About the Role
This is a specialist role focused on behaviour assessment, training, and rehabilitation where you’ll assess, train, and rehabilitate horses preparing for adoption into their forever homes. Working Monday to Friday on a 35-hour week (with flexibility for travel, events, and occasional out-of-hours work), you’ll be the driving force behind Blue Cross’s horse behaviour and training excellence, directly supporting animals at every stage of their journey—on site, in foster care, and beyond adoption.
No two days are identical. You might deliver a virtual behaviour consultation to an adopter one day, lead team training the next, support a complex rehabilitation case on site, or represent Blue Cross in media appearances championing equine welfare. This role thrives on variety, continuous learning, and sharing expertise widely.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage a designated caseload of horses within the Blue Cross horse care service, ensuring optimal welfare standards and timely assessment, training, and rehabilitation
- Collaborate with the team to plan new horse intakes and maintain efficient numbers in training and care
- Coach and empower colleagues to handle and train horses to the highest standards, embedding evidence-based behaviour knowledge into daily practice
- Develop and deliver practical, realistic training programmes for team members, owners, and caregivers
- Conduct behaviour assessments and create tailored rehabilitation plans for horses with behavioural challenges
- Deliver virtual behaviour consultations to adopters and support families post-adoption
- Provide excellent customer service to showcase Blue Cross horses and maximise rehoming opportunities
- Represent Blue Cross at public events and media engagements, championing welfare and rehoming values
Requirements
- Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC) standard of Animal Training Instructor (ATI) Equine Training Instructor Pathway, or equivalent qualification, or actively working towards this standard
- Demonstrable expertise in equine behaviour assessment and training techniques, with evidence of successfully resolving behavioural problems
- Extensive practical experience designing and delivering behaviour and training programmes for horses
- Proven ability to develop training content suitable for independent application by owners and team members
- Working knowledge of equine veterinary care and experience collaborating with equine vets on behaviour-related cases
- Full UK driving licence
- Public speaking experience
- Excellent communication and coaching skills, able to adapt teaching approaches for diverse learners and horses
- Strong emotional intelligence and resilience when managing complex, emotionally charged cases
- Desirable: BHS Stage 3 Coach or equivalent qualification; media experience
Benefits
- Competitive salary: £26,545–£30,866 per annum
- Generous holiday: 38 days rising to 43 days with service (including bank holidays, full-time equivalent)
- Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution
- Professional fees paid; Continuing Professional Development and personal development support
- Health and wellbeing: free 24/7 GP access via MetLife, health cash plan, unlimited employee assistance programme
- Life assurance
- 20% Pet Plan pet insurance discount
- Enhanced family-friendly policies
- Annual volunteer days and recognition scheme
- Charity worker discounts across retailers
About the Practice
Blue Cross is a well-established animal welfare charity dedicated to supporting animals in need and the people who care for them. The organisation operates across multiple sites and specialises in rehoming and fostering services, with dedicated teams focused on rehabilitation and behaviour support.
The Rolleston on Dove location serves as a hub for the horse care service, where you’ll work alongside a collaborative team committed to evidence-based welfare practices and innovative rehabilitation approaches. As part of Blue Cross, you’ll be contributing to a mission-driven organisation that champions animal welfare at every level.
