By Tessa Falanga, groom for Karl Cook

An advocate is defined as “a person who pleads the cause of another, or one who supports, defends, or promotes a specific cause, policy, or interest.” (Merriam-Webster) 

While grooms are not the only advocates that horses have in their lives, they can certainly be the most important. From sun up to sun down the grooms are present with their horses almost every day of the week. We are their leaders, their friends, and their support. I think most grooms agree that it’s a privilege to work with these animals and the efforts they give to their job are incredible. In the same turn, it is not only our job to care for and understand them, but to actively advocate for them. 

Advocating for your horse can look different from day to day. Sometimes it’s a text message to someone on your team suggesting different travel arrangements that would be better for the horse. Sometimes it’s a face to face conversation with your rider about an ongoing issue that negatively affects the horse. And sometimes it’s a team meeting that involves more people so that you have extra support for your cause. Since a groom is traditionally seen as the low man on the totem pole in a workplace, it can sometimes feel like speaking up is literally speaking “up.”  I would encourage grooms to be brave in their advocacy and if it’s something that you truly believe will help your horse, to take the chance and talk about it. Make sure you have concrete reasons why you want to do things and the outcome you’re hoping for.

While advocacy might seem as easy as just opening your mouth to anyone who will listen, it can sometimes be a double edged sword. Advocating without proper knowledge can be as detrimental as having the knowledge and not saying anything. Knowing your horses inside and out is key to being successful at it. For younger grooms, it’s important to remember that this process can take years with some horses, and with others it happens very quickly. It’s our job to do our best to figure them out. I’ve found (through trials and epic errors) that being gentle and suggestive in the beginning is best. It gives whoever is in charge a chance to acknowledge that you’re speaking up and then respond accordingly. From there you are starting a new side of the relationship and you go from there. Asking for help from people within your team, your friends or even outside professionals can help you to navigate the beginning stages of advocating. The more successful you are at advocating the more people will listen. This takes a lot of time, patience, and also knowing that you aren’t always going to get what you want! 

Sometimes constant advocating can be seen as needy, annoying, or negative. While it might be overbearing at times to listen to someone who might seem like they’re never happy, the intentions are to provide the horses with better lives. Whether it’s in your own stable or giving feedback to show organizers and sponsors, it’s all important. In my opinion, grooms should never be worried about what people will think or say about them for speaking up. A lot of the time, it’s appreciated by the rest of the team. Maybe we can’t see it the moment or there’s no verbal confirmation, but behind one closed door or another your advocation is being processed and recognized. We are here for the horses first and foremost. Without them we have no sport. It’s our job to give them as much as we can. 

Being an advocate for animals is a precious job. As humans we control their entire lives. There’s more responsibility than what most people realize and it’s important to remember that we are their advocate first and their friend second. Advocating can be mentally taxing, frustrating, disappointing when you get it wrong, and downright difficult. My advice is simple; never give up.  When you get it right and you can see the positive results, it’s worth it. 

Within the sport of show jumping, support for grooms has definitely come a long way. We are being recognized in many different ways for our efforts and it is truly appreciated. Giving us a spotlight on our work also brings light to just how much we do. Sometimes I feel it’s lost on people how much time and effort it takes to care for the horses. The more our superiors, show organizers and sponsors can understand our jobs, the more cohesive we can be in doing what’s best for the horses. We are all their advocates in some capacity and everyone pushing for better will only bring positive change.

29.4.2026 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.