Unlocking the Mysteries of Horse-Human Connections with Rebecca Walker Sands, PhD

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Join hosts Victoria and Josh Williams on The Herd is Calling podcast for an inspiring conversation with the wondrous Rebecca Walker-Sands.

Rebecca is renowned professor, who has a Masters of Science degree and PhD with a defining thread involving animal behavior! She has worked in research settings with sheep, wolves, chimps, & voles among other non-human animals. She is a decorated academic having won many prestigious awards, and is a popular and highly regarded keynote speaker.

In this conversation, we explore Recca's personal horse journey from childhood to the present moment. We discuss the lessons learned from a year of loss and grief, such as the power of self forgiveness and compassion.

She discusses horses through the lessons she's learned from a lifetime studying animal behavior at a very high level, including non-verbal communication, coregulation, and polyvagal theory. She discusses the valuable lessons horses can teach humanity, as well as how horses have helped her be a better professor!

We hope this is part 1 of several podcasts with Rebecca Walker-Sands, it's a privilege to share a bit of her genius with you all.

00:00 Introduction to The Herd is Calling Podcast

02:40 Meet Our Esteemed Guest: Rebecca Walker Sands

05:08 Rebecca's Current Horse Life

07:29 Rebecca's Early Connection to Horses

10:24 The Journey Back to Horses

11:52 The Impact of Meditation and Mindfulness

15:05 A Year of Loss and Resilience

22:16 Rebecca's Path to Psychology

28:53 Insights from Animal Behavior Research

34:47 The Complexity of Horse and Human Interactions

42:25 Managing Escalation and Staying Calm

42:58 Aha Moments in Teaching

45:39 Lessons from Horses: Respect, Resilience, and Repair

46:12 The Evolution of Teaching and Horsemanship

59:40 The Importance of the Right Horse Partnership

01:08:19 Gratitude and Perseverance

01:14:08 Future Projects and Final Thoughts

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