For those of you hiring grooms, has this been your experience?
http://intheringmedia.com/2015/12/08/millennial-grooms-are-ruining-the-equestrian-industry/
Sounds more like the author has a huge privledged chip on her shoulder. She started out as a hunter princess showing up to the barn like she was God’s gift to hunters. But God forbid a kid thinks she is just as good or better. News flash a lot of times teens are better riders.
And no one will work for nothing & take sh!t anymore. Life costs too much. Even a teens time is valuable. Both mine play in an Orchestra and are high achievers. I would rather my son’s practice their music than flip burgers for $10/hr.
The grooms I know are hard working and under paid.
The only thing that surprises me is, I thought everyone had shifted to Hispanic grooms. LOL Millennials seem to think that the purpose of adults is to be the drudges who worship, service, and give money, yea, verily, give their all, to Millennials. I have no children, and not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for that!
she lost me at “I was a hunter princess, but I earned the right to be one.”
:rolleyes:
yep, the kids at my barn work for their lessons, are usually very nice and helpful, and most of them can ride rings around me.
Hm, my guess is that this may become a very long thread. :lol:
Who wrote this? She sounds like a spoiled, selfish millennial herself! (Coming from another millennial.) Talk about a complainer.
Yes I was a hunter princess. I remember yelling at my mother for forgetting my gloves 5 minutes before I was expected to head into the ring or having my coach remind me every 5 seconds to say “please” and “thank you” to those who helped me. I was a hunter princess, but I earned the right to be one.
What? As a millennial eventer & dressage rider, this behavior NEVER would have been tolerated FOR A SECOND, by either trainer or parent. I also didn’t have anyone to help me except sometimes my mom, who was awesome. Also, she’s admitting she earned the right to be a brat? Yikes.
I have watched new girls come to work for one of the easiest employers I have ever worked with, only to bail out after no more than a few weeks because it was “too hard”. I have also seen riders who couldn’t survive a 2? hunter class “demand” to ride and we must oblige because finding staff that is even willing to do the work in the first place is becoming an impossible task.
This was happening way before millennials came around, as my riding instructors will attest to. It might be more obvious now, because there are more millennials, hence more lazy people, but it’s always happened. And we have reached a point where it’s easy for someone to take lessons without ever being involved in horse care, which is both sad and also not the way it has been in the past.
only to have spoiled self-righteous millennial children walking into grand prix caliber stables demanding better pay, less hours and worst of all, to ride.
What? I’m not saying hard work is a bad thing, it is a very good thing, and everyone needs to earn the right to ride. Horseback riding is an expensive sport, and to go into it you need to accept that as a groom/exercise rider/working student, people can’t afford to pay you much. It’s why I keep horses as a hobby (admittedly an intense one), and work elsewhere. I have heard top riders moan about people not going through the ranks and really learning as a working student and groom, but the honest truth is that it’s really hard to do that if you want anything else out of your life. So you need to be committed beyond any and all doubts. I don’t think she phrased this well.
I would like to point out that while some millenials are lazy, this has been a complaint of every generation before us…and who raised us anyway?
[QUOTE=charismaryllis;8601499]
she lost me at “I was a hunter princess, but I earned the right to be one.”
:rolleyes:
yep, the kids at my barn work for their lessons, are usually very nice and helpful, and most of them can ride rings around me.[/QUOTE]
Yabbut how old is the author? The attitude and poor writing suggest the belongs to the demographic she criticizes.
The whole thing reeked.
And my credentials: I’m 47. I didn’t own a horse until I bought my own OTTB as a junior in college. I never had a mom at a horse show bringing me gloves on time (or not). I did, however, clean stalls for lesson from the time I was 14 or so on. I have been a professional groom. I would describe myself as a Hunter Princess, but that’s more of a joke-and-aspirational category. I wear muck boots every day. I have a whole horse trousseau of matchy-match monogrammed stuff.
Yabbut how old is the author? The attitude and poor writing suggest the belongs to the demographic she criticizes.
The whole thing reeked.
I am a millennial, and I agree with you. If she’s not a millennial (one of the bad ones, and there are fewer of us than some people seem to think), she’s proof that the older generations aren’t always as different as they think they are. There are rotten apples in every bunch.
It amuses me that she thinks looking after her own horse earns her the right to be a princess. For me having my own horses to look after is a privilege in itself.
If you have to stop and say to your reader that they are probably wondering what the point of the story is, you should know you haven’t done a good job of laying out your argument.
I have been on both the managing and the managed side of barn work and, generally, one gets out of one’s employees what one puts in.
I have met several people with perhaps not the most experience that I would absolutely trust with my most valuable horses were I ever to open my own place.
