Assistant Grooms support the rest of the Grooming team to care and look after horses, and maintain stables and riding equipment. They will undertake the practical horse care tasks of looking after horses on a daily basis to ensure that they remain healthy, happy and in good condition.
Assistant Grooms may also be involved in exercising the horses each day. This could include exercising in the stable grounds, riding out on the road, and over fences.
You’ll need:
a genuine interest in horses and their welfare needs
to take and follow instruction from senior team members
to understand the health and safety considerations of working around horses
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
physical skills such as mobility and co-ordination
A full DBS, Disclosure Scotland or Garda Vetting check may be required if the role involves working with children or vulnerable people. You might take short courses in horse care and behaviours.
Around 40 hours a week with additional hours during peak periods. There will be early mornings, late nights, and weekend work, often on a rota basis. Part time and casual work may also be available.
Care and management of horses and equipment during your working hours
Clean and prepare stables and yard including tack room, feed room and barn
Grooming horses
Monitor conditions of horses under your care, identifying any changes in behaviour and reporting to senior staff
Preparing horses & tack for riders, shows and transport
Assist the vet and farrier when necessary and carrying out any prescribed treatments and maintaining records
Assist with booking clients for lessons and taking payments
Due to location and the nature of the job role, some grooming positions are ‘live-in’ and most involve travelling and staying away from home e.g., during competitions.
Most of the work is outdoors, in all weather conditions. Work can involve heavy lifting, carrying, bending, climbing and standing for long periods and stables can be dusty.
Training is an essential part of any job, giving you the skills and knowledge you need to do your job safely and correctly. It also helps to strengthen your current skill set and prepares you for the next stage in your career.
Apprenticeships help you build the experience and skills that employers want to see. No matter what stage you’re at, they’ll help set you up for a bright future. There are lots of ways to get involved.
Assistant Grooms will move on to Groom roles with experience, with more supervision responsibilities. Career options depend on the size of the organisation, so you may have to move elsewhere.
Assistant Groom will usually work in one of the following industries. Click below to find out more about possible career paths.
Turn your love of horses into a fulfilling career – explore the equine industry’s exciting career prospects.
Covering everything from working in competition and race yards, riding schools and professional horse training, there are lots and lots of different career opportunities in the equine industry. If you love horses and are happy to work hard in all weathers, this could be the perfect environment for you.
Whether you chose to work in coaching, racing or trekking, you could work as a groom, instructor, yard manager or trainer. There are also lots of varied support roles available too – such as becoming a farrier, a vet and or even a specialist equine dentist.
The Equine industry supports approximately 900,000 horses and 2 million riders in the UK
The economic value of the equestrian sector to the UK is £4.7 billion
The number of horses in training to race per year has remained between 22,000 and 23,500 for 5 years in a row
The Irish equine breeding and racing industry generates over €1.8bn in economic activity and supports almost 29,000 jobs
These courses are perfect if you are starting out on your career but they are also great for people already in jobs who want to improve their skills.
To find out more about qualification levels in England please visit Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) for England and Northern Ireland or Framework for Higher Education Qualifications for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ) .
To find out more about qualification levels in Northern Ireland please visit Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) for England and Northern Ireland or Framework for Higher Education Qualifications for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ).
To find out more about qualification levels in the Republic of Ireland, please visit National Framework of Qualifications for Ireland (NFQIE)
To find out more about qualification levels in Scotland please visit Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF).
To find out more about qualification levels in Wales please visit Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW) or Framework for Higher Education Qualifications for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ).
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These courses are perfect if you are starting out on your career but they are also great for people already in jobs who want to improve their skills.
Whether you’re just starting out in the workplace, want to upskill or are considering changing direction, Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to build your career. Apprenticeships combine work with on-the-job training, so if you want to earn as you learn, there’s an apprenticeship out there for you – you can even start an apprenticeship if you already have a degree.
Work, earn and learn – no matter where you are in your career, an apprenticeship can set you up for a bright future.
Let’s get started!
Want to take on an apprentice? Employers start here.
An apprenticeship is a unique blend of work experience and study to help build the skills and knowledge you need for your career. Apprentices are employees – they have a contract, are paid and get the same benefits as everyone else. But the difference between an apprenticeship and a normal job is that apprentices are regularly released from work for training. Sometimes that’s a day a week, sometimes it’s for a longer block – it all depends on the job and the apprenticeship.
Apprentices work for all kinds of people at all kinds of stages in their lives. Most apprentices fall into one of three categories:
Previously restricted to school leavers and young people, apprenticeships are now a dynamic way of retraining people of all ages - there’s no upper age limit. The minimum age to become an apprentice is 16 and candidates can’t be in full-time education.
Apprenticeships offer a unique combination of paid work and study. They’re an exciting option for anyone who wants to gain experience, upskill or change career while working.
They offer a chance to work, learn and earn:
Interested in becoming an apprentice? Search for current opportunities and apply here.
Find your apprenticeship
You can also check vacancies on employer websites or get in touch with your local careers service.
What’s it like to work, earn and learn? Find out what apprentice life is really like.
Explore apprenticeship stories
British Grooms Association (BGA)
Find out more
British Horse Society
Find out more
British Equestrian
Find out more
Thinking about your finances is important when you're looking at courses and training - different types of funding support is available depending on what type of course you're interested in and where you are located. We recommend you contact the training provider for more information on course costs and financing, but here are some links to connect you to support available:
Skills Hub Scotland is an online skill sharing marketplace creating new opportunities to learn and share skills. Wherever you are located - if you have a skill to share, or a skill to learn, Skills Hub Scotland can help.
Initially founded as a response to the Scottish Government’s CivTech 5 programme in 2020 and aiming to offer a platform for those in rural or remote locations, Skills Hub Scotland has been developed into an important sectoral resource. If you have a skill to share with others or are a training provider, list your workshop or course (all skills from all sectors are welcome). If you are a learner, use Skills Hub Scotland to search for and book a course!
STEM is an approach to learning and development that incorporates the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Learning in STEM connects to Education for Sustainable Development/Learning for Sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals – this helps learners to understand that STEM plays a vital role in finding solutions to real world issues or challenges such as protecting biodiversity and tackling climate change. There are multiple pathways into a land-based STEM career including apprenticeships, further and higher education. This means that a career in STEM is open to everyone!
STEM Learning is the largest provider of STEM education and careers support in the UK. Their STEM Ambassadors programme sees volunteers representing a vast range of STEM-related jobs work with young people to bring STEM subjects alive through real life experiences. They help to open the doors to a world of opportunities and possibilities which come from pursuing STEM subjects and careers. To become a STEM Ambassador, you can register via the STEM Learning website: https://www.stem.org.uk/stem-ambassadors/join-stem-ambassador-programme
Lantra have worked in collaboration with STEM Ambassadors in Scotland to create two specific UK-wide Ambassadors schemes - Forestry and Aquaculture. Through these schemes, we want to make sure that those working in forestry and aquaculture have the support materials they need to take part in STEM activities. To find out more and register for the schemes, please follow the links below:
Smart Futures helps young people in Ireland discover the STEM subjects and careers that might be right for them. Co-ordinated and managed by Science Foundation Ireland, their programme allows young people to connect with people that are working in STEM, the organisations they’re working in and what their interests and skills are.
Why not take a look at the Industries Explorer as an introduction to the different areas you could work in.
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