Groom (Felledge, County Durham)

At RSPCA Felledge Equine Centre we rescue, rehabilitate and rehome Equines who have been subject to cruelty or neglect.

We’re looking for Volunteer Grooms to join our team and help us care for rescue equines while they wait to find their forever homes. It’s also a great opportunity to gain some experience if you’re interested in working in this field.

The Groom role is physically demanding and requires a good level of knowledge and skill to be able to carry out the role safely. The ideal people we’re looking for will:

• Have experience of basic equine care and management

• Be competent and confident handling equines

• Have some basic knowledge of equine health and behaviour

• Fit the values we hold at the RSPCA: compassionate, integrity & committed

• Be a good team player and be able to take direction from the team

• Be physically fit and able to to carry out manual tasks which can be strenuous

• Be able to commit to one morning per week on our rota

• Ideally be able to drive - public transport can make it difficult to get to us

The main tasks you will be carrying out are:

• Mucking out

• Skipping fields

• Grooming and picking out feet

• Leading a variety of Equines to and from the fields

What the day would look like: You would arrive for the day at 8:30am and help with mucking out and skipping fields. At 10:30am the team takes a break so you would be able to have a tea or coffee and a mid-morning snack. From 11am you would be assisting the team with leading equines to and from the field, grooming and picking out feet. Volunteers can be on site until 1pm.

Important note: Owing to the risks associated with caring for RSPCA animals in this role you will need a professionally fitted face mask. This is almost impossible with facial hair because masks rely on a good seal against the face so when you breathe air in, it only goes through the filter. If there are any gaps around the mask, dirty air will pass through these gaps into your lungs. Facial hair such as beards and stubble make it impossible to get a good seal. If you have facial hair we may be able to offer an alternative role but unfortunately this role will not be suitable for you. The face fit test will be carried out annually for anyone in this role.

We celebrate and respect the diversity of our RSPCA team and embrace the individual qualities, skills and experiences that everyone brings.

To keep you safe and support your wellbeing, we’ll ask you to complete all the necessary training for your role and keep this up to date. We have a suite of wellbeing resources available and can make reasonable role adjustments to support you in your volunteering.

If you are interested in volunteering in this role, please click the apply button to complete our online application form.