Good Grooms should be paid as such!

So many employees take advantage of grooms when it comes to pay, there seems to be a very old fashioned attitude when it comes to grooms which is wrong.

I was offered a job last year with a well known show jumper, they wanted me to work 6 days, 6am- 5pm with 30 mins for lunch, on show days I would have to work what ever hours were required (ie more than the 6-5 of a normal day), I got a room in a shared flat with 4 other grooms, bills paid. The pay they were offering was £150 per week.

Dont get me wrong, I am not affraid of hard work, as a freelance groom I now work between 60 and 90 hours a week, and I work hard. Who can live on £150 a week these days? Even without paying rent and bills, there is no way a grown up (unless you have no car to run, never go out, have no debts and can live on pot noodles!). When I told them I could not work for that wage they were shocked, as if I should be greatful that they were offering me work. I was greatful of the job offer but I am a proffessional groom who is good at her job and £150pw is a good as a kick in the face.

There was once a time when grooms could be expected to work for pennies but times have changed, it is 2010 and people need to realise that the world has moved on, laws have changed and it's just the way it is now!

As a freelance groom with a good rep and references I can charge between £8 and £12 an hour for general grooming, £20 -£30 for riding, and I have control of my diary so as long as I dont mind running myself raggid I can fit allot of work into a day and make a good wage. Having said that it's not all about the money, I have one client who I only charge £5ph, she is a nice lady with nice ponies and I love working for her, she isnt rich but she looks after me where she can and I appreciate that so I dont mind working for less.

People are more than willing to rip of good grooms, if you dont get them to sign a contact when you start to work for them you are risking never been paid. Even which a contract you still have to be willing to fight for you money at the end of the day.

I totally love my job and wouldnt change it for the world but I am lucky that I now have some very good clients on my books, I've worked for allot of bad ones in the past, but Ive paid my dues and learn't my lessons and now I'm older and wiser for the experience and I could write you a very long list of good points!