TOUCHING WILD with Bonny Mealand
5 DAY RESIDENTIAL EXPERIENCE (6 Nights)
Wild by Design
Free-Living Horses in Scotland's
Atlantic Rainforest
Learning about & from Horses in
Scotland's Atlantic Rainforest
Horse Behaviour, Conservation Grazing and Ecological Restoration
Spend five days immersed in one of Scotland’s living conservation landscapes, where horses are not simply managed animals but active ecological participants.
Learn alongside semi-wild, minimally handled ponies, learning how to understand behaviour through observation, context and relationship.. Explore how the landscape itself shapes movement, social dynamics and decision-making and discover how behaviour, welfare and ecology become inseparable when horses are allowed to live more naturally.
Through field observation, practical work with minimally handled ponies and conversations with those working at the forefront of ecological restoration, you will gain a richer understanding of both horses and the landscapes they help create.
Alongside this, you will spend a day with Nomios Pastoral, learning about the ancient pastoral tradition of transhumance and gaining a unique insight into the ecological and cultural relationships between grazing animals, people and place.
This is access to a world very few people ever get to see.
About the Experience
Wild by Design is an immersive residential learning experience for people who want to understand horses more deeply within the context of species-appropriate living, conservation grazing and ecological restoration.
Horses at the heart of the experience.
You will spend time observing, interpreting and working alongside minimally handled ponies, exploring how horses communicate, make decisions, respond to pressure, use space, maintain social relationships and interact with their environment.
The learning is grounded in the Holistic Equid Learning Plan - the HELP Model - a structured, welfare-centred framework developed through extensive fieldwork with wild, zoo-managed, conservation grazing and minimally handled equids.
The approach integrates ethology, behaviour, welfare, environmental context and practical decision-making. It supports safe, thoughtful and repeatable ways of working with horses with challenging behaviour or who may be unfamiliar with human contact.
Nomios Pastoral
Join Alec Heywood and Lizzie Mackenzie of Nomios Pastoral for a day exploring a different way of understanding grazing animals, landscapes and our place within them.
Drawing on the ancient pastoral tradition of transhumance, Alec and Lizzie's work is grounded in the belief that healthy landscapes emerge through relationships: between animals, people, plants, seasons and place. Their practice combines ecological restoration, traditional pastoral knowledge and close daily relationships with their herds of cattle and horses.
Rather than viewing grazing animals simply as tools of land management or units of production, Nomios Pastoral works with them as sentient, social and ecological participants. Through spending time alongside both their cattle and horse herds, participants will explore how trust, reciprocity and careful observation can shape not only our relationships with animals, but the landscapes we inhabit together.
The day will include time with both herds, opportunities to observe their social lives and interactions with the landscape, and conversations about topics including conservation grazing, species-appropriate living, traditional seasonal movement (transhumance), animal agency, and the role of humans as participants within ecological systems rather than managers standing outside them.
This is an invitation into a different way of seeing: one that asks what becomes possible when we approach animals, landscapes and ecological restoration through relationship, humility and mutual participation.
What Makes This Experience Unique?
Immersive and Educational: Learning To Learn From Horses
By observing horses living within functioning ecosystems, you will develop a deeper understanding of equine behaviour, welfare and communication through the lens of ethology and ecology.
Working alongside minimally handled ponies provides a rare opportunity to observe horses expressing a wide range of natural behaviours and social interactions. You will explore how choice, agency, social relationships, movement, foraging and the physical environment influence both welfare and behaviour, while challenging common assumptions about management and training.
You will also discover the ecological role of horses as ecosystem engineers, examining how grazing, browsing, movement and habitat use contribute to biodiversity and landscape restoration.
The experience will equip you with practical observation skills, a stronger understanding of horse behaviour and welfare, and a new perspective on how horses, people and landscapes are fundamentally interconnected.
The Experience includes:
Behaviour-led work with minimally handled ponies
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You will have the opportunity to work directly with semi-wild and minimally handled ponies in structured, supervised sessions.
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The focus will be on observation, timing, spatial awareness, behavioural thresholds, trust-building and calm, low-stress engagement.
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You will explore how to prepare horses for essential care in safe and ow-stress ways that are repeatable and enjoyable for all involved.
Learning through the HELP Model
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The HELP Model offers a practical framework for understanding and supporting horses in complex real-world situations.
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You will learn how to apply the model to assess behaviour in context, structure interactions, make decisions in real time, and develop approaches that are transferable across individuals, teams and settings.
Conservation grazing in practice
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You will explore how ponies contribute to ecological restoration through grazing, browsing, movement and habitat creation.
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This is an opportunity to understand conservation grazing not simply as land management, but as a relationship between animals, people, place and ecological process.
Transhumance with Nomios Pastoral
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Through spending time alongside both their cattle and horse herds, participants will explore how trust, reciprocity and careful observation can shape not only our relationships with animals, but the landscapes we inhabit together.
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This experience brings together traditional pastoral knowledge, ecological restoration and the cultural relationship between people, animals and land.
