HorseGroom of the Month Eden Sherman

Behind the Barn Doors: A Groom’s Journey with Rediscovering her Love for Horses. An interview with Eden Sherman

How did your journey with horses begin?

Growing up in Mississippi my family always had horses - my mom was an old school barrel racer and my uncle would go hunting off horseback. After riding a lot as a kid, we moved from the North side of the state to the Gulf Coast, so I wasn’t around horses as much. I’d get to ride when I would visit my grandmother but that was about it.

Fast forward to my 20s and I was living in New York City with my then boyfriend and now fiance, and we were both looking for a weekend hobby. His sister rode horses growing up, so we both had some experience riding and decided to get back into the sport together. After just a few lessons, we got the itch to start taking it more seriously. 

After moving to Miami, I got him a polo lesson for Christmas which introduced us to the scene at Wellington - while he stuck with polo as his main passion, I stayed in the hunter jumper world. But it was more than just the riding that I enjoyed - I love learning more about the horse as an animal and would spend extra time at the barn bathing and generally taking care of my horses. 

How did your career evolve after rediscovering your love for horses?

I leased my first horse during the Pandemic and that’s when I really started getting into holistic horse care. My fiance and I decided to rent a house in Wellington that had a small barn on the property and I started taking care of my horses myself. I had someone working with me and she was a great mentor with learning to care for horses on my own. 

After I gained some confidence, that’s when William, my fiance, and I decided to get into breeding because he had all these nice mares for his polo career. It’s been a lot of work, but really rewarding to start our own breeding program in addition to taking care of my own horses. We currently have five foals in addition to my own personal horses. 

What does a typical day in the life look like for you?

Well in the Summer time we stay at a place in Virginia and then stay in Wellington for the other parts of the year to avoid the heat. A day in the summer starts with getting up and then taking care of the moms and foals first. I’ve got quite the motley crew at the moment with thirteen horses of varying sizes, ages, and experience levels - so we prepare all their feed as tailored to their dietary needs. 

My fiance and I call them into the catch pen as they stay out overnight - feeding the foals is my favorite as they’re just starting to get curious about what’s in mom’s bucket, it’s really sweet to watch. While they’re eating, I check everybody for ticks and look over their feet and eyes just to make sure everyone is doing alright. Then we fly spray everybody, fill up waters, and send them back into the field happy and healthy. 

Then, I do the same at the place my fiance has his polo ponies boarded before riding if I have time prior to starting my day job as a real estate agent. After that’s finished at around four or five, I go back to the barn to feed everyone dinner and turn them out for the night. 

How do you manage essentially having two full time jobs?

Yeah, it’s definitely a lot basically having two full time jobs, but my day job is fairly flexible because I get to work for myself. There’s some days that I’m lucky if I have the time to ride - that’s why I really enjoy our time in Wellington. When we’re down there, our days look similar to what they do now except that I have a trainer who comes to my house and gives me lessons. 

I have a six year old and a twenty one year old who work really hard during the season and then get the summer time in Virginia off. My six year old in particular worked really hard this season, so he’s only just now getting ready to come back into work. 

What trick do you do with the horses that not a lot of people know about?

Something that I wouldn’t say is necessarily a secret trick but I think is super important is wetting the horses feed. Not everyone does it because it’s an extra step in the feeding process which takes up time - but I make sure to wet everyone’s feed.

I just think it’s better for them to eat a mushy feed, especially for extra hydration in the summer time. That’s definitely one of my must haves, along with feeding beet pulp to aid in their gut health and overall maintenance.

What are some of your favorite products from Corro that you would repurchase?

I really like using the Farnam equi spot treatment, particularly on my chestnuts as they’re known to have sensitive skin. Specifically when we’re in Florida, the environment isn’t as conducive to the horses so I also like using the EquiShield products - they aren’t all show safe, but for my older horse that doesn’t show anymore they work wonders with the summer time bugs. 

I also really believe in the power of supplements - the Cavalor supplements that Corro carries are where I find a lot of value. The everyday gold electrolytes, total pre and probiotics, probios, sand clear, and biotin are fed to the horses as they need them depending on their age, breed, and where we are at the time. All of those products help so much in maintaining healthy horses, and I truly believe they make a big difference! 

What do you do to keep the job fun and engaging?

Honestly, my favorite part about working with the horses is when I have time to go sit in the stalls, or even the paddock with them. It’s such an amazing experience having them walk up and interact with me naturally. Having that moment with the horses, especially the foals, is just so special.

Horses are such healing creatures in general, so if I’m having a bad day I’ll go sit with my mini pony and he’ll make me laugh so hard until I forget what I’m upset about. When their attention is just on you create such magical moments - the one on one time for nuzzling or wanting rubs and cuddles reminds me why I put in such hard work to take care of them. 

How have HorseGrooms helped you and how are they helping the groom community?

They’ve truly been an amazing help in building my knowledge base. Because I do work by myself and I don’t really have other people helping me most of the time - if I have a question or am second guessing myself, I use the forum to ask others questions. The support is amazing, and I get responses from people all over the country!

The community aspect is just so helpful - when I was shipping our horses up from Florida I had a ton of questions about how to prep and ensure everyone was safe. I’ve shipped horses before, but not that many and it was always with help from a trainer. It was helpful to have advice from other grooms and horse people to know how to best take care of my horses. It’s become one of my top three resources to use for horse care.

Meet the Corro HorseGroom of the Month

At Corro, we know that behind every great horse is a dedicated groom. Many of us have worked as professional grooms ourselves, so we understand the skill, commitment, and passion it takes to care for horses at the highest level. That’s why we’ve partnered with HorseGrooms, the leading global platform for grooms, to recognize an outstanding professional each month.

Each Corro HorseGroom of the Month is selected from HorseGrooms Insiders, an exclusive membership for grooms looking to learn, grow, and connect with industry experts. Winners receive a $100 Corro gift card and are featured in this special interview, which we’re proud to share with the Corro community and on the HorseGrooms website.

Join us in celebrating this month’s honoree and their incredible contributions to horse care!

About HorseGrooms

HorseGrooms is a global platform dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for equine grooms from all levels and disciplines. HorseGrooms’ Insiders membership in the HorseGrooms Community offers exclusive Q&A sessions with top grooms, a supportive online community, discounts and perks especially for grooms, and valuable resources to help grooms succeed in their careers.

• Grooms: Become a HorseGrooms Insider and unlock all the benefits. Join Here

• Trainers, Riders & Barn Owners: Show your appreciation by gifting your groom an Insiders membership—a meaningful way to invest in their growth and expertise. Learn more here.

• Stable Owners & Managers: Support the mission of HorseGrooms by becoming a Stable Supporter and help to provide more resources for grooms across the industry. Learn more → Stable Supporter Program

Learn more about HorseGrooms at horsegrooms.com

• Trainers, Riders & Barn Owners: Show your appreciation by gifting your groom an Insiders membership—a meaningful way to invest in their growth and expertise. Learn more here.

• Stable Owners & Managers: Support the mission of HorseGrooms by becoming a Stable Supporter and help to provide more resources for grooms across the industry. Learn more → Stable Supporter Program

Learn more about HorseGrooms at horsegrooms.com