What changes when we stop approaching horses with something to prove?

Chloe Elgar believes horses respond not only to what we do, but also to what we carry into their presence. She describes them as tuning forks, reflecting what is happening within us and revealing where our outward behavior no longer matches what we feel.

After more than a decade supporting people through their own healing, Chloe created a life alongside a herd of horses on her ranch near Austin. Among them is Sahara, a Mustang who helped deepen Chloe’s understanding of horse medicine, intuitive guidance, and what becomes possible when horses are treated as partners rather than tools.

We discuss how simply sharing space with horses can bring hidden emotions and patterns into awareness, why meaningful connection does not require riding, and what Mustangs may teach us when we stop directing every interaction. Chloe also shares how intuition influences her work and how living beside horses has changed her understanding of healing, growth, and personal alignment.

Whether horse medicine is understood as a spiritual practice or as a different way of paying attention, this conversation asks us to consider what horses reveal when we become quiet enough to listen.

ABOUT CHLOE ELGAR

Chloe Elgar is a psychic medium, intuitive guide, and horse medicine practitioner. She lives alongside her herd at Three Spirit Ranch near Austin, including her Mustang, Sahara.

CONNECT WITH CHLOE

Website: https://www.channeledbychloe.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channeledbychloe/
Substack: https://channeledbychloe.substack.com/
Online shop: https://www.nightwinggoods.com
Three Spirit Ranch: https://www.instagram.com/threespiritranch

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People who have experienced a meaningful connection with a horse often know that something changed. Science faces the harder question: What exactly happened, and can we measure it?

Dr. Leanne Nieforth studies human-animal interaction, including equine-assisted services and the relationships between service dogs and trauma survivors. Her work helps move the conversation beyond simply saying that animals help people and toward understanding the physical, emotional, and relational processes that may explain why.

We discuss research involving veterans with PTSD and service dogs, including changes in the cortisol awakening response, and what those findings may help researchers investigate in human-horse relationships. Leanne also explains the communication processes that may support resilience when trauma survivors work with horses and why measuring attachment to a horse requires tools designed specifically for that relationship.

The science also raises questions about how we approach horses. Walking up and touching a horse without invitation can reveal assumptions we carry about consent and boundaries. Horses may also respond differently when a person enters their space tense, distracted, or emotionally unsettled, making the interaction an opportunity to become more aware of what we bring into our relationships.

Science does not have to diminish what feels extraordinary about horses. It can help us understand the horse-human connection, improve equine-assisted programs, and distinguish meaningful outcomes from claims that have not yet been supported.

ABOUT DR. LEANNE NIEFORTH

Dr. Leanne Nieforth is a human-animal interaction researcher and assistant professor at Purdue University’s Center for the Human-Animal Bond. Her interdisciplinary background includes human-animal interaction, communication, and animal science, with research involving equine-assisted services, service dogs, military veterans, first responders, at-risk youth, and trauma survivors.

CONNECT WITH DR. LEANNE NIEFORTH

HAPI Lab: https://vet.purdue.edu/discovery/nieforth/
Website: https://www.leannenieforth.com

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Saving a horse from slaughter is the moment everyone sees. The real work begins after the trailer pulls away.

Erin and Casey of Rescue Ranchito reveal what it actually takes to rescue a horse for life. Beyond the emotional moment of the save are feed bills, veterinary care, rehabilitation, training, difficult decisions, and the mental weight of remaining responsible for an animal’s future.

Rescue Ranchito works to intercept Mustangs and burros before they enter the slaughter pipeline. Each animal is given time to decompress before being assessed and prepared for adoption. Rather than forcing every horse through the same timeline, Erin and Casey create an individual plan based on what that animal needs to become safe, confident, and ready for a lasting home.

We discuss why responsible horse rescue cannot be measured by the number of animals pulled from danger, what rescuers carry behind the scenes, and why finding the right home is as important as the initial save. Erin and Casey also share the role Mustangs have played in their own lives and why these horses deserve to be seen as more than unwanted animals in need of rescue.

A successful rescue is not one dramatic moment. It is everything that happens afterward.

ABOUT RESCUE RANCHITO

Rescue Ranchito is a nonprofit horse rescue working to help Mustangs and burros avoid the slaughter pipeline, recover at their own pace, and become valued partners in permanent homes.

