TOUCHING WILD with Bonny Mealand
The Horse in Context:
A 6-week guided learning
programme alongside other
thoughtful learners.
An immersive journey into equine ethology, behaviour, ecology and welfare.
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See with clarity
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Understand with compassion
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Respond with confidence
Start date: Monday 17 August 2026
“Clear, grounded, and deeply
compassionate - science with soul.”
Welcome
Grounded in science • Guided by the horse.
Touching Wild Academy exists to help people develop a deeper understanding of horses by learning to see the world through their experience.
If you've ever felt there was more to horses than conventional advice could explain, you're not alone. Many of us have sensed that behaviour cannot be fully understood in isolation, and that lasting understanding begins with the horse's own perspective.
This learning pathway offers a slower, more thoughtful approach to understanding behaviour - one grounded in ethology, guided by careful observation and shaped by the horse's lived experience.
Here, curiosity is valued over certainty, thoughtful questions come before quick answers, and understanding forms the foundation for compassionate, informed decisions.
Designed for people who
want to see Horses differently
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You care deeply about horses
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You want to understand behaviour rather than simply change it
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You believe context matters
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You enjoy asking thoughtful questions
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You'd rather observe first than assume
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If that sounds like you, you'll feel at home here
Image © International Takhi Group
What this course supports you to do
Better Questions
Ask better questions before
deciding what to do
This is not about acquiring techniques or being given answers.
It’s about developing clarity, discernment and confidence in how you interpret what you see.
“"What has stayed with me most strongly is not an idea or concept but a way of being."”
How learning unfolds
Learn at Your Own Pace
This isn't a course to rush through.
Each week unfolds at a steady rhythm, with live sessions, recordings, discussion and Field Labs.
Join in when you can. Reflect in your own time. Return whenever you need to.
Learning isn't measured by how quickly you move through the material, but by how deeply you begin to see.
“This work changed how I understand
trust and relationship with horses.”
Explore Together
This isn't about finding the "right" answers.
It's about learning to ask thoughtful questions, exploring ideas together and developing explanations that hold across different horses and different contexts.
Grounded in behavioural science and enriched by discussion, you'll gradually develop an ethological way of thinking that you can apply with confidence.
“Knowing others are thinking just as
carefully has been a quiet relief.”
Observe Before You Interpret
Understanding begins with careful observation.
Throughout the course you'll take part in Field Labs that encourage you to slow down, notice more and explore behaviour in context.
You'll work with your own observations, alongside extensive footage of free-living and domestic horses, building the confidence to recognise meaningful patterns rather than isolated events.
“I’m far more confident now in advocating for
my horses and thinking things through with care.”
Learn With Others
Some of the richest learning happens in conversation.
You'll join a community of thoughtful horse owners, professionals, students and researchers who enjoy asking careful questions and sharing different perspectives.
Together we create a space where curiosity is valued, assumptions can be challenged and everyone continues learning.
“Never rushed, always guided
by the horse’s wellbeing.”
Guidance & Facilitation
Learning spaces are thoughtfully facilitated.
This is a place for careful observation, thoughtful questions and respectful discussion. Conversations are gently guided to help keep the work grounded, proportionate and centred on the horse's experience.
Questions are explored slowly, with attention to context, evidence and different perspectives. There is no expectation to have the answers, only a willingness to observe, reflect and remain curious.
Boundaries are part of the care of this space. Rather than offering quick fixes or unsolicited advice, we create the conditions for understanding to emerge through shared enquiry.
“Professional and deeply humane,
without ever feeling sterile or prescriptive."
Where Science Meets Experience
Over the years, this work has taken me from:
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observing wild zebra in Zimbabwe,
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studying Takhi on the Mongolian steppe,
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following free-living horse herds across Europe,
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working alongside conservation grazing ponies restoring biodiversity,
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supporting zoo-kept equids,
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building trust with minimally handled horses,
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and working with domestic horses in everyday life.
That practical experience is continually informed by behavioural science, welfare research and postgraduate study in equine science.
Neither sits above the other. Observation and science work together, each enriching the other.
Together, they have shaped an ethological perspective grounded in observation, behavioural science and a deep respect for the horse's experience.
“It’s impossible not to feel inspired when
learning alongside someone so deeply
committed to improving the lives of equines."
Testimonials
What happens next
1
Join
You join a friendly cohort and begin by gently orienting to the rhythm of the pathway and the shared agreements that support thoughtful learning.
2
Learn
From there, learning unfolds week by week through live sessions, observation practice and reflection. There’s space to absorb, question and integrate what you’re noticing into your own situations, without pressure to perform or keep up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pricing for - Ethology: The Horse In Context
Starting Monday 17 August 2026
Ethology: The Horse in Context
6 weeks · live teaching · shared learning
3 months’ access to recordings and resources
INCLUDES:
• Weekly live teaching sessions with Q&A
• Curated learning resources
• Access to a supportive learning community
What your place includes :
Start date:
Monday 17 August 2026
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Weekly live sessions and Q&A
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Weekly webinar recordings
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Curated scientific papers and resource lists
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Access to the learning and discussion spaces
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Field lab practical exercises
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Journal club