Your Horse Doesn't Want What You Think It Wants

Описание: Bonny Mealand - Equine Podiatrist, Touching Wild Founder
In this episode: Bonny Mealand has spent 20 years studying wild horses, she talks about how horses' entire lives revolve around social relationships, and how watching wild horses changes the way we advocate for domestic horses.

Key topics:

Why social relationships are horses' primary need (not hierarchy or survival)
The two-year commitment: not riding until her mare genuinely agreed
How wild horse behavior reveals what we're missing in domestic horse care


Guest contact & resources:
Touching Wild Academy: https://www.touchingwild.com/twacademy
Learning Wild workshops: https://www.touchingwild.com/
Intro Video Credit: Lizzie MacKenzie, Of The Wild - visit the Touching Wild Academy to watch in full.
Intro Photo Credits: Jean Sinclair. Takhi in Mongolia Photo Credit Nancy Clarke.

00:00:00 Bonny's Journey: Unlearning Domestic Horse Beliefs
00:03:35 Not Riding for Two Years: Rebuilding Trust with a Mare
00:08:25 From Podiatry to Wild Horses: Inspired by Lucy Rees
00:12:58 Building an Academy for All: Neurodiversity and Learning Styles
00:22:49 Understanding Domestic Horses Through Their Wild Counterparts
00:30:13 How 6000 Years of Domestication Shaped Horse Temperament
00:39:05 Why Current Domestic Horse Care Often Falls Short
00:42:58 The Critical Importance of Equine Friendship and Family Bonds
00:52:45 The Endless Discoveries in Observing Wild Horse Dynamics

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Curious Equestrian challenges conventional wisdom in the horse world. We interview researchers, vets, and evidence-based trainers to ask uncomfortable questions about how we care for and train horses.

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Additional Resources mentioned in this episode:

Horses in Company by Lucy Rees: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/4745/978190...
Horses in Our Hands: https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/wha...
5 Domains of Horse Welfare: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/10/...