Time and Space Equine Education Sanctuary

Casa
España
Málaga
Time and Space Equine Education Sanctuary

We are a registered association in Spain. We aim to improve lives of equines within and outside of our sanctuary. Numero de Identificacion Fiscal G93637627
(1)

(Español abajo)

Some of our horses had been barefoot on the mountains all of their lives enjoying a natural existence, while others have arrived from sad situations to improved conditions and care for the rest of their days. In 2016, we were forced to move the horses from their mountain home and since then have been working on improving the new pasture and facilities for both horse and human. We

and the herd rely heavily on contributions of both labour and funds from kind animal-lovers. We have developed a volunteer programme which allows people to come here to meet our herd and help us to care for them. Our volunteers often find that learning to respond to each horse's particular needs aids their own self - development. In 2020, we became an enthusiastic part of the Horse Charming programme and will be offering professional courses in non-aversive training techniques. We also work with the local Spanish community to try and improve conditions for Spanish horses, mules and donkeys, too many of whom lead unnatural and often painful lives. With more funds, we could press on with this vital work. Please get in touch to see how you can get involved. Page admin: https://www.facebook.com/cowgirl.clare
https://www.facebook.com/el.chico.520?fref=ts

Español:
Algunos de nuestros caballos habían estado descalzos en la montaña toda su vida disfrutando de una existencia natural, mientras que otros han llegado de situaciones tristes a mejores condiciones y cuidados para el resto de sus días. En 2016, nos vimos obligados a trasladar a los caballos de su hogar en la montaña y desde entonces hemos estado trabajando para mejorar los nuevos pastos y las instalaciones tanto para caballos como para humanos. amantes. Hemos desarrollado un programa de voluntariado que permite que las personas vengan aquí para conocer a nuestro rebaño y ayudarnos a cuidarlos. Nuestros voluntarios a menudo descubren que aprender a responder a las necesidades particulares de cada caballo ayuda a su propio desarrollo. En 2020, nos convertimos en una parte entusiasta del programa Horse Charming y ofreceremos cursos profesionales en técnicas de entrenamiento no aversivas. También trabajamos con la comunidad española local para tratar de mejorar las condiciones de los caballos, mulas y burros españoles, muchos de los cuales llevan vidas antinaturales y a menudo dolorosas. Con más fondos, podríamos seguir adelante con este trabajo vital. Póngase en contacto para ver cómo puede participar.

03/08/2026

Left by Workawayer (Jacob)

"I was welcomed into the T&S Equine family for just shy of three weeks from March - April 2026, my only regret is that I could not have spent more time with these great people at this amazing Workaway.

Clare was immediately communicative and informative before I arrived, making sure all expectations were clear. The location is in the serene Serranía de Ronda near a small but picturesque village with several great bars. Clare taught me the morning routine with the horses and was very patient from the start. knowing me to be a complete novice. For a few additional work hours each week, I received some training and learned a lot about no-force horsemanship, the entire process was fascinating and Clare's expertise and enthusiasm really lent itself to her pedagogical approach.

I loved spending time getting to know the family and friends, having long talks, drinks, going to Ronda and local places together, this really made me feel like a part of the extended family. Chico, though I saw less of him, was also extremely kind, seriously if you have even the vaguest interest in Spanish rock music, speak to this man!

I've been away from this place for a few days now and still feel like I'm withdrawing (in the best possible way), I miss the village, work, surrounding campo, animals, but most of all the people! I fully endorse this workaway to anyone, experienced in horsemanship or with zero knowledge, it doesn't matter.

Thank you all again and I look forward to visiting again y obviamente seguimos en contacto. Un abrazo fuerte a todos!

P.S. Please give Bandolera a belly rub from me."

Want a piece of this? Just email us to start your volunteer journey today [email protected]

01/08/2026

Come on people! STOP taking carriage rides! We don't even want to visit Sevilla for this!

31/07/2026

Spotlight on Ponchi!

Age: 24 years old
Breed: Spanish Cross
Personality in 3 Words: Cautious, Sweet & Thoughtful
Force-Free Superpower: Voluntary consent for all handling routines such as fly masks and halters 🎯
Current Goal: Counter conditioning to wearing blankets and having mane brushed 🧣💆‍♀️

When we first met Ponchi, it was long before Time & Space Equine Sanctuary existed. Ponchi was working as a trail riding horse and, during those years, she gave birth to two foals, both of whom she sadly rejected.

When we transitioned to force-free practices, everything changed. Beneath it all, she was always a naturally sweet mare, but years of aversive handling had taught her that people could be unpredictable. When she felt trapped, she believed she had to protect herself.

Rather than expecting Ponchi to comply, we listened to what she was telling us, worked at her pace and rewarded every small step forward.

Today, the difference is remarkable. Tasks that once triggered defensive behaviour—like fly spray, fly masks and halters—have become calm, peaceful routines while she enjoys her hay. Winter rugs and mane brushing still require careful counter-conditioning, but we always work within her comfort zone.

One of the most emotional moments came during a quiet scratching session, when Ponchi melted into gentle scratches with deep yawns and soft eye rolls. It was a powerful reminder that healing doesn't happen through pressure—it happens when a horse feels safe enough to let go.

