Does anyone have a nanny-groom?

[Llamasally]

Could you tell me all about it? I’m drowning with 2 under 5 and horses at home, especially when on business travel 🤯

Not personally but some friends have looked for similar help. What I would say as the headline is that someone able to both be a competent groom and handle fit, ridden horses safely (even if not required to ride themselves) and also be a proper nanny for little ones, especially if you are expecting them to do both at the same time, is such a rare beast as to be virtually the proverbial unicorn. Friends quested to find someone like this and the closest they came was a very good nanny who was happy to do basic care for a small elderly pony like throwing hay and a pre made feed over the stable door while their charge napped in a buggy (but was understandably not comfortable having pony and toddler loose around one another), or a young horsey teenager who was in more of a mother's help/au pair type role where she mainly dealt with the horses but also did some light housework and babysitting for older children but not sole charge of under 5s. Anyone else who claimed to be able to do both turned out to be either very inexperienced or even scared of the horses or only interested in the horses and borderline negligent with the children.

I think you might be better off splitting what you need and looking for a nanny and/or a groom separately. It can be hard to find good part time childcare but a freelance groom to do some mornings or evenings a week might well be possible depending on where in the country you are? Or can you get in some help with housework, cleaning/laundry/gardening to free up extra time for the horses and/or kids?

I agree with Maxelly… they are two full time jobs that can’t really be done properly by one person.

One of our mates at pony club has this arrangement, she's a nanny first and foremost but does pony care too when required and can drive the horsebox. She has her own horses.

It sounds like you aspire to a lifestyle that you can't afford. Ditch the horses or ditch the children.

Where has OP said they can't afford it? If OP is looking for a nanny/groom then obviously they can afford it.
Looks like a case of time issue not an affordability issue.

I think you'll be lucky to fulfil both requirements entirely. Think about exactly what you need for both parts of the job, and word your ad very specifically.

Or consider hiring for both positions separately, which seems more realistic?

Ignore poster above talking about "ditching" your horses and even children(WTF?).

I believe there are agencies that specialise in this (sure I saw it years ago in Horse & Hound), but I suspect the easiest option, especially if not needed all the time, is a decent nanny for the children and a loyal teenager (or even someone who needs livery for their horse, and can do some work for a stable/field) for the horses. If you want a high spec yard though, you probably need to pay for a proper groom, full/part time dependent on numbers of horses. If you can let standards slide and the horses live out a bit more, you will save time and money.

I had no idea this was a thing. Really disappointed didn't know about it as a teenager could have been a perfect career choice for me.

Would be a perfect job for my teenage daughter in the summer or once she leave school. She's been working on yards since she was little, has and competes on her own ponies and she's very responsible and reliable.

I looked for a groom-mother’s help for ages once my children did not need a nanny. Never found one. From a practical viewpoint it is really two separate jobs anyway. You cannot be looking after children and horses at the same time. I was only able to consider it once my children were both at school and I’d hoped to find someone who would drop kids off, do horses, pick kids up later and help kids ride ponies while I was away working.

I ended up with one very good person to look after the children, and a completely different person for the horses. I used a mix of friends doing yard duties in exchange for their children riding the kids’ ponies, and a freelance groom.

@Rosindub OP does not say she cannot afford what she is looking for. She says she is struggling for time. There are plenty of people in busy high-earning jobs who keep and compete horses, and have the means to pay someone to look after both children and horses. I know this because I have been that person.

This sounds ideal. OP you might find a teen who is good with horses and will do looking after DC under supervision.

I think this sums it up - would a horsey 16/18 year old realistically also be able to be a nanny to children of (guessing as it's most typical) 2 and 4?

XelaM, I'm not suggesting your daughter won't be able to, but if she is experienced and qualified in childcare as well as being able to run a yard, it sounds as if she'd be able to charge whatever she likes!

Point taken lol - better keep looking, unless a unicorn comes along 🦄

My daughter's lovely nanny was not qualified in childcare at all. She was just a lovely person who treated my daughter well and my teen still remembers her fondly. Most au-pairs are just teenagers. Of course if you're looking for a qualified childcare provider then that's different.

But that's the thing though, she's looking for a nanny, not an au-pair, and horsey too. Finding a great nanny or a great groom is relatively easy, finding both in the same person is the tricky bit.

There are agencies that place these roles. High end I assume. Eden being one. Google 'nanny groom jobs' and several come up. Might advertising in The Lady be an idea?

I sometimes see ads on the Equestrian Noticeboard but they are much more groom/mothers help/au pair combos (eg they will say help with school run, after school homework, cooking kids tea) - I take an interest as I also think my DD could do this. I don’t think you can truly combine a true child focused nanny and a groom very successfully though.

As others have said, I think this arrangement is a bit more common when the children are a little older and therefore the "groom" side of the duties can be done whilst the children are at school. It does also depend a little bit on what's required in terms of the "groom" side of things- e.g. are we talking about a yard full of stables which need mucking out, plus exercise etc for the horses (which is a full time job in itself), or are we talking about 2-3 ponies living out with minimal chores?

I do think being in sole charge of 2 under 5 + trying to do a yard is unworkable though.

If it's viable, I would probably look for a nanny for the children who is horsey and happy to do occasional horsey chores and/or tack up a pony and lead the children if appropriate AND someone willing to do the bulk of the "groom" side of things, either when you are away as a freelancer, or someone perhaps willing to do it in exchange for cheap/free livery. Again, how viable that all is does depend on how many horses, what you want doing, how easy they are to handle or similar.

Are you currently doing the horses totally by yourself unless you're away? If so, one option might be to just pay for a day or two of cover during the week, or even find a sharer for one or more of the horses? That could potentially give you a break without the trouble of having to find a full time groom?

I’m in the North West, have no formal childcare or horse qualifications but experience in both (my own horse and bought up 4 children), and have a PhD in psychology, so educated. How much do you think someone would pay me for this nanny/ groom role? I fancy a career change. Anything over £65k and I’m in.

I think you'd be struggling for that kind of salary - as far as I know nannies are usually paid £35-45k and grooms even less, so don't think combining the two would result in being paid more, less if anything... very wealthy families might pay that kind of region for a very high end nanny but probably would separate the two jobs if they have horses as well...

£65k for a groom?! Hahahahaha.
It’s an industry that struggles to enforce paying minimum wage…

Aw shame @Lastqueenofscotland2 @maxelly ! I thought really loaded people might be bit more generous! Thanks for killing my dream 😆

It's two jobs not one.

Anyway many young women who choose to work with horses are really odd or have personal issues or personality disorders.
Before anyone starts howling at me, it's fact.

Mental.health issues are high in that group.

I think you want either two people, possibly both part time help or else a nanny who has a background in horses (plenty are competent riders from childhood, so confident around horses for light duties there). You would probably do better to ask/look around for a nanny in horse circles and go from there.

God op it does sound like the dream job but as someone said above- it’s two jobs if they’re under school age because otherwise they could look after the horse while the kids are on school