US groom Taylor Greene at Boekelo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
One of the FEI’s points of focus over the last few years has been the improvement of conditions for grooms — and, concurrently, an increased standardisation of their education, in a bid to create a cohesive and welfare-first environment for everyone in international sport. The latest development in this quest? The launch of the FEI Grooms Toolkit, a one-stop shop for accessing up-to-date resources and information (and a boon for anyone who’s ever tried to work out what’s actually going to inadvertently cause a drug test failure, frankly).
The nine sections of the Toolkit link several of the FEI’s apps, with segments focusing on, yes, doping regulations, but also covering biosecurity, tack rules, third-party insurances, workplace safety, and a wealth of useful content from FEI’s Campus programme, which is packed full of educational articles and videos and plenty more.
Even more excitingly? The Toolkit incorporates Giving Grooms a Voice, in partnership with the International Grooms Association and the Grooms Consultative Group, to ensure that positive progress continues to be made and allows for the easy submission of feedback to improve conditions at events.
“It is by ensuring that the highest welfare standards are maintained that we can grow our sport in a positive and sustainable manner,” says the FEI. “As governing body for international sport, the welfare of the horse is of vital importance to the FEI and it is imperative that the wellbeing of horses remains at the forefront of all our undertakings, in whatever capacity.”
Check out the Grooms Toolkit here — it’s a free resource for anyone to use, and while you’ll need to sign up for an FEI Campus account to use the wealth of educational resources, it’s a quick and painless process that doesn’t require you to actively work as an international competition groom. Open access to equine educational resources, led by industry professionals? That’s our favourite flavour of internet.