CONNECT WITH RESCUE RANCHITO

Website: https://www.rescueranchito.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558132586013
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rescueranchito/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rescueranchito

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Eight children would give most people a reason to postpone a dream involving wild Mustangs, entrepreneurship, and even more responsibility. Nicci Lynn decided her dream did not have to wait until her children were grown.

Guided by the belief that sometimes you have to “just go for it,” Nicci built a life that includes raising and homeschooling eight children, working with Mustangs, running a business, and taking on projects other people might consider unreasonable.

We discuss how she pursued her goals without treating motherhood and ambition as opposing forces, why having a supportive partner mattered, and how her children became part of the adventure rather than something holding her back.

Nicci also shares what Mustangs have taught her about grit, confidence, and accepting a challenge before you know exactly how everything will work. Her experiences offer a grounded look at Mustang ownership, building a horse-centered business, and creating a life around what matters to you.

This is not a claim that parents can do everything without limits or sacrifice. It is a reminder that a meaningful dream does not always compete with family life. Sometimes the people you bring with you are what make the dream better.

ABOUT NICCI LYNN

Nicci Lynn is a mother of eight, Mustang enthusiast, and founder of The Branded Bronc, a western apparel and embroidery business shaped by her love of horses and the equestrian lifestyle.

CONNECT WITH NICCI

Website: https://www.thebrandedbronc.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_branded_bronc/

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Luke Reinbold began working with horses as an impatient young man with an anger problem. The horses did not need him to become more forceful. They required him to become someone they could understand and trust.

Over the next 25 years, Luke built a career training horses, starting colts, competing in Mustang Makeovers, and helping people communicate with their horses. Along the way, horses exposed the anger, impatience, and pride he needed to confront within himself.

Luke shares how mistakes shaped his horsemanship and why communication requires more than making a horse comply. We discuss patience, compassion, humility, and the willingness to change your approach when the relationship is not working.

We also explore what horse training reveals about human relationships, why imperfection is part of becoming better, and how social media can distort what progress with a horse actually looks like.

Horses cannot understand what we never learn to communicate. Sometimes building a better relationship begins by listening closely enough to recognize that we may be the ones who need to change.

ABOUT LUKE REINBOLD

Luke Reinbold is a horseman and clinician with more than 25 years of experience. His background includes colt starting, ranch horse and versatility competitions, obstacle competitions, Mustang Makeovers, horse training, and teaching people to better understand how horses think.

CONNECT WITH LUKE

Website: https://lukereinbold.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lukereinboldhorsemanship
Facebook: Luke Reinbold Horsemanship LLC

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Jimmy Wiseman believed the challenge was to change a difficult Mustang. Instead, the horse changed him.

As a trainer and owner of 3Y Ranch & Rehab, Jimmy had the experience and skills to work through difficult behavior. But this Mustang required something more from him, reshaping how he understood patience, trust, connection, and ultimately love.

Jimmy shares what happened when his established training approach was no longer enough and why the experience changed how he works with every horse who followed. We discuss the pressure trainers place on themselves to have the answer, what challenging horses can expose within us, and why meaningful horsemanship requires more than technique.

The lessons extended far beyond horse training. This Mustang changed how Jimmy responded under pressure, approached relationships, and understood the growth that can come when we stop treating difficulty as something that must be defeated.

Sometimes the horse labeled difficult is the one unwilling to let us continue as we are.

ABOUT JIMMY WISEMAN

Jimmy Wiseman is a horse trainer and the owner of 3Y Ranch & Rehab. His work centers on horse training, rehabilitation, and building stronger relationships between horses and people.

CONNECT WITH JIMMY

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jimmy.wiseman.9
3Y Ranch & Rehab: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567685597310

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A Mustang can leave public land, pass through multiple hands, and disappear into a system most Americans never see. By the time someone asks where the horse went, it may already be too late.

Ashley Avis is the director of Disney’s Black Beauty and the filmmaker behind Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West. Her work has taken her from telling fictional horse stories to exposing the real threats facing America’s wild horses.

Ashley shares what she witnessed while creating Wild Beauty and why filmmaking became a tool for Mustang advocacy. We discuss The Lost Horses Campaign, the horse slaughter pipeline, kill pens, auction practices, and the difficulty of tracking what happens to horses after they leave public protection.

