"Get Your Groom On"
I've been home from Youth Nationals 2011 for a few days now, and let me tell you... It was an experience. I know that it may "seem" like a good idea to experience my first grooming trip ever at the longest show of the year, but I'm thinking the opposite might be true. It's not that I wasn't aware of the amount of work that show grooms are expected to do, but man! There is literally always something to do. No matter what, horses always need three meals a day and a constant eye on their extracurricular stall activities to make sure they aren't rubbing their tail or doing anything outrageous. Not to mention the long list of -ings that were on the to do list day after day. You know, the sanding, picking, dumping, watering, feeding, sweeping, bathing, moisturizing, walking, wiping, spraying, brushing, massaging, wrapping, clipping, cleaning, tacking, hurrying, waiting, untacking, rinsing, icing, saddling, show-sheening, bridling, running, and very little sleeping. Whew! I'm tired just reading through that list again. I know what you're thinking--"Well what were you expecting when you agreed to have your first groom trip at Youth Nationals, crazy girl!" Yes, yes, I know--I had it coming. Don't worry; the purpose of this is not to complain or invite you to my Pity Party, I assure you.
This grooming experience was eye-opening, and I, in no way, regret doing it. In fact, I am now a firm believer that every youth exhibitor should groom at a show for a minimum of one day. But I know that's a long shot, so I offer my experience to take in and treat as your own. I never realized just how much the grooms are responsible for until I experienced it myself, and I will never again take for granted all they do. From getting my horses ready, to waiting for me afterwards, to finally putting my horse away until the next time (and everything in between)--they keep the trainers happy and the horses clean and ready for every class, multiple times a day, horse after horse!
I guess you could say that after being thrown in the deep end of the grooming pool, I have a new-found appreciation for floaties. The floaties I'm referring to, in case you're unaware, are the people that do little things to help grooms out on occasion. From this point on, I vow to be the best floatie I can be for the show grooms. I will try to help their sore feet and tired eyes in any way I can. The underrated groom will forever have my appreciation and countless high fives for the rest of my show career.
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