Whispering The Wild – Taming The Untouched Horse

This film explores the bond between horse and human through the journey of Kelly Marks to Namibia to work with the wild desert horses. Her aim was to understand the differences between wild and domesticated horses and to test her horsemanship skills with truly untouched animals.

The program follows Kelly Marks in her quest to tame a wild desert horse in the Namibian desert. It documents Kelly’s approach, based on psychology and trust, to taming these horses that have had no contact with humans for nearly a century. The narrative highlights Kelly’s journey to Namibia, the home of the wild desert horses descended from German settler horses, and her collaboration with zoologist Telani Krilling, whose extensive knowledge of the horses proves crucial. The narrative focuses on the construction of a “bulma” (corral) around a water hole to gently enclose the horses, Kelly’s initial encounter with a bachelor stallion named Muddy Waters and her methods for gaining his trust, and her work with a second stallion named Dusty. The film culminates in the release of Muddy and Dusty back into the wild and observations of their post-release behaviour. Viewers will witness Kelly’s journey, the construction of the bulma, her interactions with Muddy and Dusty, and the application of her gentle horsemanship techniques. The film also provides insights into the behaviour of the wild horses and the team’s observations after their release.

Key Learning Points:

Additional Information:

• Director: Jonathan Crawford
• Producer: Bruce Spargo
• © Red Pepper Pictures 2002
• A full account of Kelly’s life-changing experience can be found at: https://intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk/taming-the-namibian-wild-horses-horse-whispering-in-the-wild/