Of course I would expect of myself to
- train them (and yes, I have trained while on the job)
- approach them with professionalism, courtesy, and basic respect (saying “please” and “thank you”, for example, is free)
- having reasonable expectations and being a mensch about things.
In the morning one communicates clearly and politely the day’s tasks (muck these stalls by this time, do these buckets by this time, and then have these horses turned out here by this time) and then one simply makes a habit of saying “Thanks for doing that!” or “Right on schedule!” as tasks are completed and one happens to cross paths.
If one notices an employee making an effort to organize the tack room, one makes sure, later in the day, to say, “Hey, the tack room looks great!”
I have successfully managed a vietnam war vet with PTSD and substance abuse issues using the above strategies. I treated him with respect and recognized his contributions. One day I said, “Hey, the boss is coming back in 6 days. Imagine how happy he would be if all the jumps were painted when he gets back.” I picked up a brush and got started myself, and soon Derek was painting the jumps every spare second he found. Periodically I would say “Thanks!” or “Looks great!” or “[our boss] is going to be so pleased.” When the boss came home every single jump was painted and I made sure to emphasize the extent of Derek’s contribution.
Somehow I never had a problem with Derek, and despite his personal demons, he was a very helpful and useful employee.
If properly managed, and treated with respect.
Now, I wonder how some of the people who write these articles would treat Derek. As less than human, and of no use to them, I suppose. They probably “don’t have time” to simply write a schedule of tasks on a slip of paper and go over it for a minute. They probably cant be bothered to take a minute between horses to see where Derek is, redirect if necessary, and thank if given the opportunity. How many people who complain about their HR woes make a consistent policy of thanking their employees for tasks throughout the day? Again, it’s free!
There will always be people who just arent cut out for barn work. But good employees do not exist in a vacuum. You have to be a good employer or manager to train and RETAIN good employees.
Generally, people with poorly trained horses that go badly are, unsurprisingly, poor riders. People who can’t find and keep good help? They’re usually not the greatest employers.
I actually make an effort to be clear about expectations and demonstrate appreciation in all relationships. I have been dating my SO for 9 months, he pays for every single dinner. I say “thank you for dinner” every single time. I say “Thank you for making breakfast.” I say, “Thank you for switching the laundry and folding it.” I say, “Thank you for doing the dishes.” I say thank you to him several times for various things every time we spend time together.
Manners make the world go round.
They improve your relationships with everyone from your romantic interests to your employees to your colleagues to your friends.
And they cost ansolutely nothing.
I have had some employers who lacked manners. They rarely if ever said thank you. They threw tantrums. They sulked. They stomped around with sour lemon face. Aside from being terrible from an HR persoective, that is just BAD MANNERS. These are usually the sorts who write long rants about nobody wanting to work in the horseworld anymore. (Not everyone who complains about employees throws tantrums, but everyone who throw tantrums complains about employees, and for these people their employee problems are usually of their own creation.)
With employees, you have to add management and manners together, and that’s the magic combination.
Whoever wrote this article doesn’t sound like anyone I’d want to work for or alongside. I’d much rather be left on my own to keep a 19 horse sport horse/sale horse facility going with just my own two hands, and Derek to help.
I think she’s a millenial herself. She claims to have started riding at 6, then later says something like “all I have worked towards for 10 years”, which makes her sound about 16 to me. I’m guessing she’s a little older than that, but still an official millenial.
Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfLlDQ939NY
and here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs0D1OCtsGA
One more: here’s an old thread from 2010 about the CMT show, if this is the same Megan who is the Barn Manager on this. Looks like now in 2016 you can watch the show on YouTube.
[QUOTE=Mango20;8601901]
I think she’s a millenial herself. She claims to have started riding at 6, then later says something like “all I have worked towards for 10 years”, which makes her sound about 16 to me. I’m guessing she’s a little older than that, but still an official millenial.[/QUOTE]
2nd paragraph ‘By the time I hit my 20’s…’
Eh, there have always been insufferable, entitled young folks. Only difference is now they have Instagram, so we get to see how insufferable and entitled they are. #blessed
[QUOTE=meupatdoes;8601774]
I have been on both the managing and the managed side of barn work and, generally, one gets out of one’s employees what one puts in.
I have met several people with perhaps not the most experience that I would absolutely trust with my most valuable horses were I ever to open my own place.
Of course I would expect of myself to
- train them (and yes, I have trained while on the job)
- approach them with professionalism, courtesy, and basic respect (saying “please” and “thank you”, for example, is free)
- having reasonable expectations and being a mensch about things.
