Full-Time Senior Groom Vacancy - Live Out
Summary:
Location: Mane Chance Sanctuary, Monkshatch Garden Farm, Down Lane, Compton, Surrey, GU3 1DL.
Salary: £26,500 per annum for five days per week
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 an integral part of our animals’ daily care 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 work with our Equine Care Lead in being responsible for ensuring the best possible physical and emotional care of our horses - administering medication, treating minor injuries, performing daily health checks and liaising with our professionals - facilitating veterinary, dentist and trimming visits. You will be expected to contribute to the ongoing rehabilitation and enrichment of our horses, input into equine discussions and will lead more junior members of the team as well as volunteers.
As senior groom, you will be expected to take on a more leading role in the Equine Care Lead’s absence, working with the Operations Co-ordinator to organise the smooth running of the day and ensuring that all necessary tasks are completed effectively.
You will work with our volunteers on a daily basis and lead activities with them, including the daily poo pick, grooming and rehabilitation exercises. You will also be required to contribute to the ongoing maintenance of the site including routine safety checks, fence repairs and small maintenance tasks, assist in preparing the site for events and open days and to assist with the development of more junior members of the team. On occasion, you will be required to assist our community team with the sessions that they offer – this might be bringing horses for gentle meet and greet opportunities to those who are not well enough to go into our fields and tracks or leading group walking of horses around the Sanctuary and surrounding bridle paths.
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 and building behavioural plans and training goals for our horses.
This is an unusual opportunity to be an influential player in the care of rescued horses whilst contributing to their ongoing rehabilitation. You will also develop and utilise leadership skills to become a pivotal role in a thriving equine welfare charity.
About You:
You are committed to the welfare of animals. You have confidence working with horses, experience with nervous or challenging equine behaviours 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 can prioritise and delegate tasks, whilst also being flexible to deal with the unexpected that working with animals inevitably brings. You are able to work under instruction but also respectfully lead others and you enjoy contributing to team discussions.
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 care for rescued 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.
Please see the attached job profile for the Senior Groom 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.