Ponchi reminds us that the strongest relationships aren't built through control—they're built by listening, respecting communication and allowing horses to be active participants in their own care. ✨🐴

28/07/2026

Spotlight on Calcetines!
Age: 14 years old
Breed: Pura Raza Española Cross
Personality in 3 Words: Gentle, Friendly & Sensitive
Force-Free Superpower: Target training, reliable recall & voluntarily lifting her feet 🎯
Current Goal: Desensitisation, voluntary hoof cleaning, and teaching body awareness and movement in different directions through positive reinforcement. ✨

Calcetines has been part of our story since the very beginning.

She was born on the mountain farm where our founder, Clare, first began working with horses after moving to Spain. As she grew into a beautiful PRE cross, people often asked when we would start riding her. To many, a horse like Calcetines was "too beautiful not to ride."

But our journey changed.

As our understanding of equine welfare evolved, so did our approach. We moved away from traditional methods and committed fully to force-free, science-based care. Riding was no longer our goal—her wellbeing was.

Because of that decision, Calcetines has never had to learn that humans bring pressure or punishment. Instead, she has grown up learning that people listen, choices matter, and participation is always voluntary.

Today she happily offers her hooves for care through consent-based training, follows targets with enthusiasm, and if you know her well, you'll know she's never one to turn down a good scratch 😂

Calcetines reminds us that horses don't need to be ridden to live rich, fulfilling lives. Sometimes the kindest thing we can do is simply let them be horses. 💚

28/07/2026

🚨 Urgent volunteer appeal – we need your help.
💚 We're looking for practical volunteers to help us prepare Time & Space Equine Sanctuary for the winter months. If you can spare some time—or know someone who can—we'd love to hear from you. Every share helps us reach the right people. Thank you for supporting our rescued horses. 🐴

25/07/2026

Spotlight on Maxo!

Age: 23 years old
Breed: Mixed breed
Personality in 3 Words: Motivated, Curious & Resilient
Force-Free Superpower: Target training for movement 🎯
Current Goal: Consent-based touch and gentle preparation for routine dental care 🩺

When we first met Maxo in 2010, he was the horse everyone relied on. He led trail rides, welcomed children at pony camp, and never caused a fuss. We believed he was naturally calm and well-behaved.

Years later, when our sanctuary transitioned to force-free practices and we stopped tying horses up, something unexpected happened...

Maxo started moving away from everything!

Once he was given the option to say "no", he initially chose to avoid halters, fly spray, rugs, grooming and even human touch.

By respecting his boundaries and using positive reinforcement, Maxo has slowly grown more curious, more confident and more willing to engage. Today, he'll happily choose to wear his fly mask and halter, and he'll even approach people simply because he wants to spend time with them!

Maxo reminds us that true trust isn't demanded—it's earned. Every small "yes" means so much more when a horse knows they're free to say "no." ✨️🐴

23/07/2026

Failing to prepare means preparing to fail ! Or so the saying goes...

21/07/2026

Volunteer Testimonials!

"Our time at the sanctuary provided us with many great experiences where we were given the opportunity to learn about a completely different side to horse behaviour and communication. This new knowledge was highly interesting and shifted our viewpoints towards horses and how we treat them.

Clare and Chico lovingly attend to their seven horses - each with their own trauma histories and patiently re-establish a trust relationship between horse and man. They use completely force-free methods - all aversive stimuli that are distressing for the horse are removed. So no pushing, no whipping, no kicking, no reins to pull on. Allowing each horse space to express their own voices again.

To learn about the patient and respectful way of force free training by Clare made us more sensitive to the power imbalance between horse and man. Becoming more attuned to the horse's calming signals made us question our own assumptions about how we think we should be treating animals.

Learning whilst brushing Ada as she is completely relaxed, that the moment she lifts her head up or shows some kind of calming signal I stop so she know that I will listen and that I am attuned to her... Really not that different to being attuned to my clients [trauma therapist].

We also found that clearing the fields by daily p**p picking was a surprisingly meditative Zen-like activity. 😀

Coming from Asia we enjoyed Spanish culture and learning a few Spanish words. We especially enjoyed visiting Ronda -the views are astonishing and the churros dipped in chocolate sauce to die for! We also thoroughly enjoyed learning from Elli who took us on a walk and talk about plants that we can eat and plants that are for medicinal use. We won't be looking at w**d the same way ever again!

Thank you so much Clare and Chico for making our time so special. Much love to Nora and Stella and the whole 4-legged gang!"

Start your journey with us today by emailing [email protected] !

20/07/2026

Volunteer Testimonial from Rosie!

"My week at the sanctuary was a fantastic experience, Clare has so much knowledge and experience and is a really great teacher. The setting is lovely, Atajate is a small, quiet mountain village and our house was really quaint and the sanctuary is walking distance away. I learned so much during my visit and I can't wait to go back and learn some more."

Start your journey on one of our volunteer programmes by emailing us today! [email protected]

Dirección

Atajate
Málaga
29494

Página web

https://timeandspace-equine.org/

Notificaciones

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