Equine Care Worker in Theale

An exciting part-time opportunity has become available to join the equine team at Stable Futures. This is far more than a traditional yard-based role - it is an opportunity to combine high-quality equine care with meaningful therapeutic and alternative educational support for children and young people accessing our alternative provision.

Working under the guidance of the Stable Manager, you will play a key role in the daily care and welfare of our 13 horses and ponies, ensuring they are healthy, happy, and prepared for both ridden work and learner engagement sessions. The successful candidate must be a confident and capable rider, able to exercise ridden ponies and horses ranging from approximately 13hh to 15.2hh.

Alongside practical yard duties, you will support the delivery of therapeutic horsemanship sessions and equine-based learning experiences developed by the wider team. These sessions help children and young people develop social, emotional, and personal skills through structured interaction with horses and other therapeutic animals. Activities may include ridden and non-ridden engagement, grooming and welfare routines, arena-based therapeutic sessions, and supporting learners within a tailored learning framework across the academic term.

The role may also involve additional support for sessions delivered within Amegreen Children’s Services, contributing to a safe, nurturing, and engaging environment where young people can build confidence, emotional regulation, communication, and trust through animal-assisted experiences. This is a rewarding opportunity for someone who is passionate about equine welfare, enjoys working as part of a supportive multidisciplinary team, and believes in the positive impact horses can have on young people’s lives.

About Us

Stable Futures is an alternative provision supporting children and young people who have experienced challenges accessing mainstream education. Based on our working farm and equine site, we provide a nurturing, therapeutic environment where learners can re‑engage with alternative education through hands‑on, experiential learning and meaningful animal‑based activities, as well as the wider offer via our alternative curriculum.

As an approved Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) Centre, Stable Futures combines therapeutic horsemanship, equine‑assisted engagement, and inclusive equine opportunities to support the emotional wellbeing, confidence, and personal development of children and young people accessing our provision.

Owned by Amegreen Children’s Services and working in partnership with Amegreen Education Schools, Stable Futures delivers tailored alternative provision programmes that support social, emotional, and personal development alongside learning. Through therapeutic horsemanship, animal care, land‑based activities, and structured outdoor learning opportunities, we help young people build confidence, resilience, communication skills, and positive relationships.

Our approach combines alternative education, wellbeing, and therapeutic engagement to create safe and supportive experiences that enable every learner to progress at their own pace and experience success beyond the traditional classroom environment.

Responsibilities

• To provide high standards of care and welfare for the horses, ponies, and other farm animals, including feeding, grooming, rugging, turning out, mucking out, poo‑picking, exercising, and general husbandry duties.
• To contribute to the safe, clean, and efficient running of the stables, arenas, fields, farm areas, tack rooms, and associated facilities, ensuring the site remains well‑presented for learners, visitors, and inspections.
• To monitor the condition of tack, rugs, fencing, equipment, feed, medication, and other resources, reporting any faults, repairs, shortages, or safety concerns to the Stable Manager promptly.
• To exercise horses and ponies as part of the weekly routine. The successful candidate must be a capable and confident rider, able to ride and manage ponies and horses approximately 13hh–15.2hh safely and competently.
• To work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure daily farm and equine duties are completed effectively and to support the wider aims of the provision.
• To support therapeutic horsemanship, equine engagement, and learner sessions delivered on site during term time, ensuring children and young people are supervised safely around horses and animals at all times. This may include supporting arena‑based activities, grooming sessions, welfare routines, and other structured engagement opportunities alongside the learning team.
• To maintain professional and respectful relationships with learners, colleagues, visitors, external professionals, and partner agencies, acting as a positive representative of Stable Futures and Amegreen Children’s Services.
• To follow all health and safety, safeguarding, fire safety, lone working, and animal welfare procedures, including the use of appropriate protective equipment and participation in routine site checks where required.
• To participate in training, supervision, staff meetings, and professional development relevant to the role, including safeguarding, first aid, health and safety, and therapeutic practice.
• To be flexible in working arrangements, including working outdoors in all weather conditions and across a rota that will include weekends, evenings.