29/10/2025
All of this! š
Professionals and those who are lucky enough to hire assistants/grooms/working students.
Iāve assembled a list of things that make these wonderful people trying to help our lives run more smoothly insane. Please take note and try to avoid so we can continue to have a next generation of people in this sport. And so you can stop posting your 317 ISO ads this year thatās already gotten you black listed.
1. Communication. Iāve found itās frowned upon to send pictures of the new horse you forgot to mention was coming in in the group text at 8 pm on a Sunday. Conversely, itās also frowned upon to text them 900 things after work or on their days off. Utilize your send later option. Often.
2. Try to stick to like, 5 things youāre a psychopath about wnd stick to it. You know what I mean. Like how Fluffy is allowed to take 3.5 trot steps outside before he has to come in. You canāt decide that 7 steps is a criminal offense on the 3rd Tuesday of the month but itās fine every other day. You also canāt decide that for all 17 of your horses unless youāre paying someone just to baby sit them outside.
3. Spend a day alone in your barn. Time yourself. That is the minimum amount of time it will take someone else to do it. Round up a bit from there to realize theyāre in fact, not you.
4. Coffee is a great reward. Paying on time is better.
5. There are only so many hours in every day. And the fun thing about horses, is theyāre going to need allllll the same things again tomorrow. No oneās died recently from a day off.
6. YOU AND THEM MUST TAKE DAYS OFF. For the love of all things holy. Horses know when youāre stressed, and no one whoās worked 15 days in a row is relaxed. Stop it. Itās 2025.
7. You are in fact, still capable of cleaning a stall and cleaning bridles. Youāre probably not capable of tacking your own horse any more tho: that makes grooms twitchy.
8. Micro management only works in the government. Either you trust your staff, or you donāt. And nothing is worse than questioning that. If you are? Move on. If you canāt? Get therapy.
9. It is your job to manage clients. They should not be texting your staff asking for fluffy to have extra hay tonight at 11pm.
10. Do what you say youāre going to do. I know I canāt get to lessons for the girls every day. As much as Iād love to. But I will always prioritize jump schools, and Iāll help whenever I can.
11. The word thank you goes along way.
12. Let them pack for the show. But make sure you pack your own stuff. But weāre adults, we can buy tack cleaner at the show. Donāt loose your cool over little things. Make a plan together about any fun new changes youāve made in your head.
13. Let them set things up how it works for them, you should be focused on the rides, not the rest.
14. Be fair. At the end of the day, weāre still riding ponies for pretty ribbons, not solving world hunger.
