Jenny Seagrove, the fantabulous actress has
formed a formidable reputation for herself in the entertainment world, and has
now turned her course towards animal love by setting up 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 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.
Mane Chance’s management got James French,
pioneer in the trust technique and his partner Shelley Slingo to form a close
relation with the horses and provide them therapy sessions. 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.
The treatment of horses also started
reciprocating on humans. ''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.
