From Domination to Dialogue and the Ethics of the Between:Transforming Human-Working Equine Relationships in Mountain Tourism

The welfare of working equines is born of the relationship co-created with humans and the relational practices humans bring to this work. Our understanding of this relationship remains elusive, however, for it involves attending to that which arises both within and between the equine and the human. Attempts to study such relationships have, arguably, been confounded by the liminalities of relational practices, power literacy and the limitations of language, propositional knowing and the dualistic thinking that characterises many scientific disciplines. This paper presents the theoretical framework that underpins an experiential awareness-based Action Research approach to transforming human-equine relations within the international mountain tourism industry. This approach privileges curiosity, compassion and primary or contemplative knowing and the development of self-awareness. Drawing on the work of Martin Buber on genuine dialogue and of Otto Scharmer on generative dialogue, this paper provides insights into what can arise in the between when attitudinal shifts are encouraged and facilitated that allow humans and equines to meet genuinely and be fully present to each other. This ultimately involves surrendering control, letting go, the dissolution of subject-object awareness and access to non-dualistic ways of knowing. An awareness of the importance of such shifts and of the source from which we operate is of fundamental importance to the realisation of the co-creative project that humans and equines can engage in. Failure to appreciate this distinction, arguably, leads and gives rise to relationships, whether human-to-human or human-to-horse, characterised by domination rather than partnering, absencing rather than presencing, by monologue rather than dialogue. The ethical and practical implications of this awareness are profound, with implications felt at the level of the individual, for whom the I deepens the more you pay attention, and at the level of the relationship, but also at the level of communities, whether these be constituted locally, nationally, internationally or indeed globally

One Health, systems thinking, actor-network theory and the delivery of emergent futures for working equine welfare

The hills of San Francisco, on which this famous city sprang up and has grown,have witnessed both the coming and going of working equines. Whilst the kind ofhorsepower that might first spring to mind is under the bonnet of Steve McQueen’sFord Mustang in the 1968 film Bullitt, the city has also known other forms ofhorsepower. This article will explore the factors that came together to relieve equines of pulling the city’s streetcars, and how each of us can reconfigure the networks available to us to better deliver the health and welfare we seek in our patient

In Search of Integration and Health - Reflexivity and Communities of Practice in One Health

This chapter explores the role of personal and professional reflexivity in integrative practice for One Health. In doing so, it recognises the need to transcend Western modernist thinking in which art, ethics and science have been torn asunder. Modernity thinking is characterised by the arbitrary separation of truth, beauty and goodness and the growth of commercial and civic institutions powered by instrumental rationality, an exploitative relationship to nature and life and the accompanying bureaucracy that sustains a blind belief in progress. This chapter proposes that modernist thinking may well be the root cause of the crises we face today and argues that to address this we need a reflexive turn that recognizes how mind and body, consciousness and matter are co-dependent. This turn is needed both at the individual and collective level if we are to address the knowledge-doing gaps that characterize the global crises of our modern era. In order to fulfill the aim of nurturing an integrative approach to health, this chapter adopts an experiential approach rooted in practice. The reader is encouraged to engage in a series of reflexive intermissions and practice throughout and to reflect on these experiences. The chapter starts by emphasising the primordial importance of attentional practice and the role of attitudes including curiosity and compassion in shaping not just our epistemologies but our ontological realities. The chapter explores how reflective practice has arisen and developed across disciplines and how it in-forms learning at the level of the individual, the collective (including organizations) and the wider system. Its relevance to One Health is considered before exploring a range of practices designed to nurture reflexivity, develop self-awareness, address biases and promote more equitable co-creative practice. Finally, this chapter concludes by considering the future prospects of One Health if the inter- and intra- connections, dependencies and potentialities are explored, nurtured and realised

One Health, systems thinking, actor-network theory and the delivery of emergent futures for working equine welfare

The hills of San Francisco, on which this famous city sprang up and has grown,have witnessed both the coming and going of working equines. Whilst the kind ofhorsepower that might first spring to mind is under the bonnet of Steve McQueen’sFord Mustang in the 1968 film Bullitt, the city has also known other forms ofhorsepower. This article will explore the factors that came together to relieve equines of pulling the city’s streetcars, and how each of us can reconfigure the networks available to us to better deliver the health and welfare we seek in our patient

Making adjustments in our workplaces for better support

The recently released Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and British Veterinary Chronic Illness Support (BVCIS) report on the experiences of veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and vet and vet nursing (VN) students with chronic illnesses and/or disabilities provides us with an opportunity to take a long hard look at workplace culture and the health of our profession.This article considers the findings of the report and pays particular attention to the call made for the improved inclusion of disabled colleagues within the veterinary professions, and for awareness to be raised of the need for greater understanding of the Equality Act and reasonable adjustments. Having considered these findings, this articles take a closer look at adjustments and how these can be better used to support those with disabilities and chronic illness including those of us returning to work after succumbing to work-related stress and/or other work-related mental health conditions.<br/

Mountain Tourism

Life in the mountainous regions of the world is marked by shallow soils, extremes of climate, short growing seasons, and limited productivity. For humans and animals, life can be both precarious and uncertain, demanding adaptability. Communities need to diversify activities and develop a range of income streams