What does a
Racing Groom do?
As a racing groom, you are an integral part of the team in a racehorse trainer’s yard. Whilst most of the roles are working with horses as grooms, head grooms, yard or barn managers and work riders, you could also be a horsebox driver or part of the ground staff or office support team.
When you work with racehorses, it is likely that you’ll be responsible for the care and exercise of at least two or three horses every day.
Racing Groom
- Mucking out
- Grooming and feeding
- Taking horses for a pick of grass
- Taking horses swimming
- Riding out
- Cleaning tack and sweeping the yard
- Reporting any changes in the horse in your care to the trainer
- Taking horses racing in UK or abroad and leading them into the paddock and winners’ enclosure
- Saddling up
- Caring for the horse after the race
- Showing horses to the racehorse trainer or owners
- Taking horses to the sales
Head Groom
- Ensuring the yard runs smoothly
- Managing a team of racing staff
- Training young or inexperienced staff
- Breaking young horses
- Setting feeding regimes
- Managing veterinary issues
- Carrying out medical treatments as directed by the vet
Travelling Head Groom
- Travelling in UK or abroad with horses
- Driving the horsebox
- Supervising the travelling grooms
- Being responsible for passports and colours
- Representing the racehorse trainer in declaring, saddling and speaking to the jockey and owners if the trainer is absent
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