Yard and Groom

What Yard and Groom does

Yard and Groom, operated by Sunny Online Limited (registered in England and Wales, company number 4510868), is a specialized two-sided online marketplace for equestrian recruitment, connecting employers (farms, stables, riding schools, breeding operations, trainers) with job seekers (grooms, riders, trainers, barn managers, stable staff, working students) globally. The platform has operated continuously since 2002 and self-positions as the "World's #1 Equestrian Recruitment" site, offering job listings segmented into a granular taxonomy spanning dozens of equestrian role subtypes, employer profiles, a searchable jobseeker CV database, geographic filtering down to specific cities, and dedicated sub-verticals for live-in, apprentice, and country-specific listings. The product surface extends beyond the core web job board to include native iOS and Android applications, an e-commerce merchandise shop (shop.yardandgroom.com), and Fair Work Resources promoting ethical employment standards in the equestrian industry.

The underlying technology is a conventional web-based marketplace accessible via desktop and mobile, with native applications distributed through the Apple App Store and Google Play, and payment processing handled through PayPal integration. There are no disclosed APIs, SDKs, or proprietary AI/ML capabilities; the technology stack is utilitarian and appropriate to the scale of the operation.

The revenue model is a self-serve employer subscription/recurring-payment system in which employers pay to post job advertisements, access the jobseeker database, and purchase premium "Spotlight" placements for increased visibility; job seekers access the platform free of charge. Pricing is not publicly disclosed (the company maintains an "Our Rates" page but rates are gated). Geographic coverage spans 22+ countries including the USA, UK, Australia, Germany, Ireland, Canada, France, Spain, and others, with active job inventory distributed across North America, Europe, Oceania, Asia, and Africa. The company operates with a headcount of 1-10 employees from its registered office in Semington, Wiltshire, UK, and has no disclosed external funding, parent company, or institutional investors.

Name

Yard and Groom

Legal name

Sunny Online Limited

Website

https://yardandgroom.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Yard and Groom is a niche two-sided online marketplace, operated by UK-based Sunny Online Limited since 2002, that connects equestrian employers (farms, stables, trainers) with job seekers (grooms, riders, managers) across 22+ countries via a web platform and mobile apps, monetizing through employer subscription job-posting fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Equestrian Recruitment Marketplace

NAICS

Support Activities for Animal Production (115210)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Training, Stables & Equine Services (MPAEADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Horse Boarding, Livery & Stable Operations (AFAEAGAG), Equestrian Teams & Stables (Racing/Show Jumping/Eventing) (MPAKABAG), Sport/Show Horse Training & Performance Programs (AFAEAGAF), Equine Working Ranch & Trail Operations (non-tourism) (AFAEAGAL), Racehorse Training & Conditioning Operations (AFAEAGAE)

Keywords

• Equestrian job board
• Horse industry recruitment
• Equine employment platform
• Stable staff hiring
• Horse jobs marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Trowbridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Employer Subscription Services: Employers pay subscription fees to post job advertisements and access the jobseeker database. Job posting fees and premium placement services (Spotlights) generate revenue. Job seekers access the platform free of charge.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

YardandGroom is a two-sided online marketplace that connects equestrian employers (farms, stables, riding schools, breeders, trainers) with job seekers (grooms, riders, managers, trainers) seeking work in the horse industry. Employers pay subscription fees to post job listings and access the jobseeker database, with optional premium spotlight placements for visibility, while job seekers register and browse listings free of charge. The platform operates via a website and native iOS and Android applications, with email job alerts and country/region-based search filters spanning over twenty countries.

Product overview

YardandGroom operates as a single unified equestrian recruitment platform comprising the core job board website, native iOS and Android mobile applications for job searching and recruitment on mobile devices, an e-commerce shop for equestrian merchandise, and Fair Work Resources for industry guidance. The platform connects equestrian employers worldwide with job seekers, offering job listings, employer profiles, CV databases, and specialized search filters across job types (groom, rider, trainer, manager positions) and geographic regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Yard and Groom: World's #1 Equestrian Recruitment, Equine and Horse Jobs Site

Products and services

• YardandGroom Job Board Platform The core online marketplace where equestrian employers post job listings and access the CV database of equestrian job seekers. Features searchable listings, employer profiles, jobseeker CVs, filtering by job type, region, country, employment type, and a map view. Used globally with active listings in the USA, UK, Australia, Germany, Ireland, Canada, Spain, and more.
• YardandGroom Mobile App (iOS)

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Snagajob: Snagajob is a vertical job board focused on hourly and shift-based work, sharing a similar playbook to YardandGroom of targeting a specific occupational segment with employer-paid subscriptions and a jobseeker-free model. The business model alignment (niche, employer subscription, blue-collar focus) makes it a strong peer.
• HigherEdJobs: HigherEdJobs is a vertical job board dedicated to academic and higher education professionals. It shares YardandGroom's playbook of employer-paid subscription postings, role-specific taxonomy, and a longstanding brand within a specialized occupation segment.
• BioSpace: BioSpace is a vertical job board and industry media site for the life sciences sector. It is comparable to YardandGroom as a niche marketplace combining job listings, employer branding, and sector-specific content for a non-mainstream occupation segment.
• Hcareers: Hcareers is a long-standing vertical job board for the hospitality industry. It shares YardandGroom's vertical job board business model - employer subscriptions, specialized job taxonomy, and a sector-specific audience - making it a directly comparable niche recruitment marketplace.
• AgCareers: AgCareers is a leading vertical job board for the agriculture industry. Its business model (specialized sector focus, employer subscriptions, job categorization by role type and region) closely mirrors YardandGroom's approach in the equestrian vertical, including a similarly longstanding operating history.
• Rigzone: Rigzone is a vertical jobs and news platform serving the oil and gas industry. It mirrors YardandGroom's model of pairing niche job listings with industry news and employer showcase content for a specialized workforce segment.

Broad incumbents

• LinkedIn: LinkedIn operates the dominant professional network with an integrated job board used by employers across industries. It competes with YardandGroom for equestrian professional placements (trainers, managers, instructors) but does not serve the specialized grooms, riders, and barn-level roles that YardandGroom's vertical taxonomy is built around.
• Indeed: Indeed is the world's largest general-purpose job board and aggregator, operating across virtually all occupations and countries. It is comparable to YardandGroom as a competing destination where equestrian employers may also list jobs, but it lacks the niche specialization and equestrian-specific job taxonomy that YardandGroom provides.
• Glassdoor: Glassdoor is a general-purpose job board combined with employer review and salary transparency content. It competes with YardandGroom as an alternative destination for job seekers and employers across occupations, though it lacks equestrian-specific filtering and role taxonomy.
• ZipRecruiter: ZipRecruiter is a large general-purpose job marketplace with employer subscription and AI-matching tools. It is comparable to YardandGroom as a self-serve employer-paid job board, though it targets broad occupation categories rather than the equestrian vertical.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YardandGroom
• Facebookfacebook.com/YardandGroom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yardandgroom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yard and Groom