Key Themes
During the week, we will explore:
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Horse behaviour in ecological context
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Working with minimally handled and semi-wild ponies
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Behavioural thresholds, trust and voluntary interaction
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Reading movement, space use and social dynamics
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Preparing minimal handled ponies for essential care
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Conservation grazing and ecological restoration
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Welfare assessment in extensive systems
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Transhumance, pastoral knowledge and place
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The relationship between animals, people and landscape
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How to communicate high-welfare, evidence-informed practice clearly and credibly
Who This Workshop Is For
This experience is designed for people who want to deepen their understanding of horses, their behaviour and welfare, and the vital role they can play within conservation grazing and ecological restoration.
Whether you are an equine professional, conservation practitioner, researcher, land manager, student, or simply someone with a deep interest in horses and the natural world, the week offers a unique opportunity to explore horses through the lenses of ethology, ecology and compassionate, evidence-informed practice.
Some practical sessions involve working alongside minimally handled ponies. These sessions are carefully facilitated, with participation always guided and adapted to each individual's experience, confidence and comfort, creating a supportive learning environment for everyone.
Take Homes
By the end of the Experience, you will have explored how to:
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Observe horse behaviour through the lens of context, relationship and environment
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Recognise behavioural thresholds and early signs of escalation
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Structure calm, thoughtful interactions with minimally handled ponies
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Support voluntary engagement and reduce reliance on pressure
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Understand how landscape, movement and social life influence behaviour
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Develop practical approaches for essential care in extensive systems
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Think about welfare through physical, behavioural and emotional domains
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Understand horses as ecological participants within living landscapes
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Communicate conservation grazing and welfare-centred practice with greater clarity and confidence
Meet the Team
About Bonny Mealand
Bonny Mealand is the founder of Touching Wild, an equine behaviour specialist and equine podiatrist working at the intersection of horse behaviour, welfare, hoof health and ecological systems.
Her work focuses on species-appropriate, welfare-centred approaches to working with unhandled, minimally handled and free-living equids across conservation, zoo and domestic contexts.
Bonny is the developer of the Holistic Equid Learning Plan - the HELP Model - shaped through extensive fieldwork with wild, zoo-managed and conservation grazing equids, including award-winning work with takhi at RZSS Highland Wildlife Park.
Her approach integrates ethology, careful observation, practical handling experience and a deep respect for the horse’s lived experience.
About Nomios Pastoral
Alec Heywood and Lizzie Mackenzie
Alec Heywood and Lizzie Mackenzie of Nomios Pastoral work to restore ecological function and resilient pastoral systems through the careful stewardship of grazing animals and the revival of transhumance practices.
Their work shows how wilder grazing, seasonal movement and thoughtful human participation can help rebuild healthy soils, spread seeds, create varied habitats and support richer, more resilient landscapes.
Nomios Pastoral sees animals not as production units, but as ecological participants.
Their contribution to this experience brings a wider ecological and cultural lens to the role of grazing animals in living landscapes.
Accommodation & Setting
The experience takes place on the west coast of Scotland, within a landscape shaped by sea, woodland, hill ground, grazing animals and ecological restoration.
Accommodation is shared and self-catered, offering a comfortable and relaxed base for focused learning, conversation and reflection.
This is a small-group experience, designed to allow individual support, meaningful discussion and a safe, responsive learning environment.
Accommodation Options
All accommodation is comfortable, welcoming and situated in a beautiful coastal village. Each option enjoys sea views and is within easy walking distance of the beach, harbour, local café, shop and other village amenities. The accommodation is self-catered, providing a relaxed and flexible base where you can unwind after each day and enjoy the peaceful surroundings
Self-contained flat
A private flat with a double bedroom, sea views and your own kitchen, bathroom and living space, ideal if you prefer complete privacy.
Single occupancy room in a shared house/flat
Your own double bedroom within a shared house, with shared kitchen, bathroom and comfortable living areas.
Shared twin room in a shared house/flat
A twin bedroom shared with one other participant, with shared kitchen, bathroom and living spaces, offering a sociable and affordable option.
HOW TO APPLY
Places are limited to keep the group small and ensure a focused, supportive learning environment.
If you’d like to join us, please
complete the application form:
Practical Information
Duration:
5 training days within a 6-night residential stay
Dates:
28th July - 3rd August 2026
Location:
West Coast of Scotland
Accommodation:
Shared, Self-catered
Group Size:
Limited places to ensure a focused and
supportive learning environment.
Fitness Level:
A reasonable level of fitness is required, as the week includes walking across varied terrain, including woodland, rough tracks and Scottish hills. You should be comfortable spending time outdoors in all weather conditions.
Price
Course fee - £ 450
Includes:
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Five days of immersive teaching and guided field learning
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Practical sessions with minimally handled ponies
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Visits to conservation grazing and pastoral projects
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Learning from experienced practitioners and guest speakers
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Small-group tuition with plenty of opportunity for discussion and questions
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Course materials and resources
Accommodation (6 nights, self-catered)
Choose the option that best suits you
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Shared twin room – £95 (£15.80 per night)
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Double room (single occupancy) – £310 (£51.70 per night)
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Private self-contained flat – £520 (£86.70 per night
Total Prices
Learning experience + shared twin room: £690
Learning experience + single occupancy double room: £905
Learning experience + private flat: £1,115
Why Join Us?
There are very few places where these worlds come together.
Wild by Design is for people who want more than techniques.
It is for those who want to understand horses as sentient, social, ecological beings - and to explore what becomes possible when we meet them with curiosity, skill, humility and care.
