#11 Wild Horses and Rewriting Stories Healing and Horsemanship
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- Alternative Health
Wild horses spark inspiration in our hearts and minds, but that isn’t all that they fuel. They are also source of hundreds of years of controversy and debate, that continues to this day in the not-so-wild west.
This episode is about my journey coming to know wild horses, from an activists perspective, then a trainer’s perspective, a guardian’s perspective and then finally from the perspective of a researcher. In this episode I’ll be sharing all about the history of the wild horse in North America, as well as their present day plight, and why it’s even of consequence.
The main reason I’m devoting this episode to wild horses, though, is because over the last decade I have essentially voluntarily and figuratively been dragged away by wild horses. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their influence in my life.
And that said, I have some big announcements to share - all of which, were inspired by wild horses.
I’m self publishing a book, What We Tame, a collection of stories on gentling wild mustangs! Pre-sale options will be coming soon. The book will be available in print and as an e-book in November 2023!!!
I’m also breathing new life into an old project, geared towards better understanding American mustangs, and all stories and perspectives that weave their narrative. I've launched The Wild Side: An Exploration of the Untamed - which is part Archive, part Community, designed to bring the wild horse community closer together and educate people about why wild horses matter. So if you are voluntarily dragged away by wild horses too, I hope to see you over at The Wild Side.
In this episode I talk about:
- The history of the wild horse in North America, as well as their present day plight
- What exactly an American mustang is, and why they matter
- The graphic details concerning the violence committed against them that led to the grassroots activism campaign and the passing of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act
- The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program and the complex pros and cons of the current management practices
- How my interactions with wild horses as a trainer led me to question the management practices of on-range populations
- Why my research on American mustangs in my postgraduate program in Anthrozoology drove me to gallop headlong into the wild horse controversy
- The importance of reflecting on our beliefs, unpacking our perspectives, and truly listening to others who think differently
- The difference between wild horse activists and wild horse advocates (and why I call myself an advocate)
- Why I believe that wild horses are the main character in my story
- How essential it is to think outside of ourselves - to think what the horse would want, instead of just what we want, and why there is often a difference between the two
Resources:
This show is supported by The Herd.
I believe we’re only as strong as our herd. Become a Herd Member today! Membership offers behind-the-scenes bonuses for each episode, and access to my growing archive of content on all things health, wellness, and horses.
Check out the post that expands on this episode, ‘Wild Horses and Rewriting Stories’ on the blog.
Links from this episode:
The Wild Side Archive
The Wild Side Community
What We Tame - my book coming soon!!!
Montgomery Creek Ranch
Wild Horse Native Species Research
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program
Mustang: The Saga of the Wild Horse in the American West by Deanne Stillman
Wild Horse Country: the History, Myth, and Future of the Mustang by David Philipps
Population Genetics of Great Basin Wild Horses
Wild Horse Annie and the Last of the Mustangs by David Cruise and Alison Griffiths
Wild Horses Adopted Under a Federal Program are Going to Slaughter by Dave Philipps
Wild Horses, Wilder Controversy by Ben Masters
Wild Willing Therapeutics & Training
Wild Willing on Instagram
The Herd Membership
Podcast cover photo by Tricia Mogensen
Wild horses spark inspiration in our hearts and minds, but that isn’t all that they fuel. They are also source of hundreds of years of controversy and debate, that continues to this day in the not-so-wild west.
This episode is about my journey coming to know wild horses, from an activists perspective, then a trainer’s perspective, a guardian’s perspective and then finally from the perspective of a researcher. In this episode I’ll be sharing all about the history of the wild horse in North America, as well as their present day plight, and why it’s even of consequence.
The main reason I’m devoting this episode to wild horses, though, is because over the last decade I have essentially voluntarily and figuratively been dragged away by wild horses. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their influence in my life.
And that said, I have some big announcements to share - all of which, were inspired by wild horses.
I’m self publishing a book, What We Tame, a collection of stories on gentling wild mustangs! Pre-sale options will be coming soon. The book will be available in print and as an e-book in November 2023!!!
I’m also breathing new life into an old project, geared towards better understanding American mustangs, and all stories and perspectives that weave their narrative. I've launched The Wild Side: An Exploration of the Untamed - which is part Archive, part Community, designed to bring the wild horse community closer together and educate people about why wild horses matter. So if you are voluntarily dragged away by wild horses too, I hope to see you over at The Wild Side.
In this episode I talk about:
- The history of the wild horse in North America, as well as their present day plight
- What exactly an American mustang is, and why they matter
- The graphic details concerning the violence committed against them that led to the grassroots activism campaign and the passing of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act
- The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program and the complex pros and cons of the current management practices
- How my interactions with wild horses as a trainer led me to question the management practices of on-range populations
- Why my research on American mustangs in my postgraduate program in Anthrozoology drove me to gallop headlong into the wild horse controversy
- The importance of reflecting on our beliefs, unpacking our perspectives, and truly listening to others who think differently
- The difference between wild horse activists and wild horse advocates (and why I call myself an advocate)
- Why I believe that wild horses are the main character in my story
- How essential it is to think outside of ourselves - to think what the horse would want, instead of just what we want, and why there is often a difference between the two
Resources:
This show is supported by The Herd.
I believe we’re only as strong as our herd. Become a Herd Member today! Membership offers behind-the-scenes bonuses for each episode, and access to my growing archive of content on all things health, wellness, and horses.
Check out the post that expands on this episode, ‘Wild Horses and Rewriting Stories’ on the blog.
Links from this episode:
The Wild Side Archive
The Wild Side Community
What We Tame - my book coming soon!!!
Montgomery Creek Ranch
Wild Horse Native Species Research
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program
Mustang: The Saga of the Wild Horse in the American West by Deanne Stillman
Wild Horse Country: the History, Myth, and Future of the Mustang by David Philipps
Population Genetics of Great Basin Wild Horses
Wild Horse Annie and the Last of the Mustangs by David Cruise and Alison Griffiths
Wild Horses Adopted Under a Federal Program are Going to Slaughter by Dave Philipps
Wild Horses, Wilder Controversy by Ben Masters
Wild Willing Therapeutics & Training
Wild Willing on Instagram
The Herd Membership
Podcast cover photo by Tricia Mogensen