Professional show grooms, what kind of things do you bring with you? If any

[mika0116]

I know this sounds dumb, but a watch that is on your wrist.

feels very millennial / gen z of me, but I cannot tell you how many people under the age of 35 who don’t have an Apple watch (or it isn’t charged) who don’t own any other type of watch.

when your hands are full and you’re busy - last thing you want is to have to pull out your phone to look at the time or find a ring with the megatron with the time on it

then again I can make a joke about HJ shows and time being not real - eventing barn jokes lol

[anon68314200]

Pain killers/ibuprofen/acetaminophen
Caffeine pills
Plenty of water/Gatorade
Candy bars in case you find you are unable to stop and eat

[Mara]

Re dehydration: I remember grooming at summer shows in the 80s in Aiken and Camden (Camden showgrounds had no trees) and I swear the only time any of us peed was when we got up in the mornings.

[MHM]

I know somebody who just about passed out and had to get IV fluids at the Global Champions show in Miami earlier this month.

Drink. Your. Water.

[Angela_Freda]

Absolutely anything you might bring to use on a horse run by the trainer first.

[IPEsq]

It depends on how the barn works. I’ve worked places where there were a few communal tack stalls and supplies and others where each groom had their own stall and sole charge of a set number of horses.

In the latter situation, as a freelance groom, you are last to get your hands on most supplies and everyone is a little territorial about their setup. And so I would bring a small ladder (for taking those braids out, etc), scissors, seam ripper, bucket and basic supplies for tack cleaning, ringside bag, extra towels, a stud chain, and maybe my own sponge and sweat scraper.

With more shared setup, it can be easier because the chores are divided up a little more by task versus by horse.

Definitely a cooler for your own drinks and snacks.

[mvp]

Since no one has said it yet: Comfortable shoes-- two pairs. One should be waterproof. The other should be what you want to wear after you are Just. So. Done. with the first pair and still need to keep going.

The technique for taking out braids others mentioned above bears fuller explanation:

1. On a ladder (maybe your own?) use your seam ripper to cut the yarn only at the same place on each braid. I find that I can see it where it lies at an angle to the mane after it comes out at the center of the braid on the very top of the crest. Cut all braids the same.

2. With a wet, big, half-moon sponge, rub that big, wet bad-boy up and down the neck, or as Peggy suggests, bathe the whole thing. The water helps loosen the braids.

3. After you have rubbed up and down the mane some, you should see the braids starting to come out. For the ones that don’t, finish taking those out gently with your fingers. You want to preserve the mane for horses that will get braided over and over.

Otherwise, just bring what you need in order to be completely self-sufficient and invisible. Being a groom is a giant It’s Not About You exercise.

Good luck! It can be a good time, if a lot of work.

[findeight]

Its not so much what you bring or barn provides, its keeping track of it.

Have seen something like a tool belt around the waist, like a carpenter wears on a building site. It made alot of sense to me. This in addition to the caddy with the bigger brushes in it. Seen an apron too but the “tool belt” looked more comfortable and better organized for smaller things like your cellphone, not to mention cooler then the apron.

What a show groom really needs at least one more hand and leashes on every piece of equipment, that stuff walks off in a heartbeat, especially ringside or when you leave it in your grooming area. Waste a ton of time looking for stuff if you aren’t careful.

[PintoPony]

Sounds to me like cargo shorts would be helpful.

I know they’re not very attractive but one side could hold personal stuff such as wallet and phone and the other side small horse items such as seam ripper, rubber bands, pair of folding scissors, etc.

[Scribbler]

@PintoPony

Sounds to me like cargo shorts would be helpful.

I know they’re not very attractive but one side could hold personal stuff such as wallet and phone and the other side small horse items such as seam ripper, rubber bands, pair of folding scissors, etc.

Would be impossible to sit down though.

[ZuzusPetals]

Good thing this isn’t me because I’d bring everything I own. A family of five could survive an emergency on rhe contents of my handbag alone.

[Midge]

I wouldn’t bring anything for the job, unless you have some particular item you love above all others and it will make you better at your job. You will be supplied with everything you need.

Bring clothing for every possible weather scenario. Sunscreen, water.

[ZuzusPetals]

I’d bring my Dad’s credit card so I could go crazy with the vendors.

[clanter]

@anon68314200

Pain killers/ibuprofen/acetaminophen

Most medicines should be stored at 59 to 77 degrees °F in a cool, dry place and completely avoid heat greater than 104° F (really hard to do where I am in the summers)

so if these are just being kept in the crash box in the trailer they may become dangerous or ineffective

[Xctrygirl]

I hired some friends to help me for 1-3 hours at a time each day when I was showing at Upperville last year.

Everyone wore what they wanted, and they’re horse women too so was typically sun shirt or polo and pants. (My classes were first thing in the am)

They used my things. They helped a ton and allowed me to walk the course AND keep my marital groom (Hubby) away from actual groom tasks. He has said to me before “There was only 1 day in our lives when I agreed to be the 'groom” LOL. And our wedding day I was sick… so that wasn’t the best ‘groom’ outing either. But I digress…

As far as tips and tricks, small little notebooks are handy if you can quickly write down instructions from folks who you might not know as well. Always remember that owners/riders etc. get nervous enough…you being calm and helping with a smile and encouraging and optimistic can help more than jumping in to pilot the nerve train. Just be the easy part of their moment, not the added stressor.

Communication and listening is key. But also say small nice things and offer them a water.

Emily

[MHM]

@Xctrygirl

He has said to me before "There was only 1 day in our lives when I agreed to be the ‘groom’ LOL

I did literally laugh out loud at that one. Good for him for maintaining a sense of humor about it, I guess. Lol.

[gertie06]

I buy mine on eBay. They’re not always “equestrian.” Sometimes they’re made for golf or tennis. I don’t care. I can usually get them for $20-30.

[anon68314200]

I am 52. I could not make it through a day of hard show grooming (or regular barn management) without Estroven, Acetominophen, Cetirizine, etc. I would have to bring a (possibly soft sided) cooler with a lot of ice packs. I cannot work a full day without Decent food and drugs.

[clanter]

@anon68314200

I would have to bring a (possibly soft sided) cooler with a lot of ice packs.

this was something that I never thought of until seeing Dollar General Store having a recall on Advil that was not stored properly… I always considered these types of drugs were stable

then I remembered this thread thinking that others may not realize that their pain killer is not working because of the way it was stored

one of my daughters is a chemist, she ran a test lab for small pharmaceutical company that manufactured generic drugs. She told me that during a test of products in the factory packaging being kept that the effectiveness of the drugs was greatly diminished relativity quickly if stored out of the temperature ranges

not her study however she referred me to this

Over the duration of the study, the average storage temperature was 69.2 ± 3.7°F with a range of 59.9°F to 86.2°F. The average relative humidity was 63.2 ± 14.9% with a range of 29.2% to 100%. The total number of times the temperature exceeded the upper limit of the mended storage setting (77°F) was 753 times, which represents 0.72% of the data points collected.

All IBU products investigated fell below 90% product potency during the duration of the 12-month study.

Monitoring Commercial Ibuprofen Potency Changes Over 1 Year When Stored in a...

[SaluteAtXTX]

Too bad my Dad took back his credit card about 20 years ago .