Racing Grooms play a key role in the development, training and race day performance of racehorses. As well as the enjoyment and excitement of working with racehorses, there are a host of other reasons why being a Racing Groom offers a rewarding and inspiring career choice.

• From your time riding, mucking out and grooming, you’ll get to know the horses in your care better than anyone else. If you love horses, you’ll know you get great satisfaction from looking after them and the bond that forms between you.
• You’ll get a tremendous buzz when a racehorse you look after wins its first race and even more so if it becomes a champion and a favourite of the nation. What’s more, you are the one that leads the horse into the winner’s enclosure… imagine that feeling!
• You’ll work outdoors with racehorses – you won’t be confined to an office and sitting at a desk all day.

• Racing is the only equestrian discipline where there is a regulated pay structure for grooms. Minimum salary rates and working conditions are agreed annually by the National Association of Racing Staff (NARS) and the National Trainers Federation (NTF). This ensures you get a fair wage, standardised overtime rates and a minimum level of other working conditions. The wages agreed are the minimum you must get paid, and in practice, you may earn more.
• The wage structure is scaled so as you gain more qualifications or experience, the more money you are guaranteed to get paid.
• You also get a bonus of a share in the prize money if a horse in your yard wins or gets placed in a race.

There is a career path for whatever age you are or work experience you have. With apprenticeships, employer-led training and courses at world-renowned training providers, you can progress through the ranks of seniority and the pay scale.

There are plenty of other training opportunities to help you develop your skills, lead you to exciting and challenging careers and to fulfil your potential. For example, being a racing groom could be your first step to becoming a jockey or a racehorse trainer.

Not only do you have access to an injury and accident benefit scheme, but you also get free personal work and careers support and counselling both during your career and in your retirement.

Some grooms are provided with subsidised accommodation on site or close to their places of work.

You’ll work in a friendly and collaborative team with other grooms, work riders, yard managers and the racehorse trainer. With an opportunity to travel to race meetings, you get to meet grooms from other yards too. It’s very sociable and can be lots of fun.

As a travelling groom, you could also get the chance to travel abroad to other world-class racing nations such as Hong Kong and Dubai.