overnight.

[mst]

I’d actually be a bit worried for a female groom to sleep in a stall overnight.

[TresGauche]

Nothing in the United States? Because this discussion is about grooms income in the United States And I am referring to my experiences on the west coast hunter jumper circuit, as a hunter rider I could care less and would not know much about grooms working over in Europe :lol: I do know that the grooms here are top notch and I adore every single one of them.

Are you not aware that many grooms work as a for-hire basis for the show season, they make more money that way as they negotiate pay for each show rather than accept a set wage for working for one trainer or barn. It is much more profitable for them and allows them to spend the off season at home with family.

And why do you think anyone is “keeping grooms in horrible conditions”? It is a choice to sleep for free and save the money for other things rather than use it to pay for a hotel.

[ladyj79]

I grew up on the west coast. Showing hunters. Yep some kids and grooms slept in stalls. I have not seen it on the east coast either, except again, kids and low end grooms. trust me there are no grooms sleeping in boxes at wef.

Professional full time grooms don’t sleep in boxes. As I said, it would not even be allowed at the fei level. And professional riders who have full time professional grooms don’t have them sleeping in boxes in my experience.

You’ve clearly had a different experience at regional hunter shows.

Eta this is also why my first post on the thread said pricing depended on whether one is a full time groom or a freelancer.

[mst]

I have never seen a groom sleep in a stall on the east coast. We also do not have an abundance of grooms for hire.

[luvmyhackney]

[QUOTE=jiona;8879282]
Wow! As a saddleseat groom, I need to get into the hunter world! $50/ horse and a hotel!? And you don’t even groom them, just care!? I usually clean all tack/ carts, do all bathing, blowdrying, braiding, painting feet, and tacking plus the regular horse care for 8ish horses at $100/ day, sleeping in a stall… How do I start grooming for hunters!? lol[/QUOTE]

Not sure who you groom for I groomed in the saddleseat world but you are underpaid in the saddleseat world. I groomed in college for four years. 150.00 a day plus all expenses, I always had a hotel room, and was tipped a minimum of 100.00 per horse at the end of the week. Usually was assigned 4-6 horses. Always 2-3 of us as well. That was back in late 90’s. I loved it. Miss it alot.

[RugBug]

West coaster here - I haven’t been aware of grooms sleeping in stalls for quite some time,but it used to be de riguer 20 years ago… And yes, there are plenty of freelance grooms out here.

[HLMom]

At shows, we hire a freelance groom for our barn. Clients have a choice of full grooming for $50 per day, or half grooming (just feeding and mucking) for $25 per day.

I tip on top of this–usually an extra $25 or so (not per day–just for the whole show).

So, at a 5-day show, I pay about $275 to the groom. Ideally, he has at least 4 horses to care for, so he makes around $1100 for the 5-day show.

[SugarCubes]

We are charged $60/per day, per horse. That includes mucking stalls 2x/day, feed, water, bathing, longing, wrapping. Braiding is an additional charge. No one from my barn tips, we just get an invoice after the show.

And no one sleeps in a stall :lol:! We all pay the hotel/food splits!

[tripships]

At shows, I pay $65/day per horse to the groom. Every day my horse is under his care, that includes cleaning stall, feeding, keeping water buckets full, tacking my horse up for his morning hack, and for classes. This also includes them being a ‘valet’ before classes, setting jumps, applying hoof polish, wiping boots. Typically, my horse is at the show Tuesday-Sunday, so that comes out to be $390 before tip. Because my horse shows in the hunter ring, he requires much more upkeep between his morning hack and classes during the day to keep his braids neat. I usually tip about 20%, or more if they do something above and beyond (like fixing my horses braids he rubbed out mid-day, patiently waiting with me when my classes is running super behind and I’m the last one going for the day, or remembering he requires fly spray applied if their is a fly anywhere in his vicinity).
Braiding is a totally separate bill in my case, but I do know trainers that pay the grooms, braiders, etc. themselves and charge the clients (usually way too much) for their services.