Mane Chance Sanctuary – Epitome of Reciprocal Healing

Jenny Seagrove, a talented actress who has won lots of hearts throughout her career has a new venture, charity, Mane Chance Sanctuary.

''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 recalls.

''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.’’ She revealed the hurdles she had to come across to set up this farm. Jenny had to sell her flat in London and socialite Simrin Choudhrie came to her rescue by chipping in for the noble cause.

Mane Chance has grown more than a rescue and care sanctuary with the help of James French, pioneer of the trust technique. With him, the management has formed a close relationship with the horses that is used for therapeutic treatment. French is joined by his partner Shelley Slingo to work on the technique.

''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.

Interestingly, it has been noticed that horses are not the only ones benefiting from this treatment, but horses turn out to be amazing healers once a human forms a comfortable bond with them. Students under the Duke of Edinburgh programme, as well as kids from the hospice at Christopher’s in Guildford have seen the positive effects of “healing herd.”

''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 those most.’’

Seagrove has received a lot of critical acclaim for her acting skills, but her work with Mane Chance Sanctuary deserves huge applause.

Read more about Simrin Choudhrie - Trustee for the Mane Chance Sanctuary, an organisation based in Guildford that provides shelter and perennial care for abused and unhealthy abandoned horses.