Jenny Seagrove is a name not unfamiliar
with movie buffs and drama lovers. She’s portrayed so many memorable roles on
screen and has continued that charm off-screen as well with Mane Chance
Sanctuary. An equine lover, Seagrove has rescued the animals and given them a
place they can really call home.
''Mane Chance came about in desperate
circumstances in 2011 when a friend rang to say she couldn’t afford to feed her
large collection of animals, many of which she had rescued.’’
''It was one of those life-changing moments
when you find a real purpose. Setting up a charity – a massive adventure.” She
discussed how a phone call helped her find a purpose.
''I called a friend who found Monkshatch
Garden Farm, where the owner let us rent the 47 acres we needed. A year later,
we were offered it for sale.’’ Setting up the farm was not at all a hassle-free
process.
''I had to sell my flat in London and ask
Simrin, who has been amazing, to chip in.’’ Seagrove said she can’t thank
philanthropist Simrin Choudhrie enough for her help.
But what makes Mane Chance unique is the
way the horses are treated. James French, who pioneered the trust technique,
became a part of the management with his partner Shelley Slingo. The technique
is similar to mindfulness and taps the relationship between horses and people.
''When all this began, I knew the horses
would need therapy,” she says. “I asked James French, who I had known through his
work as a reiki master for 20 years, and who is a renowned animal communicator,
to help out.’’
''It’s about getting the limbic system –
the part of the brain associated with emotions and memories – of horse and
human - in sync,’’ says Seagrove.
Gradually, it was discovered that the
treatment of horses was reciprocating on humans. Horses are now being promoted
as healers and not just a source of recreation.
''We had groups of children and volunteers
here, some of whom had their own issues, and a rapport and trust was building
between some of the horses with the humans who seemed to need them most.’’
Many have already benefitted from, as
Seagrove calls it, the “healing herd.” Students under the Duke of Edinburgh
Awards programme keep visiting on weekends. Terminally ill kids have also
developed a deep bonding with the horses when they visit from their hospice at
Christopher’s in Guildford in the summer months.
Seagrove is pursuing a very noble cause and she deserves all the help she needs.
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