The Wild Horse Inside You

Spiritual Activism, Wild Horses, and the Call to Rewild Ourselves

A Conversation with Tenaya Jewel

Some conversations arrive not just as dialogue, but as mirrors—reflecting back who we are, what we value, and what we are being asked to become. This was one of those conversations.

I recently sat down with Tenaya Jewel, a scientist and spiritual activist whose work focuses on the protection of wild horses—particularly mustangs living on public lands. What unfolded was not simply a discussion about policy or advocacy, but a profound exploration of spiritual activism, inner transformation, and the deep wisdom horses offer humanity.

What Is Spiritual Activism?

For Tenaya, spiritual activism is the integration of spiritual practice with real-world action. Too often, we separate our inner lives from our civic engagement—meditation on one side, activism on the other. Spiritual activism dissolves that divide.

It asks us to take the principles we cultivate internally—compassion, impeccability, intuition, non-duality—and bring them into how we engage with injustice, ecological harm, and systemic imbalance. As Tenaya put it, sometimes you have to get up off the meditation cushion and step into the world, letting your actions be guided by your deepest values.

This matters because conventional political activism often runs into rigid structures that protect corporate interests: lobbying, regulatory loopholes, conflicts of interest, and systems designed to maintain power rather than justice. When activism hits these walls, spiritual activism invites transcendence—not bypassing reality, but engaging it from a deeper, more conscious place.

Wild Horses as a Mirror

Wild horses are not just a cause—they are a reflection.

Tenaya has been aware of the plight of wild horses since childhood, first learning about government “roundups” and population control practices decades ago. While some of the most brutal historical methods are no longer used, today’s strategies—forced removals, fertility control, and reducing herd sizes below genetically viable levels—continue to threaten the long-term survival of these animals.

Much of this is carried out by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), despite the protections outlined in the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, which was intended to preserve wild horses on designated lands. Over time, those lands have steadily shrunk, often leased to other interests under a “multiple-use” mandate that has been widely misapplied.

But beyond policy, Tenaya sees wild horses symbolically—as embodiments of freedom, vitality, instinct, and emotional truth. How we treat them mirrors how our culture treats wildness itself, both in nature and within the human psyche.

The Inner Work of Activism

One of the most powerful themes in our conversation was this: whatever we are drawn to protect externally is often connected to what needs healing internally.

Strong emotional reactions—anger, grief, resistance—are not obstacles; they are signals. Activism becomes sustainable only when we are willing to examine our own patterns, conditioning, and unhealed trauma. Otherwise, burnout, polarization, and ego-driven conflict take over.

Tenaya shared that her own journey included developing emotional literacy, healing PTSD, and consciously studying the mind. Awakening, in this sense, means removing the blinders—questioning inherited beliefs, noticing how we impact others, and choosing to live intentionally rather than on autopilot.

Facing the “Opponent” as Teacher

At one point, Tenaya described watching a documentary made by a cattle rancher opposed to wild horses. Rather than dismissing it outright, she allowed the experience to become a mirror. What emerged was a profound insight: the urge to dominate nature often reflects an internal fear of vulnerability.

In this lens, the suppression of wild horses parallels the suppression of softness, tenderness, and emotional truth—qualities often devalued in patriarchal, dominance-based systems. Healing, then, does not come from destroying the “opponent,” but from understanding what fear they protect and what part of ourselves they reflect.

Rewilding as a Path Forward

We spoke about rewilding not just land, but people.

Sanctuaries—such as Duchess Sanctuary—offer a glimpse of what’s possible: spaces where horses live safely and humans reconnect with nature in meaningful ways. These are not just temporary solutions; they are templates for a different relationship with the Earth.

Rewilding ourselves means stepping away from the relentless programs of productivity and consumption, returning to presence, curiosity, and connection. It means remembering that wildness is not chaos—it is intelligence, balance, and life force.

A Call Beyond the Box

When systems are rigged, when rules are unevenly applied, and when injustice persists under the guise of legality, rebellion becomes sacred.

This is where new, unprecedented approaches are needed—networking across disciplines, engaging communities beyond traditional activism, and listening deeply to what horses have been teaching us all along.

Horses know intention. They respond to presence. They recognize coherence. Those of us who work with them—especially in equine-assisted and relational contexts—understand that another way is possible.

The question is no longer whether change is needed, but whether we are willing to become the kind of humans capable of creating it.

A Call to Pause, Witness, and Choose

If you are reading this and feel stirred—angry, tender, curious, protective, confused—pause.That response matters.

Before scrolling on, I invite you to stop and intentionally engage with mustang awareness media. Read. Watch. Listen. Let yourself really see what is happening with wild horses on public lands. Notice what arises in your body and emotions. Don’t rush to conclusions. Don’t turn away.

Then ask yourself:

• What part of this touches something personal in me?

• Where do I feel called—not pressured—to respond?

• What kind of action aligns with who I am becoming?

Action does not always mean protest or politics. Sometimes it means learning. Sometimes it means speaking. Sometimes it means supporting advocacy. And sometimes it means relearning how to be human in relationship with the wild.

If you feel drawn to that deeper, embodied path, we invite you to join us for Mustang Wilderness Journey, an immersive experience designed to reconnect you with wild horses, wild land, and your own untamed knowing.

This journey is not about fixing horses.It is about remembering ourselves.

You can learn more and register at:www.rewildingtogether.net

Rewilding is not a metaphor.It is a choice—made moment by moment—to live with awareness, responsibility, and reverence for life.

The mustangs are still here.The question is: how will you meet them?