Profession groom

Grooms provide practical daily horse care to ensure the horses health, welfare and safety. They take part in exercising horses, cleaning and maintaining the stables, buildings and territory.

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Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• Breed-specific behaviour of horses

  The behaviour and specificities of different horse species.

• Livestock species

  Livestock species and relevant genetics.

• Young horses training

  Principles and techiques of educating young horses important simple body control exercises.

• Animal welfare legislation

  The legal boundaries, codes of professional conduct, national and EU regulatory frameworks and legal procedures of working with animals and living organisms, ensuring their welfare and health.

• Livestock reproduction

  Understand natural and artificial reproduction techniques, gestation periods and birthing for livestock. Understand the humane destruction of relevant animals in accordance with national legislation.

• Training equipment for riding

  Training equipment used in different riding styles such as saddles, bits/curb straps, neck sweats, athletic boots, etc. 

• Animal nutrition

  Aspects of how different animal species are fed and provided water. Different types of animal food, the quality criteria for animal food and methods to feed and give water to animals.

• Biology

  Tissues, cells, and functions of plant and animal organisms and their interdependencies and interactions with each other and the environment.

• Transportation vehicles for horses

  Types of transportation vehicles for horses and their safe methods of using.

• Equine dental diseases

  Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of dental diseases for horses.

Skills

• Breed stock

  Breed and raise livestock such as cattle, poultry, and honeybees. Use recognised breeding practices to strive for continuous improvement in the livestock.

• Transport horses

  Transport horses using safely special vehicles for horse transportation; lead horses to vehicles taking into account the safety of people and horses.

• Teach young horses

  Socialise young horses (cleaning, collaring, bridling, raising feet, etc.), taking into account the safety and welfare of the horse and teacher.

• Control livestock disease

  Control the spread of disease and parasites in herds, by using vaccination and medication, and by separating sick animals.

• Perform farm equipment hygiene

  Clean and sanitise equipment used in milking: milk storage tanks, collection cups, and udders of the animals. Ensure that procedures for the sanitary handling of milk are followed.

• Operate agricultural machinery

  Operate motorised agricultural equipment including tractors, balers, sprayers, ploughs, mowers, combines, earthmoving equipment, trucks, and irrigation equipment.

• Maintain pastures

  Ensure that animals on pastures or grazing lands have enough feed. Employ pasture-conservation measures such as grazing in rotation.

• Control animal movement

  Direct, control or restrain some or part of an animal's, or a group of animals', movement.

• Provide nutrition to animals

  Provide food and water to animals. This includes preparing food and water for animals and reporting any changes in the animal feeding or drinking habits.

• Maintain farm equipment

  Use oil, grease guns, and hand tools to lubricate, adjust, and make minor repairs to farm equipment.

• Assist animal birth

  Assist in animal births, and care for newborn livestock.

• Clean stalls

  Clean stalls to remove all soiled bedding to prevent moisture and fumes from building up and to cut down on potential parasite problems.

• Keep task records

  Organise and classify records of prepared reports and correspondence related to the performed work and progress records of tasks.

• Supervise hygiene procedures in agricultural settings

  Ensure that hygiene procedures in agricultural settings are followed, taking into account the regulations of specific areas of action e.q. livestock, plants, local farm products, etc.

• Maintain the farm

  Maintain farm facilities such as fences, water supplies, and outdoor buildings.

• Train horses

  Harness, dress and train horses as per the instructions provided. Take into account the age and breed of the horse and the preparation purposes.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB