One thing many grooms can find stressful is juggling multiple horses at a show.
IGA member Fabien Przyklenk gives us his tips for coping with a big horse-to-groom ratio… spoiler, there are no ‘hacks’ for this one.
“I always loved the hard way in my life, that’s the reason I accepted lots of jobs with 6-12 horses myself. That helps me not get distracted by anything.
When I have 6 horses, I usually start earlier than everyone else. Sometimes I adapt my normal plan, so that I can handwalk all the horses, or at least the ones that are jumping first, before I start with usual duties.
I had the chance sometimes to work with super riders, like Kim and Mark Martens, who understood the huge amount of work involved when you have a lot of horses.
They would try to give me more time to spend with the horses like bringing food and drinks for me, and coming to the stables to pick up the horse if possible.
I have also been with 12 horses alone with 2 riders. That’s an insane job.
I also developed a special aptitude to take a Power Nap when I have 20min “free”… otherwise, you can’t keep going.
The more horses you have to deal with on Tours or regular shows, the more focused you have to be: no fancy kinds of stuff but efficiency.
Dedication, focusing, hard work, tight organisation, power naps, and having your own food always by your side will help a lot.”
If you enjoy going to a competition with a lot of horses let us know if you have any other tips that help you keep your workload manageable.
If you are worried about working at home or an event with lots of horses try to speak with your rider beforehand to make a plan which works for both of you - you may need to alter some elements of your home routine to make your day possible.
IGA members can find more help and advice about employment and managing stress in the IGA Member Zone of the website.
