‘The best job in the world’: groom speaks up on why she loves her work
A groom who has worked in the industry for nearly a decade wants to share why she thinks it is the best job in the world.
Abbie Salter, head girl for international eventer Jodie Amos, told H&H she started her blog about her job almost by accident one night when she was unable to sleep. She sent what she had written to a colleague, who posted it on Facebook, and it was shared hundreds of times.
“Then Jodie’s sister, who’s a writer, said ‘That’s amazing, you should start a blog’, and it’s been really popular,” Abbie said.
“There’s a bad stigma attached to being a groom. When I started, I didn’t get paid a lot and worked long hours. I think people still think it’s like that, but it’s a good job, it’s life-changing and I’d love more people to be positive about it.”
Abbie started working as a groom aged 16. She said she did leave the industry, briefly, to try something else, but it drew her back.
“It’s a way of life, and I just love it,” she said. “I absolutely adore the competition side of it; I love watching the horses do their thing, and I love being away with them. You’re just in this world where nothing else matters for a few days, just the horses in front of you.”
Abbie also loves watching young horses progress, and working with them at home, but her passion for the job is about all the horses; their different characters “and just all of it”.
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“And it’s being part of a team,” she said. “I became head girl in January and this year we’ve had two girls coming in, and my thing has been nothing but setting them a good example. We work hard but we get rewarded for it. It’s not a job you can do if you don’t enjoy it.”
Abbie said by being a groom, people learn so much, not just about horses but about life skills and responsibilities.
“Sometimes you aren’t the one who’s thought about the most,” she said. “That’s the horses, but for parents, your child will learn to work hard but the teams are tight-knit and we’re here because we love it so much.”
Abbie said Jodie’s yard is a good team with “the nicest bunch of owners”, and a rider who ensures her staff take time off, and that even with hard work and long hours, “the good definitely outweighs the bad”.
“It’s a rarity to hear anyone talk like this about this job, and I want more people to be positive,” she added. “There isn’t a day I wake up and think I don’t want to go to work; it’s the best job in the world and I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.