Golden Opportunity? Or opportunity for exploitation?

I want to start by clearing something up. Neither I, nor the British Grooms Association (BGA), are opposed to on-the-job training.

In an industry built on skill, experience, and time in the stable, it’s essential. We need pathways that prepare the next generation of grooms properly.

But those pathways must be ethical, legal and adhere to the principles of Good Employment.

The old idea of a young person working long hours in exchange for “experience”, livery, or accommodation isn’t just outdated, it doesn’t hold up in modern Britain.

For many young people with big equestrian dreams and limited finances, a “working pupil” role can feel like a golden opportunity. Too often, though, it becomes something else entirely: long days of hard, physical labour with very little in return.

And let’s be honest. If there’s no wage, how is someone meant to live, eat, travel, or have any quality of life beyond the yard? And if parents are footing the bill, then these roles remain what they’ve always been: an elite route into the industry, financed by the bank of mum and dad.

That’s before we even touch on the legal reality.

We need to be crystal clear: “working pupil” is not a recognised legal employment status.

If someone is working, they are entitled to be paid at least the National Minimum Wage, for every hour worked, receive a written contract, and all employment rights – they are an employee.

Seven years ago, the BGA surveyed working pupil grooms and uncovered some stark truths:

• Just 29% were paid the National Minimum Wage
• 76% had no written contract
• 75% received no paid holiday

That’s not training, that’s a systemic problem.

I worry when I see “working pupil” roles advertised. Are the candidates aware of their rights?

And I worry more when I have a parent on the phone who claims that their child is “receiving a great opportunity” regardless of the fact that at just 19 years old they are working a 65 hour week and being paid just £100!

The parent wouldn’t let their child work in a factory under these conditions – so why accept it in an equestrian setting?

So here we are in 2026, asking the same critical question: has the industry improved? Or are working pupils still being taken for a ride?

The BGA has launched a new On-the-Job Training Survey to find out. We want to hear from:

• “Working pupils”
• Grooms receiving on-the-job training
• Apprentices

Our goal is simple: to build a clear, current picture of pay, conditions, training access, and whether “opportunity” really means what it should.

If you’re part of the industry, now’s the time to speak up.

TAKE THE SURVEY NOW

On a final note, it’s worth saying that there is a better way. Structured apprenticeship schemes offer a legal, sustainable route into the industry. Through our work with Haddon Training, we’ve seen first-hand how effective these programmes can be when done properly. Employers are embracing the model, but we need more.