Learning Wild Courses with Equine International and Touching Wild

Come  and spend 5 days immersed in the wild lives of the free-living Eriskay  ponies who roam across on the beautiful island of Eriskay in the Outer  Hebrides. 

This special place has been  home to ponies for many generations and how they even reached the  island has been lost to the mists of time. The history of the ponies is  closely intertwined with the lives and Gaelic culture of the islanders.  Eriskay ponies are among the last surviving remnants of the original  native ponies of the Western Isles of Scotland.
These ponies are perfectly adapted to the harsh conditions of the  Atlantic Seaboard and navigate the challenging terrain with agility and  grace. For many generations they were invaluable to the island  inhabitants who used them to carry panniers of peat for winter fuel and  seaweed from the shore to fertilise the land and they continue to be an  important part of Island life. Because the ponies' connection to the  island and its people is still kept alive, we have the incredible  opportunity of looking at equine culture, human culture and the  coexistence of the two. 

Join Dr. Emily Kieson as she conducts research in the social lives of horses and explores  applications to domestic equine welfare and developing stronger  friendships with our own horses.
 

Share the experience and enthusiasm for the observational study of feral ponies with Bonny Mealand who is passionate about enabling others to learn from the richness of  this perspective. In addition there will be local experts and  representatives from relevant organisations.

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In  addition there will be local experts and representatives from relevant  organizations.

We invite you to explore thought provoking perspectives  on horses, horse welfare, and sustainable horse keeping practices. By  learning from experienced experts and
through educational observation  and discussions we can explore more about horses, our perceptions of  them and how they choose to live when they have the freedom to do  
so.

The learning will be a mix of guided lessons, discussions and  individual and/or group observations. We will examine how best to  implement what we learn from our studies to
 enhance the health and  well-being of domestic horses.

ITINERARY

This is an outline of the structure of the 5 days.


The delivery of the course will be determined

mainly by the weather.

June 3

Environment

Ecology, conservation,
history and culture. .

June 4

Equine evolution, physical and behavioural. Putting together a simple ethogram. 

June 5

Behaviour - horse and human. Regenerative grazing, the value of equids in a landscape

June 6

Strong foundations, relationship before training.

June 7

What we have learned and how we can 
best implement this to improve the lives of equines.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

TERRAIN GRADING

Moderate to hard

As  we will be exploring the environments inhabited by the ponies,  challenging terrain may be encountered so a reasonable level of fitness  is suggested as well as appropriate foot- ware. The terrain on the  Island is uneven and steep in some places and also incorporates boggy  ground. The ponies live on a 185 m hill called Beinn Sciathain  so  prepare for some steep climbs whilst looking for them. (Well worth the  effort when you see the view from the top!)

TRAVEL

By car - this is the most practical option to reach this remote location. Lift  sharing between participants will be encouraged. The journey will  include a ferry crossing.

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By ferry - you  can choose to leave from either Oban, Mallaig or Uig on the Isle of  Skye to travel across to the island. Booking months in advance is vital  as the ferries are very busy at this time of year. If you need advice  about planning your trip please contact Bonny who has years of  experience in organising ferry logistics.
www.calmac.co.uk

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By train - There is a steam train (Hogwarts express) to the harbour town of  Mallaig via Fort William, from where you can catch a ferry to the Isle  of Uist.

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Flights - You can fly from Glasgow to the neighbouring island, Barra, the only  place in the world where the runway is a beach! You can then organise a  taxi to get a lift to the ferry terminal to take the short voyage across  to Eriskay.
www.loganair.co.uk

ACCOMMODATION

House


Shared and private rooms in one of two self catering houses:
Aird na Huan and Eriskay Lilt will be available. 


Both houses have amazing views and are close to the beach with the natural world (and ponies!) on your doorstep. 

If you would prefer to book your own accommodation this is a helpful website. https://www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk/our-islands/uist/accommodation/eriskay" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk/our-islands/uist/accommodation/eriskay


This is a very busy season so book early to avoid disappointment.
 

Camping

A  short drive across the causeway onto South Uist is the fully equipped  Campsite. Bring your own tent and camping equipment, book here.

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LOCAL FACILITIES AND MEALS

Meals  are not provided but the house has a well equipped kitchen where we can  make and share meals. We will have access to a local shop which also  sells takeaway meals and very good coffee. The island pub is Am  Politician which serves generous portions of delicious food.

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FOOD

Tea, coffee and biscuits provided all other meals to be arranged by the participants themselves.

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WEATHER

At  this time of year, the weather can range from warm sunshine to wet and  windy. We may get very mixed conditions on the same day! You should  therefore bring a mixture of clothing including warm fleeces, jackets,  hats and gloves. Waterproof walking boots and gaiters will be a  necessity.

YOUR HOSTS

Bonny Mealand (Touching Wild) qualified as an Equine Podiatrist in 2005 and has been committed to  understanding, implementing and promoting a whole horse approach to  health and well-being ever since. Bonny specialises in working with  wild, free-living equines and “difficult” domestic equines by building  trust and helping them learn to be handled in a low stress way.

A short clip of Bonny working with some Takhi (equus prezwalski) can beviewed here - BBC Inside the Zoo.


Bonny  is committed to constantly learning as much about and from equines as  possible. Believing that it is possible to define what a life of quality  looks like at both a species and individual level. She then uses this  perspective to implement a high standard of welfare into their  domesticated lives.She is also a retained Firefighter, Somatic Yoga and  Mindfulness Teacher and BHS Welfare Advisor and is a MSc student at the  Dick vet (University of Edinburgh) studying  Equine Science.

Emily Kieson (Equine International) holds a PhD in Comparative Psychology, a MS in Psychology, and a graduate degree in Equine Science.

Her  research focuses on equine behavioural psychology, equine welfare, and  horse-human interactions as they apply to both horse owners and  equine-assisted activities and learning programs. Her current research  focuses on equine affiliative behaviours to study how horses create and  maintain social bonds and how those can overlap with human affiliative  behaviours to create authentic lasting friendships between horses and  humans.

She  also has a passion for supporting sustainable systems of horse  management and husbandry that promote physical and psychological welfare  of the horse while simultaneously supporting sustainable ecosystem  practices on small and large scales (for both feral and domestic  equids).