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WHY I AM A MEMBER
“The bespoke information has been invaluable for my career and employment; I don’t feel alone anymore. I have the peace of mind knowing my income is protected with my BGA insurance.”
Jenny Hooch
BGA Member
- Your Career
- Freelancing
- BGA Training
- Healthy Yard Healthy Horses
- Transporting horses
- Brexit
- Safe workplace
- Student zone
- Member Discounts
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- BGA CV Creator
- Horse groom training
- Where to Train
- BGA E Learning
- Career choices
- Change to Racing
- First Aid training for grooms
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GROOMS JOB BOARD
Experienced Event Groom
Nottinghamshire
Sector Eventing
Search all the latest grooms jobs
WATCH OUR VIDEO
We caught up with BGA member Thomas Straw to find our more about his exciting job as a kinight and how he gets to inspire the next generation. My name is Thomas Straw, I work for the ‘Knights of Middle England' based in Warwickshire. I have been working here for two years as a groom. I help the team with the care, exercise and well being of the horses but also assist in the teaching of jousting and variety of other mounted skills and sports. Along with the usual duties and care for horses we are one of a very small number of jousting schools and give tuition in jousting, horse archery, trick riding and many other mounted sports. If we’re not teaching clients then we’re in the saddle training new horses for the coming season. Before working for the Knights of Middle England I worked at a local riding school in my hometown of Nottingham and learnt to sword fight in my spare time. After that I did some riding work for Outlander before a friend pointed me in the right direction and I got in touch about joining the team. Riding experience is always useful for a knight but here they can teach you from the ground up so it doesn’t really matter what your background is, as long as you’re willing to learn! I love my job because we inspire history in the next generation of kids and bring a touch of childhood into people’s hearts. My favourite moment so far was performing in my first show as a Knight in the evening show Dragon Slayer at Warwick Castle. The best piece of advice I have been given is to persevere and be polite! If you want to do something, persevere and push yourself but be polite to others, be it people or horses. My advice for others would be that there isn’t anything you can’t do! No matter how outlandish or bizarre, if you want to do it, do it! When I was at school I never expected that one day I would be a Knight and be paid to joust in one of the world’s finest castles! In 2019 I’d love to invite everyone and anyone to come down and watch us at Warwick Castle this summer and let us inspire your inner child, or bring a bit of history alive for your family. Join the BGA like Thomas and thousands of other grooms from all disciplines. Photo credit to Andy Sallis Photography.
My Life as a Knight
2nd July 2019
BLOG ARCHIVE
What the personal accident policy covers you for:
- Whilst at work
- All stable duties – mucking out, grooming, washing off, turning out
- Clipping
- Riding – including hacking and jumping
- Hunting
- Lunging
- Breaking in
- Holding horse for a vet and other procedures
- Travelling horses both in the UK and abroad
- Competing in line with your job including: jumping, dressage, eventing
- Injuries that may happen to you whilst you are teaching - but you must also be grooming as part of your duties and not be a sole instructor
What the personal accident policy doesn’t cover you for:
- Riding in a race, point to point or team chase
- Stunt Riding
- Accidents occurring whilst travelling to and from work
- Riding and competing your own horse (but you can upgrade when applying for membership to include this)
- Public Liability – this is a separate insurance policy - the Freelance Groom Liability Insurance
- Care Custody and Control – this is a separate policy - the Freelance Groom Liability Insurance
If you require additional cover then please contact KBIS directly.
| GROOM | RIDER | EMPLOYER | |
|
When you are working for other people you do most of the following; muck out, turn out/catch in, tack up, groom horses, exercise Horses (including hacking, jumping and schooling), in the care of your employer/client. |
|
|
|
| Predominantly ride horses for other people including schooling, exercising and competing. | NO |
YES |
YES |
| Provide grooming services for someone else either full time or on a freelance basis i.e. an employer or a client. | YES |
NO |
NO |
| Employ staff – have an employers liability policy in your name | NO | NO | YES |
| Buy and sell horses | NO | YES | YES |
The BGA is the national representative body for all
grooms working in the UK or British grooms abroad.
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