We also examine the misconceptions surrounding horse overpopulation, the difference between humane euthanasia and slaughter, the proposed SAFE Act, and why division within the equine community makes meaningful protection more difficult.

This is not only a story about horses at immediate risk. It is about a system that allows Mustangs and other horses to disappear from public view, and what must change if rescue, adoption, and advocacy are going to offer lasting protection.

ABOUT ASHLEY AVIS

Ashley Avis is a filmmaker, writer, and wild horse advocate. She directed Disney’s Black Beauty, created the documentary Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West, and leads advocacy efforts through the Wild Beauty Foundation and The Lost Horses Campaign.

CONNECT WITH ASHLEY

Website: https://www.ashleyavis.com
Wild Beauty Foundation: https://www.wildbeautyfoundation.org
Winterstone Pictures: https://www.winterstonepictures.com
Watch Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West: https://youtu.be/2rVD43mFrjU

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Three thousand miles. Six months. One woman traveling from Mexico to Canada with a dog, a Quarter Horse, and three Mustangs.

Patricia returns to The Touch of a Mustang to reveal what happened during her solo horseback ride across America. Behind the extraordinary distance were freezing weather, scarce water, navigation problems, moments of doubt, and the constant responsibility of protecting the horses who depended on her.

She shares the realities that could not be seen through social media, the unexpected kindness she received from strangers, and the difficult decisions she made when continuing the journey conflicted with what her horses needed.

We also discuss what six months of living beside Mustangs in the wilderness taught Patricia about trust, resilience, and horse welfare. Those lessons will now shape how she approaches bringing home and training another untouched Mustang.

This is more than a story about accomplishing an enormous goal. It is about refusing to abandon the dream while also refusing to pursue it at the expense of the horses who made it possible.

CONNECT WITH PATRICIA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/on_a_wild_mustang/

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE BEFORE HER JOURNEY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m83I5TDj-Cw

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Fear can take one moment in the saddle and follow you long after the danger has passed.

After an intense riding accident, I had to confront what happens when fear changes the way you feel around your horse. Riding was no longer something I could simply decide to do. I had to rebuild the trust and confidence that once made it feel possible.

In this solo episode, I share my experience with riding anxiety and the small, intentional steps that helped me begin finding my way back. We explore how fear can grow after a fall, close call, or repeated thoughts about what could go wrong, and why forcing yourself into the saddle is not always the answer.

Coming back does not require pretending you are no longer afraid. It begins by understanding what the fear is protecting, rebuilding safety with your horse, and allowing confidence to return one honest step at a time.

This episode is for riders who have become afraid to ride, lost confidence after an accident, or want to support someone struggling to get back in the saddle.

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Website: https://thetouchofamustang.org/
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You may believe working with a wild Mustang is about changing the horse. Jeff Cook has learned that earning a Mustang’s trust changes the person too.

Jeff is a lifelong horseman, trainer, and founder of Dream Horse AZ in Tucson, Arizona. Alongside his daughter Christian, he trains, shows, and sells horses while creating opportunities for people to experience what Mustangs can reveal about fear, trust, patience, and resilience.

Jeff shares why wild Mustangs require us to slow down, pay attention, and build a relationship rather than demand one. We discuss how their instincts and histories affect the way they respond to people, why partnership cannot be forced, and what changes within us when we earn the trust of an animal who has every reason to remain cautious.

We also explore how Jeff brings these principles into equine-assisted work with veterans and others searching for confidence, connection, and a way forward.

Mustangs are not tools for human transformation. They are individuals with needs, boundaries, and histories of their own. But when we approach them with patience and respect, the relationship can change how we understand the horse, ourselves, and the way trust is built.

ABOUT JEFF COOK

Jeff Cook is a horse trainer and founder of Dream Horse AZ. Raised in Colorado and now based near Tucson, Arizona, he works with Mustangs, trains and shows horses, and facilitates equine-assisted learning experiences.

CONNECT WITH JEFF

Website: https://dreamhorseaz.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamhorseaz/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DreamHorseAZ

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Follow The Touch of a Mustang as we uncover the places and principles that lead to healing, resilience, and freedom of mind.