Grooms: all scut work and little glory

[46zilzal]

Over the years I have come to really appreciate the very hard work that a groom has to endure. IT IS NOT ABOUT THE MONEY ....They work very hard and do a remarkable job with little recognition.

The ladies tend to be better at it never bringing the frustrations of their life to bear on the animal.


Hats off to them!

[cj's dad]

Over the years I have come to really appreciate the very hard work that a groom has to endure. IT IS NOT ABOUT THE MONEY ....They work very hard and do a remarkable job with little recognition.

The ladies tend to be better at it never bringing the frustrations of their life to bear on the animal.


Hats off to them!

I know in my case, both brides were very happy; well one was.

[fmolf]

Over the years I have come to really appreciate the very hard work that a groom has to endure. IT IS NOT ABOUT THE MONEY ....They work very hard and do a remarkable job with little recognition.

The ladies tend to be better at it never bringing the frustrations of their life to bear on the animal.


Hats off to them!
Outof curiousity what does an average groom make?

[Doc]

It is hard work and low pay. A friend of mine who has been a groom at Philly Park for nearly 30 years was very excited when the slots legislation was passed. He was convinced that the grooms and hotwalkers would make more money, just like the owners and trainers. I tried telling him that he would not see one extra nickel in his paycheck. He argued that he would ... and now here it is, four years after slots revenue began jacking up the purses at The Pha, and he hasn't seen one extra nickel in his paycheck. There is no trickle-down effect on the backstretch. There are the haves, and the have-nots, and those who have not will never have more.

[46zilzal]

Out of curiosity what does an average groom make?
If it is minimum wage I would be surprised. The BIG stables DO take care of them but they are few and far between.

For every Eddie Sweat there are hundreds of no name people adrift along the shed row. A lot are hiding from society or are immigrants doing the only things they are allowed to do.

I use to find solace in walking the tunnels under our large general hospital very very early in the morning. It cleared my head and I worked out many a personal problem there. THE EXACT SAME THING now happens between those shed rows.....A great place that I enjoy being within each and every day.

Like Mr. Abrams (historian for Alberta racing says) "If you can't find a good story at the race track you don't have a pulse and your vital signs have flat lined."

[jballscalls]

i think here at PM it is generally 55 to 65 bucks a day if you just work for 1 trainer.

generates to about 20k a year, considering they work about 363 days a year

[Bochall]

Do most grooms live on the backside? What is the cost/rent? I visit Pimlico each year and living quarters are in the front parking lot and I'm sure on the backside as well. There is a great article in the Balt. Sun from a few days before the Preakness that chronicles the life of a groom/hot walker. Dont know the actual date but one of you sharpies will find it I'm sure.:ThmbUp:

[saratoga guy]

Those who work on the Woodbine backstretch regularly cite passion as a motivating factor, but even the most passionate cannot deny it’s a life of long hours, hard work and unpredictable pay...

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2009/10/24/t-o-a-to-z-the-community-that-ensures-woodbine-racetrack-thrives.aspx

[Linked earlier this week on equidaily.com]

[joanied]

Do most grooms live on the backside? What is the cost/rent? I visit Pimlico each year and living quarters are in the front parking lot and I'm sure on the backside as well. There is a great article in the Balt. Sun from a few days before the Preakness that chronicles the life of a groom/hot walker. Dont know the actual date but one of you sharpies will find it I'm sure.:ThmbUp:

Being an ex hotwalker, then groom...I would love to read that story in the Baltimore Sun...I tried to find it searching the papers archives, but never did find it...do you have an exact date the story ran?

The BloodHorse magazine recently ran a story about backstretch workers, but I didn't think it was very good...but, that's just my opinion.
Someone needs to really bring the grooms/hot walkers into the spot light...in my search for the story you mentioned, I was taken to an article in the NY TImes blog section...Day in the Life of an Ex. Rider...it was pretty good!

But it's the grooms that carry the barn...and they should get their due. Beleive me...it's backbreaking work, and if you are a really good groom, you take your job very seriously and go the extra mile everyday with the horses you rub.
:)

PS...Most do live on the track...and, unless things have changed for the better...living conditions are not good. I was at Belmont...and even the barns on 'Millionaires Row'...barns 1 thru about 20...the living quarters were poor...of course, most of the grooms that lived on track didn't even try to fix up or keep clean the rooms they had...but, maybe if they'd been more than cinder block buildings, with no emenities at all...the grooms would have done better.
I always lived off track...but, back then, there weren't many women on the track...trainers were just realizing that women grooms really were better with the horses and usually did a better job, and showed up the day after pay day;) clean & sober!!!

[Hanover1]

Outof curiousity what does an average groom make?
Depends on the trainer involved-usually from $75 to $100 a head, a week, with 1 groom per 4 head the norm......plus 2-3% of stakes monies earned at end of year, however that is only for caretakers who qualify.....