In the morning one communicates clearly and politely the day’s tasks (muck these stalls by this time, do these buckets by this time, and then have these horses turned out here by this time) and then one simply makes a habit of saying “Thanks for doing that!” or “Right on schedule!” as tasks are completed and one happens to cross paths.
If one notices an employee making an effort to organize the tack room, one makes sure, later in the day, to say, “Hey, the tack room looks great!”
I have successfully managed a vietnam war vet with PTSD and substance abuse issues using the above strategies. I treated him with respect and recognized his contributions. One day I said, “Hey, the boss is coming back in 6 days. Imagine how happy he would be if all the jumps were painted when he gets back.” I picked up a brush and got started myself, and soon Derek was painting the jumps every spare second he found. Periodically I would say “Thanks!” or “Looks great!” or “[our boss] is going to be so pleased.” When the boss came home every single jump was painted and I made sure to emphasize the extent of Derek’s contribution.
Somehow I never had a problem with Derek, and despite his personal demons, he was a very helpful and useful employee.
If properly managed, and treated with respect.
Now, I wonder how some of the people who write these articles would treat Derek. As less than human, and of no use to them, I suppose. They probably “don’t have time” to simply write a schedule of tasks on a slip of paper and go over it for a minute. They probably cant be bothered to take a minute between horses to see where Derek is, redirect if necessary, and thank if given the opportunity. How many people who complain about their HR woes make a consistent policy of thanking their employees for tasks throughout the day? Again, it’s free!
There will always be people who just arent cut out for barn work. But good employees do not exist in a vacuum. You have to be a good employer or manager to train and RETAIN good employees.
Generally, people with poorly trained horses that go badly are, unsurprisingly, poor riders. People who can’t find and keep good help? They’re usually not the greatest employers.
I actually make an effort to be clear about expectations and demonstrate appreciation in all relationships. I have been dating my SO for 9 months, he pays for every single dinner. I say “thank you for dinner” every single time. I say “Thank you for making breakfast.” I say, “Thank you for switching the laundry and folding it.” I say, “Thank you for doing the dishes.” I say thank you to him several times for various things every time we spend time together.
Manners make the world go round.
They improve your relationships with everyone from your romantic interests to your employees to your colleagues to your friends.
And they cost ansolutely nothing.
I have had some employers who lacked manners. They rarely if ever said thank you. They threw tantrums. They sulked. They stomped around with sour lemon face. Aside from being terrible from an HR persoective, that is just BAD MANNERS. These are usually the sorts who write long rants about nobody wanting to work in the horseworld anymore. (Not everyone who complains about employees throws tantrums, but everyone who throw tantrums complains about employees, and for these people their employee problems are usually of their own creation.)
With employees, you have to add management and manners together, and that’s the magic combination.
Whoever wrote this article doesn’t sound like anyone I’d want to work for or alongside. I’d much rather be left on my own to keep a 19 horse sport horse/sale horse facility going with just my own two hands, and Derek to help.[/QUOTE]
YES! meupatdoes - I’d be happy to work with you any day of the week.
whud tha…that was time out of my life I will never get back, glad it only took 2 minutes…just so illogically written and contradictory I don’t know where to begin, but I would suggest the author educate herself on the true definitions of “earn” and “hunter princess”.
This sort of article makes me so mad. Start paying people real wages in the horse industry, and you wil find good help. The smart, hardworking people leave the industry when they realize they can make way more money elsewhere, and keep the horses as a hobby. It’s not about being a spoiled millennial, it’s about making a smart choice so you can afford to feed yourself.
[QUOTE=Windermere;8602235]
This sort of article makes me so mad. Start paying people real wages in the horse industry, and you wil find good help. The smart, hardworking people leave the industry when they realize they can make way more money elsewhere, and keep the horses as a hobby. It’s not about being a spoiled millennial, it’s about making a smart choice so you can afford to feed yourself.[/QUOTE]
Yeah this. I will say I’ve met a LOT of millennials that are lazy and don’t have great work ethics. I am a millennial myself but I grew up before technology really started to become ingrained in our lives so I had the best of both worlds, so to speak. I think the ones that grew up as 7 year olds with iPhones were accustomed to the instant gratification mindset and that transferred over to their adult lives.
I don’t think it makes sense to say that all horse people should just work harder and keep accepting minimal pay. In some situations, yes. A working student shouldn’t be making a full time wage. But someone who is working as a stable hand as a living, should not be getting paid pennies and struggle to get by.
Oh please. Entitled, lazy working students/grooms have been around since before George Morris was in short pants. This is not a new phenomenon. The fact is that it is hard work and the burn out rate is high, regardless of the income received.
I’m willing to be that the author was thought of lazy by more than one person during her tenure.
