Animal Care

Therapeutic engagement and vocational learning through guided sessions with small animals.

At Stable Futures, our animal care programme combines therapeutic interventions with engaging, science-based learning, helping children and young people explore the physical and emotional needs of animals while developing empathy, responsibility and life skills.

Through hands-on interaction and structured learning, we support a deeper understanding of animal welfare, rescue work and our shared responsibility for all living things, rooted in the principles of One Welfare, the interconnected wellbeing of animals, people, and the planet.

"When I look into the eyes of an animal, I do not see an animal. I see a living being. I see a friend. I see a soul."
— A.D. Williams

What We Cover

Our Animal Care sessions are varied, dynamic, and designed to suit individual needs and learning styles. Key topic areas include:

Daily Needs & Wellbeing

Routine animal care and feeding
Health and environment checks
Creating enrichment opportunities

Animal Welfare

Understanding the Animal Welfare Act and the 5 Freedoms
Role of the RSPCA and other rescue charities
Exploring ethics and responsibility in animal care

Health & Hygiene

Recognising signs of illness
Emergency response and first aid
Building an animal first aid kit
Introduction to veterinary and holistic care (vet, farrier, dentist, chiropractor, acupuncture, supplements, etc.)

Nutrition

Species-specific diets and digestive systems
Identifying suitable foods and feeding schedules
Seasonal nutrition needs
Food quality and cost

Safety

Conducting risk assessments
Safe handling of animals
Emergency protocols
Human First Aid

Habitats & Ecology

Adaptations to environments
Tracking wildlife and recognising signs
Woodland, waterway, and mini-beast exploration
Biodiversity and environmental awareness

🐾 Rescue & Rehabilitation

Spotting animals in distress
Basic behavioural support techniques
Understanding long-term care, rehabilitation, and retirement

Building Futures with Animals

Our sessions go beyond the basics—helping learners:

Explore careers in animal care, farming, and welfare
Understand education pathways and qualifications
Develop practical, transferable skills that promote independence
Gain confidence to take their next steps into further learning or employment

Qualifications and Accreditations

Learners can gain recognised awards that demonstrate engagement, skill and progression:

ASDAN (Small Animal Care)
RDA (Proficiency Tests)
AQA Unit Awards

Our practical, vocational focus ensures learning is meaningful, accessible and aligned with real-world progression within animal care.

Meet Our Small Animals

Gentle Companions, Powerful Connections

Our small animals play a vital role in the therapeutic and educational work we do at Stable Futures. These gentle, engaging companions help children and young people develop empathy, responsibility and emotional awareness in a safe, non-judgemental environment.

Each animal has its own story and personality, and many have been rescued or rehomed. They are wonderful ambassadors for compassion, resilience and second chances. From guinea pigs and pygmy goats to ducks and chickens, they offer comfort, curiosity and a sense of calm to those who need it most.

Spending time with our small animals can help learners build trust, reduce anxiety and grow in confidence through nurturing, meaningful interactions.

Scroll down to meet the wonderful animals who are part of Stable Futures.

Our Animals

Alongside our horses, learners engage with a range of animals, including:

Big Goats

The first of the smaller animals to join us at the farm, Brown Girl, Betty and Basher are seasoned experts when it comes to teaching learners how to handle and care for our animals. Although they are the biggest animals at the farm they are kind, calm and gentle and as well as offering the opportunity to do hands on practical learning, also love spending time with the children when they need a quiet moment to regulate or to just be with the animals.

We also have a beautiful Golden Guernsey goat, Bandit, who is one of our big goats, Bandit was bottle reared on the farm and brings an element of “cheeky” to the mix teaching learners that respect for our animals is so important.

Pygmy Goats

Our pygmy goat herd are incredibly popular, and although they are smaller than the big goats, they are certainly don’t lack in personality! Zena, Eeyore, Bobby Moo, Marshmallow, Sparrow, Salty and Peppa bring an element of fun and exploration to our herd allowing our learners to take them for walks, give them baths and build climbing frames for them to play with.

We are extremely lucky to have such a wonderful herd of big personalities who are all so gentle and fun to spend time with.

Alpaca

Thor and Loki are without a doubt the cleverest animals at the farm. They take a bit of time to get to know you but once you are on their “approved list” they are fiercely loyal and will happily accept yummy treats for hours.

Thor and Loki are a little older now and take a bit of extra care but they give the learners the opportunity to learn about looking after animals who require that bit of extra TLC.

Sheep

Frank, Dolly, Georgie and Joey are a familiar picture gracing the landscape of Stable Futures. These gorgeous sheep allow our learners an introduction to “farming” enabling them to access experiences such as shearing, feet trimming and weight management.

Frank is without hesitation on of the largest sheep you will ever meet weighing in at an impressive 105kg but he loves nothing more than being read to by our learners and having his ears scratched!

Chickens and Ducks

As well as rehoming some chickens from the British Hen Welfare Trust, we also have hens as the farm who hatched in our incubator! Happy to see anyone (especially if you are carrying a yellow feed bucket!) the are the first faces you will meet when you come to our livestock area enthusiastically running to greet all visitors.

Living alongside our chickens are our ducks, Donna, Dave, Bubbles and Quackers who are spend their days following each other around in a perfect line and dipping in their pond.

Pet Animals

Our guinea pigs and tortoises offer learners the opportunity to spend time with smaller animals which is a great place to start if our larger animals feel like a step to far to begin with. Often joining our learning sessions they offer a calm reassurance for learners who just need that presence to help them access their sessions.

Whether it be City and Guilds, PSHE or Functional Skills, our pet animals are happy to join in!

Many of our animals have been rescued, and their stories provide powerful, real-life learning opportunities around healing, resilience and care.

Animal Care

​"When I look into the eyes of an animal, I do not see an animal. I see a living being. I see a friend. I see a soul." — A.D. Williams