Being a Groom and a Working Mum

Equine Vet Nurse, freelance groom and BGA Ambassador Lucy Fletcher gives shares her thoughts on life as a working Mum.

"To all you dedicated horsey mums out there. This blog is for you and for those who are thinking of returning to horses after having a baby.

It’s certainly a challenging role splitting your life into two parts especially when you have as much commitment to being a parent as you do to your job.

The financial implications are always the first to consider and the question that you often hear is ‘will it be financially viable for me to return to work?’

The cost of childcare and a low wage is often not worth going to work for apart from giving you that so often needed return to your own identity and not just ‘Mum’. It allows your little one to start the social skills that are so important to implement early on in their lives.

If you like the idea of that then it can work well provided you can get the work hours that also fit in with your busy schedule. I have had these issues with both of my children but luckily, I have a very supportive husband to can financially support us and is also on hand whole heartedly when I call him at 5pm to say I’m not coming home that night because a colic is about to turn up at the clinic.

Thus, saying this, it would still be nice to earn enough not just to cover the bills! My child minder charges £5.00 an hour all year around so the majority of my wage covers this. I’m often glad when we have a long day at the clinic or an overnight case as this means a little bit extra in the pay packet that month.

Far too often these days people decide that they want a career with horses and then say that their employer wouldn’t pay them what they asked for, or the hours were too long. Horses are a job of love and of course anyone working should get paid at least National Minimum Wage, but we have to accept that there will always be some flexibility needed when it comes to working hours, as we can’t just walk out of the office.

I am lucky that if my children are ill, my family are all in close proximity and are usually available to help out. Being self-employed doesn’t give me the option to freely take holiday or time off work that employment does but it does mean that my hours can be slightly more flexible if needed, this also brings me onto the subject of insurance.

I would strongly urge any groom, rider, equine nurse etc who is self-employed to take out their own personal accident insurance. Should the unthinkable happen and you are involved in a nasty equine related accident or you fall very ill this insurance can be a really worthwhile investment.

Being self employed means that you don’t receive Statutory Sick Pay from the Government as you would if you were employed. Having insurance ensures that you receive an income whist you are off work.

The British Grooms Association offers fantastic affordable policies through KBIS, more information on this can be found here.

Being a working Mum with an equestrian job can be hard, but rewarding. I wouldn’t have it any other way."

Lucy x

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