Horse Handler vs. Groom – Who’s Getting the Horse Ready?

The Groom and Horse Handler roles sometimes overlap, so it can be a little confusing to know who should be doing what. Here are a few common scenarios to help clarify how we work together:

• Scenario 1: Horse Handler & Groom Are Both on Time: The Horse Handler grooms and tacks up their first assigned horse. The Groom checks the chalkboard at the barn entrance for any barn chores that need to be done before starting to prepare horses for the second lesson.

• Scenario 2: Horse Handler Is Late, Groom Is Present: The Groom begins getting the horse ready for the first lesson. As soon as the Horse Handler arrives, they take over, allowing the Groom to move on to their other responsibilities.

• Scenario 3: 3:30 PM Lesson: The Groom begins preparing horses for the second lesson of the afternoon. When the Horse Handler arrives, they take over. The Groom can then untack any horses that are finished for the day and are not being used in the second or third lesson.

  
  

Most Important: Horse Handlers Don’t Forget the Warm-Up! A Horse Handler’s main responsibility before the lesson is to warm up their horse in hand. This is especially important during the colder months. Many of our wonderful VTRA horses are older and need at between 10 and 15 minutes of purposeful movement before carrying a rider.

By communicating, staying flexible, and knowing when to hand over responsibilities, Grooms and Horse Handlers work as a team to make sure our horses are properly prepared and our lessons run smoothly. Thank you for looking out for our horses and for each other!