Equine Lead - Welfare and Operations

About Mane Chance:

• Founded in 2011, Mane Chance Sanctuary is a registered charity based in Compton, nestled in the Surrey Hills between Guildford and Godalming. We are a horse sanctuary with a difference.

• Whilst we rescue and rehabilitate abused, abandoned and neglected horses and ponies and offer them a security of tenure for life; we also pride ourselves in the work that we then do with the horses within the community. 

• Our method of rehabilitation involves calmness and patience with the horses as they have often suffered at the hands of humans and we rebuild the trust with them slowly and at each one’s individual pace. This tends to create very strong bonds with the team and the horses become willing, reliable and gentle and importantly, safe to introduce to our visitors.  

About the Role:

• This role is much more than just looking after horses. You will become a leading part of our animals’ recovery and rehabilitation. Working with rescued horses is challenging but incredibly rewarding. Our horses have come from various situations including abuse, neglect and abandonment and they bring with them sensitivities and trauma that you will work to repair thus creating relationships based around kindness, trust and patience. 

• We do not ride our horses at Mane Chance, instead we work with them as individuals on a ground level with non-dominance, mutual respect and we run a bespoke method of horse-care which you will be expected to learn and adopt at all times. 

• We also do not rehome our herd, offering them a home for life where they can feel safe and loved. This means that you will build lasting relationships with them and look after their long-term wellbeing, working to give them a quality of life that they deserve. 

• You will make sure of the physical and emotional care of our horses including inputting into decisions on feeding, grazing and rehabilitation, supported by our team of professional vets, barefoot trimmers and dentists, as well as our grooming team. 

• You will lead the volunteering opportunities at the Sanctuary and designate tasks to the rest of the grooming team. 

• You will also lead the equine team of grooms, roster their attendance, manage their leave, hold staff meetings etc. 

• You will also be invited to contribute to the charity itself, inputting ideas and creating opportunities for our objectives to be met.

About you: 

• You are committed to the welfare of animals. You have experience of, and confidence working with horses and understand the different needs of rescued animals and the approach required to work with them successfully. 

• You have great team-working skills and can motivate yourself and others in a working environment. 

• You have leadership skills, can prioritise and delegate tasks, whilst also being flexible to deal with the unexpected that working with animals inevitably brings. You can also lead a team, host meetings, 121 conversations and create rosters. 

• You are an organised person who can diarise and ensure routine appointments, vaccinations and treatments are administered in a timely fashion. 

• You are a fit and energetic person - our herds live out in fields and tracks over 80 acres and much of your time is spent out with them in all weathers and by its nature, the role is physically demanding! 

•  You have an interest in natural horsemanship techniques as our horse-care methods are more in line with these than most traditional equine practices, and are prepared to learn, lead and teach our bespoke techniques and policies. 

• You also understand that working with horses is much more than spending time with the animals themselves. You are willing to assist with site routine checks, fence repairs and site maintenance tasks to ensure that the charity provides a safe home for our animals, staff and visitors.