The Touch of a Mustang | Wellness and Healing Through Wild Horses and the Natural World

Shalyce Cluff
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  • Alternative Health
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Through extraordinary stories and honest conversations, The Touch of a Mustang explores the places and principles that lead to healing, growth, and freedom of mind. We bring together horses, psychology, relationships, resilience, horsemanship, and nature to uncover lessons for living with greater awareness and purpose. We explore the wisdom horses offer, how they guide us through the human experience, and our responsibility to protect and preserve them—especially America’s wild Mustangs.

  1. 2 days ago

    When the Place You Go to Heal Is Gone | Episode 88

    What happens when the place you have always gone to heal is suddenly devastated? The Aspen Acres Fire swept across our property outside Beulah, Colorado, leaving the mountains transformed and setting off a chain of events that left two of my horses seriously injured. While the horses were evacuated, a mountain lion attacked one mare and the herd fled through 11 fences. The land and horses that had carried me through difficult seasons suddenly needed care of their own. In this solo episode, I share what this Colorado wildfire taught me about grief, gratitude, and the uneven nature of healing. As the burned landscape and my horses recover, I explore why loss should not be rushed toward a silver lining, what setbacks reveal about the healing process, and what it means to care for the animals who once carried you. Healing does not always restore what was there before. Sometimes the landscape remains changed, the scars remain visible, and life still begins growing again. CONNECT WITH THE TOUCH OF A MUSTANG Website: https://thetouchofamustang.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetouchofamustang/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTouchofaMustang SUPPORT THE PODCAST https://ko-fi.com/thetouchofamustang Follow The Touch of a Mustang for more stories about horses, the people they meet, and what those relationships reveal about healing, resilience, and being human.

    When the Place You Go to Heal Is Gone | Episode 88

  2. 3 Sept

    Horses Can't Heal You, But They Can Show You The Way with Michelle Peterson | Episode 87

    Horses cannot heal us—and expecting them to may place a burden on them that was never theirs to carry. They can reflect how we are showing up, reveal what we have been unwilling to see, and guide us toward the truth we are seeking. But the work remains ours. In this episode, Michelle Peterson of Medicine Horse Healing challenges the romanticized idea that horses are here to save us. We examine what healing with horses actually means when we stop casting the horse as the healer and begin taking responsibility for our own transformation. Michelle explains how releasing ego can strengthen our relationships with horses, why genuine connection requires time and attention, and how horses can act as mirrors without doing the work for us. We also confront the responsibility humans have toward horses when involving them in our healing and personal growth. The truth is less magical—and more demanding—than “horses heal.” They may help us uncover the path, but they cannot walk it for us. CONNECT WITH MICHELLE PETERSON Website: https://www.michelle-peterson.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/medicinehorsehealing/Rescued Hearts: https://www.rescuedheartsfilm.com/Dance of the Wild: https://www.danceofthewild.com/ CONNECT WITH THE TOUCH OF A MUSTANG Website: https://thetouchofamustang.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetouchofamustang/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTouchofaMustang SUPPORT THE PODCAST https://ko-fi.com/thetouchofamustang Follow The Touch of a Mustang so you don’t miss more conversations about how horses can guide us toward healing, wellness, and greater freedom of mind.

    Horses Can't Heal You, But They Can Show You The Way with Michelle Peterson | Episode 87

  3. 27 Aug

    Healing Burnout and Overwhelm Through Sound with Craig Goldberg | Episode 86

    What if the reason you cannot relax is that you are trying to think your way out of a state your body is still holding? Modern life can leave the nervous system stuck on alert—even when no immediate danger exists. Craig Goldberg, co-founder of inHarmony, believes sound and physical vibration may help the body find its way back to calm. After one sound session gave Craig a level of relaxation he had never experienced, he began exploring vibroacoustic therapy—an approach that combines audible frequencies with vibration you can physically feel. That experience eventually led him to help build inHarmony and introduce thousands of people to the practice. In this episode, we examine what sound healing actually is, how vibroacoustic therapy interacts with the body, and what emerging research suggests about its potential role in relaxation, sleep, mindfulness, and stress regulation. Craig also explains how sound can be incorporated into meditation and breathwork—and why deep rest may require more than simply telling yourself to relax. This is not a promise that one frequency will fix your life. It is an honest look at whether sound and vibration can help an overstimulated body finally let go. ABOUT CRAIG GOLDBERG Craig Goldberg is a certified Vibroacoustic Therapy Practitioner and co-founder of inHarmony. His work focuses on the intersection of sound, physical vibration, relaxation, and human well-being. CONNECT WITH CRAIG Website: https://iaminharmony.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inharmonyinteractive/ CONNECT WITH THE TOUCH OF A MUSTANG Website: https://thetouchofamustang.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetouchofamustang/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTouchofaMustang SUPPORT THE PODCAST https://ko-fi.com/thetouchofamustang Follow The Touch of a Mustang so you don’t miss more conversations about how horses, nature, and science can guide us toward healing, wellness, and greater freedom of mind.

