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A GROOMS LIFE BLOG

The Connection Can Not Be Learned

We spoke to BGA member Aaron Campbell about his freelance clipping business and his horsemanship.

I have found in life that there is a path that leads us to where we want to be, if we chose to follow it.

I started out many years ago riding racehorses in a successful Point 2 Point yard in Northern Ireland. After mucking out 25 horses, and riding five to six horses daily, my job entailed holding horses for the head man, while he clipped them, on cold winter afternoons.

While he happily clipped away, I was standing shivering for hours in the cold, but always observing how he worked. This man was very quiet and collected, even around the most nervous of highly strung Thoroughbreds... a trait which I have taken with me that is essential to my job.

  I took up clipping as a side line business around 10+ years ago, but four years ago I decided I was going to make this my full time occupation, so I worked two jobs to gather up the means to buy the equipment needed while furthering my client base to make sure I had enough clients to sustain me.

This was the best decision I have ever made!

My business (Campbell Equine), has grown consistently, and I have persevered through any set-backs to be where I am at now.

Clipping is a tough, dirty, dangerous job that is made to look glamorous, as the Instagram viewers only see the nicely finished job. They don't see everything that goes on behind the scenes.

However, we grooms love our jobs, and all the tough work is worth every minute, when we leave a very happy client and a beautiful horse, then get to see our work at a local show, or on the race track, televised in front of 1000s of people!

  Because of the risk involved I have chosen to insure myself through KBIS and I am a full member of the British Grooms Association as well as being a Certified BGA Freelancer. This is essential to my business, as some of the horses are worth a huge amount of money and injuries are always a very real possibility considering the size and nature of some of these beautiful animals!


The BGA is a great source of information and advice, and almost like a big family, as I get to see what some of the other very talented grooms in England, Scotland and Wales are doing!

The bulk of my work entails clipping horses, pulling manes and tails, creative artistic clipping and also building portable Cross Country jumps and Cavalettis in the summer months.

The majority of folk stop clipping during summer, so to keep me working with horses all year round, I created Campbell Equine Timber Products, building all manner of custom jumps. Through selling jumps in summer, I usually acquire more winter clipping clients so this keeps everything afloat all year round.

THE CONNECTION CAN NOT BE LEARNED

My job is amazing! I am always outdoors, surrounded by fresh air, and meeting new people! The connection I get with the horses is something that cannot be learned.

I understand exactly how the horse is feeling, and how it might react at all times, simply by observing body language, observing spatial awareness, and practicing a slow, calm, and fluid way of working around a nervous horse, which learns to love the sensation of being clipped.

Social media has been an amazing tool for my business. Instagram has enabled me to share my work, and see the great work of other professional clippers and has also allowed me to form a working relationship with other equestrian businesses.

As I mentioned above... life has a path! Every experience is a learned lesson to add to your skill set. I studied multimedia and photography in college, but after I left, I thought I would never use that knowledge learned.

Now I spend my evenings editing clipping videos for social media, using the Davinci Resolve 16 editing suite. Who would have thought video editing skills learned over 15 years would have been such a big part of what I am doing now to provide for my four children!

Thanks for reading

Aaron @ Campbell Equine

If, like Aaron you'd like to become a BGA member have a look at how we can support you and your business. 

BGA MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS



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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.

 
YES

 
NO

 
NO

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