Throwing a few questions out there how your barn works. What have you experienced -
interested what goes on out there
How many horses does your trainer have in training?
How many assistants do they have?
How many of the assistants are pros or working students?
How often do they go to horse shows?
How many grooms at home per horse does your barn have? (not including stall cleaning)
How many grooms at the show per horse does your barn bring?
Thanks
Bit hard to compare due to definition of " in training", always picked barns with a la cart pricing instead of packages and there were absentee owners and sale horses in the mix. Daily grooming and light clipping was also included in the board, I’m not lazy, I work and 3 barn days a week was about it.
Around 45 actively working horses plus a few lay ups and retirees.
2 assistants, one traveled, one stayed at home handling riding and coaching/lessons, both Pros.
1 or 2 WS, typically age 17-19. At least one traveled.
Think you meant horses per groom, not grooms per horse there, which would be 1:lol:. Probably 8 or 10 at home, 6 max on the road. No mucking.
How many shows? Lots. WEF Jan thru mid March. Usually gone 2 weeks, sometimes 3 a month but stayed at the multi week shows, didn’t go back and forth. At home assistant hit some local shows with stay at home clients.
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Just to clarify, I’ve been at three smaller show barns and have never had grooms…usually there are working students who go to the shows and act as grooms and help set up/tear down.
How many horses does your trainer have in training?
About 10 lesson/lease horses, 4-5 young horses, and 10ish boarders
How many assistants do they have?
Two pros, 1 junior who teaches beginner lessons
How many of the assistants are pros or working students?
No assistant pros. One junior who teaches and one w/s who does grooming
How often do they go to horse shows?
Once or twice a month
How many grooms at home per horse does your barn have? (not including stall cleaning)
No grooms for clients. WS grooms for the horses the pros are riding
How many grooms at the show per horse does your barn bring?
Zero
I am the only staff at my barn as I keep them at home. 
Yes, thank you all for your responses. It really does depend on your situation. I am going to A shows so I guess that would help out in the question. Pay full grooming and training.
And yes, horses per groom… ha wouldn’t that be nice.
It helps to read what other barns have going on.
I figure it would be around 6 horses to one groom at home for an A show barn. (I think)
For training I understand it would be 6 services a week. Maybe three lessons and trainer rides three days?
Mukluk - ha yes, I too had my horses at home for most of 20 years so I don’t really know what to expect at boarding barns sometimes. I was the staff; however at one point I did have a guy come in in the mornings and clean stalls. It’s a lot of work but I enjoyed it. Found I didn’t ride much - too tired 
Out of habit I find myself cleaning water buckets, tack, doing turnouts, washing boots, pads, flymasks… I think some training barns do that stuff… probably depends on what you spend…
We can opt out of full grooming service at our barn; rider gets horse ready for lessons, grooms get horse ready for training rides. That, coupled with the fact that some horses get only one training ride and the rest mostly get two training rides a week, enables that 10:1 ratio of horses:groom at home.
We are expected to do our own laundry. I have been known to do my horse’s mane and touch-up clipping, but I may be the only client that does. There’s stuff you just get used to doing when you’ve been the entire staff.
I’ve seen as many as 8-10 horses per groom at home, when they are “only” grooming – as in, none of the feeding, stalls, admin stuff, or horse care/training; just mainly tacking up and putting horse away (sometimes also hand walking, lungeing, and turn out). If horse is sick or needs extra care, I believe that is up to the assistants, who may very well pass it onto a groom, but it was not a regular thing; or maybe there’s extra charge for that. At shows, it’s closer to 4 horses per groom, for 100% full grooming (horse meets you at the ring, all you have to do is ride, groom usually waits at ring for horse); if clients do some/most/all grooming themselves, then they can probably take on more than 4 horses.
For training, the contract should say what those services are, how many training rides and lessons, and if you can substitute them if, say, you can’t make it out or want more lessons. I’ve seen one that had 3-4 lessons/week, but pro rides are extra. Also one where it was 2 pro rides and 2 jumping lessons per week, plus one extra ride OR flat lesson (and it was usually WS/assistant doing the extra ride); the other two days a week is for hacking or day off. I’m sure there are many variations. Some state they will get the horse out 5-6 days a week in some form or another; like if you can’t make it out to lesson, they will find someone to ride the horse (but it may be fellow student/barn crazy kid or WS, if short notice) or maybe extra turn out or lungeing counts as one of their services.
How many horses does your trainer have in training? 7-10 depending on show schedule and season
How many assistants do they have? 0
How many of the assistants are pros or working students? 0
How often do they go to horse shows? 2-4 times per month during show season (April-October), clinics during off season.
How many grooms at home per horse does your barn have? (not including stall cleaning) 2 grooms for trainer (BO) and one client, as well as any horses on training board.
How many grooms at the show per horse does your barn bring? Barn only provides a groom for trainer’s (BO) horses and one client. Horses on training board don’t get that option and it’s noted in the agreement that no grooming outside of daily training is included.
How many horses does your trainer have in training?
This changes at any given time. Trainer has a lot of her own horses, there are sale horses, and then some client horses are in training, but those can be consistent or tune ups. Complete guesstimate, but probably around 10?
How many assistants do they have?
One assistant. We have another trainer as our lesson program has grown so much and also bring in an outside trainer on a weekly basis for dressage.
How many of the assistants are pros or working students?
Our assistant is technically a pro in terms of showing because they teach lessons. We do have some working students, but not sure I’d call them assistants. I think we have 1 regular working student right now.
How often do they go to horse shows?
Currently ~2-3 shows a month. Some months this summer have had more. Once winter hits that number will be lower and head trainer will go to FL (usually brings a temporary working student specifically for FL), but with our other trainers we do hit some of the winter series shows.
How many grooms at home per horse does your barn have? (not including stall cleaning)
No grooms, everyone is fully capable of grooming their own horses. When the trainers are riding multiple horses per day the working student will help with tacking their next ride up and cooling down their current ride.
How many grooms at the show per horse does your barn bring?
Head trainer will usually bring one of the riding students along to help with grooming, especially if she will be riding multiple horses.
Preach! Same except my barn cats have unionized and have extended their break times and salary requirements.
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