    Healing Burnout and Overwhelm Through Sound with Craig Goldberg | Episode 86

  4. 20 Aug

    What We've Lost by Disconnecting From Nature with Kurt Belding | Episode 85

    A wild horse advocate and a hunter are supposed to be on opposite sides. But public lands will not be protected by people who refuse to speak across the divide. In this episode, Kurt Belding of Western Obsessions TV joins me for an unapologetic conversation about ethical hunting, conservation, and what modern life is costing us as we become increasingly disconnected from nature. For Kurt, harvesting an animal is not about domination or trophies. It is a sacred responsibility rooted in fair chase, discipline, gratitude, and respect for the life being taken. His perspective challenges the assumptions many people hold about hunters—and reveals unexpected common ground with those fighting to protect wild horses. We explore why the most difficult paths often create the deepest meaning, how time in nature can restore something modern life strips away, and why protecting wildlife and public lands will require cooperation between people who do not agree on everything. This episode does not ask you to agree with hunting. It asks a harder question: Can those who care about Mustangs, wildlife, open spaces, and the human need for wildness protect any of them if we remain divided? At its heart, this is a conversation about one of the central ideas behind The Touch of a Mustang: wild places do more than give animals somewhere to live. They can guide people toward greater purpose, responsibility, humility, and freedom of mind. ABOUT KURT BELDING Kurt Belding is the driving force behind Western Obsessions TV and Hunt Adventures. His work promotes fair-chase hunting, ethical conservation, and a lifetime of meaningful outdoor adventure. CONNECT WITH KURT Website: https://westernobsessionstv.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WesternObsessionsTVInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/western_obsessions_tv/ CONNECT WITH THE TOUCH OF A MUSTANG Website: https://thetouchofamustang.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetouchofamustang/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTouchofaMustang SUPPORT THE PODCAST https://ko-fi.com/thetouchofamustang Follow The Touch of a Mustang for more conversations about the places and principles that can guide us toward healing, wellness, and greater freedom of mind.

    What We've Lost by Disconnecting From Nature with Kurt Belding | Episode 85

  5. 11 Aug

    Why Horses Might Hold the Healing You've Been Searching For with Vanessa Petronelli | Episode 84

    When the life you built no longer feels like yours, losing your old identity can feel like failure. But what if the unraveling is not the end of who you are—what if it is how you find your way back? Vanessa Petronelli of Equine Soul Journeys joins me to explore how horses can guide us through life transitions, identity shifts, and the uncomfortable space between who we have been and who we are becoming. Horses cannot give us the answers or decide what comes next. But they meet us without being impressed by our roles, accomplishments, or explanations. In their presence, we may begin to see where our lives no longer reflect what we know to be true. We discuss why transition can leave us feeling lost, how expectations and old identities separate us from ourselves, and what it means to stop performing a life that no longer fits. Vanessa also explains how the horse-human connection can create space for greater honesty, clarity, and meaningful change. At the heart of this conversation is a difficult question: How much of the life you call your own was built around who other people expected you to be? ABOUT VANESSA PETRONELLI Vanessa is an equine-guided transformational facilitator, speaker, and founder of Equine Soul Journeys near Nashville, Tennessee. With 17 years of international experience, she works alongside her herd through private sessions, retreats, and Women’s Circles with Horses to help people reconnect with their authentic selves. CONNECT WITH VANESSA Website: https://equinesouljourney.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/vanessapetronelliFacebook: https://facebook.com/vanessa.petronelliTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@iamvanessapetronelli CONNECT WITH THE TOUCH OF A MUSTANG Website: https://thetouchofamustang.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetouchofamustang/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTouchofaMustang SUPPORT THE PODCAST https://ko-fi.com/thetouchofamustang Follow The Touch of a Mustang for more conversations about the places and principles that can guide us toward healing, wellness, and greater freedom of mind.

    Why Horses Might Hold the Healing You've Been Searching For with Vanessa Petronelli | Episode 84

  6. 4 Aug

    Healing What Modern Life Has Broken with Chance Foreman and Grant Rose | Episode 83

