TOUCHING WILD with Bonny Mealand
“I arrived expecting noise, tension, and stressed animals. Instead, I found semi-feral ponies sleeping peacefully just metres from people. I had never seen livestock handling like this before.”
Trying to help your horse,
but unsure what to do next?
Often, what’s missing isn’t skill or effort - but clarity.
You’re paying attention
You care deeply
And yet, the old answers no longer fit
Touching Wild Academy offers a different way of seeing, grounded in ethology and the horse’s lived experience.
From there, you build confidence in what you’re seeing and how to respond.
Beginning with
Ethology: The Horse in Context
Let me help you help your horse
For over 30 years, I’ve worked alongside horses and other equids in domestic, conservation, zoological and wild contexts. Much of that time is spent in the field, across diverse landscapes, learning how equids live, relate and make sense of their world.
Those insights are brought back into practical, science-informed support for people caring for horses in complex or unfamiliar situations, from domestic owners to zoo keepers, wardens and welfare professionals.
I don’t offer quick fixes or one-size-fits-all answers. Instead, I help you build the clarity
and confidence to make thoughtful,
horse-centred decisions that genuinely
fit your horse and your situation.
Touching Wild Academy is where
decades of field experience, research,
careful observation and practical
application are distilled into a
clear, horse-centred way of learning.
It is also the pathway for those who
wish to progress into more practical,
hands-on work with me, particularly
with wild and unhandled horses.
How to Begin
There are two ways to step into Touching Wild Academy, depending on what you need right now.
The orange path is for those who want to deepen understanding, gain insight and build confidence in how they see and support their horse.
The red path is for those working with a complex or challenging equid, who are seeking closer mentorship and guided support alongside that learning.
Two ways to step in
Both pathways share the same horse-centred, ethological foundation. The difference is how much guidance you want and whether you’re building foundations or working through a specific, complex situation.
There’s no right or wrong entry point - just different kinds of support.
Start date: Tuesday 17 February 2026
The first day of the Year of the Fire Horse.
.
PATH 2
Applied Ethology Mentorship
Mentored support alongside Ethology: The Horse in Context, if you need one-to-one help and support with your horse or equid.
PATH 1
Ethology: The Horse in Context
An 6-week guided online
course with live sessions
Before behaviour can be addressed,
it needs to be understood.
This course helps you place what you’re seeing into context,
so behaviour is no longer viewed in isolation, but as part of a larger, meaningful picture.
Shaped by years spent observing and working alongside different equid species across diverse landscapes, and grounded in behavioural science, Ethology: The Horse in Context develops the core skill of interpreting behaviour through an ethological lens. You’ll learn to see more clearly, ask better questions and respond with informed care.
Learning takes place alongside others who care deeply about horses, through live sessions and shared Field Lab exercises. This foundational course is for thoughtful equid guardians and professionals seeking practical insight, a deeper understanding of the horse’s experience and a clear framework for keeping that experience at the centre of their decisions.
This mentorship supports you to use ethology in practice,
applying it as a practical way of observing behaviour in context, interpreting
what you see and making careful, horse-centred decisions in real-world situations
where uncertainty, welfare considerations and practical constraints often meet.
It is for people who need one-to-one support alongside their learning, including domestic horse owners, vets, trainers, behaviourists, zoo keepers, wardens and others responsible for equid care. It is especially suited to thoughtful guardians and professionals who value depth over speed, clarity over certainty and relationship over technique.
You’ll work with a real case - your own horse, a professional case or a retrospective situation - supported by guidance shaped through decades of fieldwork and applied practice.
Rather than prescribing answers, this pathway helps you see more clearly what matters, what is influencing behaviour and what options are genuinely available in your specific context.
Support is offered through one-to-one sessions and a small, carefully held peer group. Together, we take time with complexity, developing responses that fit your equid, your situation and your values.
This is a pathway for navigating complexity with care, clarity and growing confidence.
Spaces are limited to ensure individual attention.
PATH 2
Applied Ethology Mentorship
Mentored support alongside
Ethology: The Horse in Context
Frequently Asked Questions
This work may not be the right fit if…
You’re looking for quick-fix behaviour solutions, training techniques, or performance-driven outcomes.
Touching Wild Academy centres understanding, relationship and welfare before action.
