Educating Future Grooms

BGA's Executive Director, Lucy Katan, speaks of why it’s crucial to reach the next generation of grooms for a future of Good Employment within the equestrian industry.

"I am typing this blog whilst on a train on my journey home, having visited Brooksby Melton College to speak to eighty(ish) students about ‘A Career with Horses’. 

Yesterday I did the same to a hundred (ish) students at Hartpury and next week I visit Berkshire College…

So why do these talks matter? In my opinion they are critical for a number of reasons:

1. Good Employment

I always begin the presentation by explaining to the students that if they were all going for positions with KFC, McDonalds or Pizza Hut, I would have little need to educate them on the rules of Good Employment.

However, annoyingly, there are too many yards still not compliant with UK employment law. It is important that the next generation of grooms are informed about the essential basics of what is right and wrong regarding their own employment terms.

Using a couple of interactive exercises, we investigate why it is important to be paid at least the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for every hour worked, how to manage overtime, annual leave requirements and when and why a written contract of employment must be given.

The students tend to be aware of the NMW amounts that they should be paid, but they rarely understand how to calculate the gross amounts, and rarely have an understanding of accommodation offset.

2. Employment Status

There is usually an awareness of the phrases ‘employed’ and ‘self-employed’, but they aren’t quite sure about what it means in practice.

Using some recent adverts, easily found on popular Facebook job groups, I explain how adverts that are searching for a “full-time, live-in, self-employed freelance groom” (!!) are certainly positions of false self-employment and so illegal.

The students learn the impact of being told that you are self-employed and the stark difference between running one’s own business as a freelancer verses being employed as a worker or employee.

3. Promote a career with horses

I loved my time working with horses. As a hyperactive 18 – 28-year-old, there was no chance that I would be sat in an office working! I just wanted to be outside with my four-legged friends and do the one thing that I truly enjoyed.

It depends on the course and their year as to the student's future aspirations, however I passionately (possibly a little too much so) promote that working hands-on with horses is a great, fun, ‘turn your hobby into your job’ type of thing to do.

I am very aware that some students don’t have long-term ambitions to work with horses as a groom, but that is ok, neither did I. So, I demonstrate, using my own career path, that the skills that I developed in my time working on yards are the very same transferable skills that I use every day in every job I have done since I retired in 2003.

4. Getting a job

Finally, we discuss getting a job. The general consensus is that “if I work with horses, I won’t earn any money.”

This is factually incorrect, and by the end of my talk, the students are changing their mindset and realising that there are some excellent employers out there and in fact, fair salaries to be earnt – especially the positions that come with accommodation.

I would love to work in a position where the majority of the money that comes into my bank, doesn’t immediately exit it for every house bill imaginable!

I ardently believe that if you enjoy being around horses and are working in a position of legally compliant employment, a career as a groom, for however long you choose it to be, can be a great one.

The skills are very transferable into a wide range of future occupations, and it is a great building block for any career path.

5. Change the Culture

Over the years I have educated thousands of future grooms on the importance of Good Employment and hopefully ensured that they have their eyes open when they are accepting a new work opportunity.

I plan to visit as many colleges as possible by the end of the 2023 student year. I think it is a win win offering, as the colleges are included on Where to Train, and for a small outlay to cover travel costs, their students get me stood in front of them for a full hour!"

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