Full-Time Equine Lead - Welfare and Operations - Live Out
Summary:
Location: Mane Chance Sanctuary, Monkshatch Garden Farm, Down Lane, Compton, Surrey, GU3 1DL.
Salary: £26,500 per annum
Hours: 40 hours per week - working five out of seven days on a roster
Start Date: As soon as possible
This full-time position is offered as a live-out position.
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, in conjunction with the Equine Lead – Welfare and Rehabilitation postholder. You will be jointly responsible for liaising with the community team, ensuring that the horses’ wellbeing is paramount, that they are not overwhelmed but also that your team have access to them whenever you need them.
You will also lead the equine team of grooms, roster their attendance, manage their leave, hold staff meetings, 121s and appraisals.
You will also be invited to contribute to the charity itself, inputting ideas and creating opportunities for our objectives to be met. For example, this may include devising ways of and partaking in promoting our methods of horse care to encourage greater equine welfare outside of the Sanctuary environment.
This is an unusual opportunity to be an influential player in the rescue and rehabilitation of horses, whilst also utilising management and leadership skills to be a pivotal role in a thriving equine welfare charity.
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 have a desire to rehabilitate animals who have suffered at the hands of humans and are prepared to spend time building relationships - you will be calm and patient when working with our horses as they need to understand and trust you.
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.
Job Content:
Please see the attached job profile for the Equine Lead - Welfare and Operations which outlines all the duties and responsibilities of the role.
How to apply:
To apply for this role, please send an up-to-date copy of your CV, together with a brief statement of why you would like to apply for the role to office@manechancesanctuary.org
We invite you to apply as soon as possible as we will regularly complete shortlisting and invite for interview.
