09/04/2026
Recently, during a private conversation with a group of experienced grooms inside our online HorseGrooms community, we asked about some of the biggest challenges they had faced in the profession, Dinette Neuteboom writes.
One issue kept coming back: the length of the working day at horse shows.
Some of the grooms in that conversation had worked at several Olympic Games and many other major international competitions. Half had already left the grooming profession because of burnout and/or physical problems. One groom who is still working at the highest level had also experienced burnout and specifically talked about the antisocial hours that can come with the job.
It made me wonder: We know the long days can be a serious problem for grooms, but who is actually responsible for changing them?
The answer isn’t as simple as it might seem.
At some shows, classes begin at 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning. At others, particularly the traditional indoor shows in Europe, competition can continue until 10:00 or 11:00 at night. At the big indoor shows in the U.S., you see grooms lunging their hunters and equitation horses in the middle of the night.
Most showjumping grooms and dressage grooms start at least two hours before their horse enters the competition ring. Horses need enough time to digest their feed. Stalls need to be cleaned. Horses need to be checked, groomed, and prepared. Depending on the horse and its program, there may be hand walking, lunging, or flatting before it goes to the ring. Tack and equipment need to be ready.
And when the horse leaves the ring, the groom isn’t finished.
Proper aftercare can easily take another hour or two. The horse may need to be washed, dried, walked, wrapped, fed, or receive therapeutic support and leg care. Equipment needs to be cleaned and organized. The horse needs to be comfortable and settled for the night.
And, of course, that is only one horse. There are usually others in the groom’s care. An 8:00 a.m. class does not mean an 8:00 a.m. start. An 11:00 p.m. finish does not mean an 11:00 p.m. finish for the groom. If that same groom has a horse in one of the first classes the following morning, there may be very little time left for sleep.
📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2026/09/02/who-is-responsible-for-making-long-days-at-horse-shows-more-sustainable/
📸 © Erin Gilmore Photography