    America’s wild Mustangs are usually discussed as a problem to manage, a population to control, or horses that need to be trained. Dance of the Wild tells the story almost no one is telling—what happens when formerly wild horses are valued not for what humans can make them do, but for what becomes possible in their presence. Filmmakers Chance Foreman and Grant Rose set out to document wild Mustangs. Along the way, they discovered women working beside horses once considered unwanted or discarded—and an overlooked path to hope, connection, and healing. This is not a horse-training film. Through striking cinematography and intimate stories, Dance of the Wild explores the horse-human connection and the role Mustangs can play in helping people find a way forward. It also raises a larger question: Could recognizing what wild horses offer humanity change whether we choose to protect them? Chance and Grant reveal how the documentary evolved, what the women and Mustangs at its center taught them, and why this story matters far beyond the traditional horse world. Chance Foreman is an award-winning filmmaker, poet, and global storyteller whose credits include Kiss the Ground and Common Ground, along with projects for Netflix, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime. His short documentary set in Brazil received the Grand Jury Award for Activism. Grant Eric Rose is an entrepreneur, storyteller, and producer whose work explores nature, purpose, and human connection. Dance of the Wild, his debut feature documentary, reflects his commitment to healing, conservation, and belonging. CONNECT WITH DANCE OF THE WILD Website: https://www.danceofthewild.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danceofthewildfilm/ CONNECT WITH CHANCE FOREMAN Website: https://www.chanceforeman.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chance_foreman/ CONNECT WITH THE TOUCH OF A MUSTANG Website: https://thetouchofamustang.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetouchofamustang/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTouchofaMustang SUPPORT THE PODCAST https://ko-fi.com/thetouchofamustang Follow The Touch of a Mustang so you don’t miss more conversations about how horses can guide us toward healing, wellness, and greater freedom of mind.

    Healing What Modern Life Has Broken with Chance Foreman and Grant Rose | Episode 83

  7. 25 Jun

    Becoming Blind as a Teen with Laura Bratton | Episode 82

    Laura Bratton was nine years old when she learned she would become blind. For the next ten years, she lived with the knowledge that the future she feared was coming—while navigating adolescence and trying to build an identity beyond what she was losing. How do you grieve a life-changing loss without giving up on the possibility of a good life? Laura and I speak honestly about losing her sight as a teenager, the anxiety and depression that accompanied it, and the panic attacks that made an already difficult transition even harder. She shares the practice that helped reduce those attacks, the strategies she used to keep moving forward, and the ways her guide dog transformed her life far beyond helping her physically navigate the world. This is not a story about pretending blindness became easy or forcing gratitude onto grief. It is about learning that grief and a meaningful life can exist at the same time—and discovering that resilience is not the absence of pain, but the decision to keep building a life within it. ABOUT LAURA BRATTON Laura is the author of Harnessing Courage and the founder of Ubi Global, where she uses speaking and coaching to help people navigate challenges with grit and gratitude. CONNECT WITH LAURA Website: https://www.laurabratton.com/ CONNECT WITH THE TOUCH OF A MUSTANG Website: https://thetouchofamustang.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetouchofamustang/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTouchofaMustang SUPPORT THE PODCAST https://ko-fi.com/thetouchofamustang Follow The Touch of a Mustang for more conversations about the places and principles that can guide us toward healing, wellness, and greater freedom of mind.

    Becoming Blind as a Teen with Laura Bratton | Episode 82

  8. 18 Jun

    Her Horse Needed Her to Find Another Way with Chiara Maria | Episode 81

    Chiara Maria walked away from the life society expected her to live. Years later, she faced the same choice with horsemanship when her horse Descot needed something different—and continuing to follow the traditional path meant ignoring what she could see in front of her. Without a new system to replace the old one, Chiara began paying closer attention to her horse, trusting her intuition, and developing a relationship rooted in acceptance rather than fear and expectation. We discuss why acceptance may be one of the greatest gifts we can offer ourselves and our horses, how our fears enter the horse-human relationship, and what it takes to release the need to follow someone else’s path. Chiara also shares what horses taught her about purpose, individuality, and allowing the parts of ourselves that do not fit conventional expectations to become strengths. This is not about rejecting every traditional horsemanship method or blindly following every feeling. It is about having the courage to notice when the relationship in front of you is asking for something different. Sometimes finding your way does not mean discovering the right path. It means allowing yourself to leave one that was never yours. ABOUT CHIARA MARIA Chiara is the creator behind Grow with Horses. Her work explores intuitive horsemanship, acceptance, personal growth, and building relationships with horses that honor the individuality of both horse and human. CONNECT WITH CHIARA Website: https://chiara-maria.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grow_with_horses/ CONNECT WITH THE TOUCH OF A MUSTANG Website: https://thetouchofamustang.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetouchofamustang/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTouchofaMustang SUPPORT THE PODCAST https://ko-fi.com/thetouchofamustang Follow The Touch of a Mustang for more conversations about the places and principles that can guide us toward healing, wellness, and greater freedom of mind.

    Her Horse Needed Her to Find Another Way with Chiara Maria | Episode 81
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About

Through extraordinary stories and honest conversations, The Touch of a Mustang explores the places and principles that lead to healing, growth, and freedom of mind. We bring together horses, psychology, relationships, resilience, horsemanship, and nature to uncover lessons for living with greater awareness and purpose. We explore the wisdom horses offer, how they guide us through the human experience, and our responsibility to protect and preserve them—especially America’s wild Mustangs.

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