#3 Exploring Wildness and Unlearning Fear with Trent Peterson
I could talk for days about the word ‘wild.’ Fortunately, I’m not the only one! Trent is a kindred spirit who also deeply contemplates this term, and has essentially made it his mission to educate people about his work, The Wild In Us.
Trent is a long rider, saddle maker, leather craftsman and all-around devotee of the old, wild ways with a so-called “addiction to packing.” In 2017, Trent completed the Pacific Crest Trail on horseback, riding roughly 2,600 miles from Mexico to Canada to raise awareness about Ataxia - a degenerative neurological disorder that plagued his family - and the plight of wild horses. To this day, he donates a portion of all proceeds from his shop to the National Ataxia Foundation.
I first spoke with Trent in January of 2022. We spoke about his backstory in what made him choose a life full of back-breaking work, and heart-melting beauty on the wild side. We also got into what makes mustangs unique for wilderness exploration, how to turn loss into motivation, and why living each day like its our last is of the utmost importance. Our talk is available in the blog post, ‘Trent Peterson on The Wild In Us’. I highly recommend reading it to gain a better understanding about Trent’s work, and what we talk about in this interview.
In this interview we talk about:
Trent’s background that led him to become a saddle maker, leather craftsman, and dedicated wilderness packer
His Dad’s words, “whatever you do, do it with a purpose”
Living today like there’s no tomorrow, and doing what you love as much as you can because you don’t know how long you’ll be able to do it
What our ancestors would think of the way we live now, and how healing it is for us to do things that allow them to live through us
How Trent defines the word ‘wild’
How to coexist with fear and the belief that everything you want in life is on the other side of fear
Debunking the myth that horses are a ‘luxury’, and centering horse-human relationships as rich collaboration with endless potential
The Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Program, and how the so-called Wild Horse and Burro problem stems from the complex, emotional relationships we have with horses.
TRIGGER WARNING: I’m imagining some people’s horrified responses as we discuss horse meat. Please don’t take our words out of context, and know that we are NOT advocating for horses to be consumed as meat. However, it’s a truth that they are meat (I mean, we are too… technically). Our cultural perspectives color our beliefs so heavily that we often cannot state the obvious, and avoid the uncomfortable conversations because they’re so far outside what’s “acceptable” to us. So I encourage you to unpack your cultural conditioning, and explore the uncharted territories of your mind with us
Each interview is accompanied by a transcript for listeners who love the written word as I do. Check out the written version ‘Exploring Wildness and Unlearning Fear with Trent Peterson’ by clicking the button below.
Resources:
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Check out the interview transcript for this episode, ‘Exploring Wildness and Unlearning Fear with Trent Peterson’ on the blog.
This episode’s bonus for Herd Members is access the full post, ‘The Insanity of Owning Horses’ which breaks down the crazy-making costs of horse-keeping, and gives hope to those die hard equestrians who know every penny put into horse keeping 100% worth it (crazy-making sure, but worth it).
Links from this episode: