Horse groom
Horse grooms are responsible for the care, exercise and welfare of horses and ponies, and maintain the animals' stables and riding equipment.
Also known as: Stable hand, racing groom, equine groom
- Starter salary£16,000 a year
- Experienced£28,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 40 a week
What you'll do
As a horse groom, you could:
- feed and water horses
- clean equipment like saddles, bridles and rugs
- prepare horses for riding (tacking up)
- clean, brush and clip horses' coats and manes
- muck out stables, replace bedding and keep the yard tidy
- monitor horses' health and report signs of illness or injury
- take horses out for daily exercise
Working environment
You could work at a riding stable.
Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- to be flexible and open to change
- the ability to work well with others
- the ability to work well with your hands
- excellent verbal communication skills
- the ability to use your initiative
- physical fitness and endurance
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to become a horse groom
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- specialist courses run by professional bodies
College
You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need for this job.
Courses include:
- horse care
- horse management
- equine studies
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
Apprenticeship
You could apply to a stables or racing yard to do an apprenticeship, for example:
- Equine Groom Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
- Senior Equine Groom Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
These can take between 1 and 2 years to complete. You'll do on-the-job training and spend some time with a college or learning provider.
If you're aged 16 or over and interested in working in the racing industry, The British Racing School at Newmarket and the National Horseracing College at Doncaster offer pre-apprenticeship foundation courses.
Courses last between 6 and 18 weeks, depending on your experience, and can lead on to an apprenticeship in racehorse care and a career as a groom.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
Volunteering
Volunteering or doing seasonal work in a stable is a good way to show employers that you're keen to work with horses and learn more about the industry. You can also make contacts that may be useful when you start to look for paid jobs.
Other routes
If you're working with horses, you may be able to take qualifications, like those offered by The British Horse Society (BHS) . They have courses at different stages to match your experience.
Restrictions and requirements
You may need your own transport if you're not living on site.
Career path and progression
With experience and further training, you could take charge of a stable yard or become head groom.
In a racing yard, you could progress to head lad or girl, then on to assistant trainer or trainer.
If you work in a riding stable you could train to become a riding instructor.
If you're interested in working in the horse breeding industry, for example as a stud groom, you could do training with the The National Stud in Newmarket.
Career tips
Some employers provide on-site accommodation for their staff as part of a salary and benefits package.
Guides for this industry
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