I am grateful to have spent this evening at the Showcase Cinema for the launch of ‘Electric Shadows 2024’, the third Leicester Chinese Film Festival. Ahead of the opening film, ‘Leap of Faith’, there were speeches sharing commitment to and hope for the value of film in supporting cross-cultural connection between China and the UK.… Continue reading Equestrian Documentary ‘Leap of Faith’ Launches the Leicester Chinese Film Festival
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American Fondouk: Serving the Working Equids of Fes
On the 4th November 2024 my mum - Jane Clarke - and I headed to the American Fondouk just outside the medina of old Fes, and on the north side of the new city, The establishment was founded in 1929 by a woman whose mother both had a fortune to leave, and who loved animals.… Continue reading American Fondouk: Serving the Working Equids of Fes
Nature-Based Interventions in Mental Health
This week was super-busy, both in terms of teaching, but also as I am working on a couple of proposals and had some events I felt I had to get to. Plus it is week two of my initial learning with Athena Herd Foundation (a certificate in Equine Facilitated Interactions). But somehow I managed to… Continue reading Nature-Based Interventions in Mental Health
A NEIGHbourhood bobby? Post-riot reflections on animals and wellbeing
The utmost priority in the context of far-right hate is how the violence of racism can be challenged and a sense of safety and belonging within communities reached. Tentatively, then, with recognition of the need for safe communities and anti-racist action, I want to highlight a specific issue that, to some, may seem at first… Continue reading A NEIGHbourhood bobby? Post-riot reflections on animals and wellbeing
‘Bringing the animals in’ workshop at Balsall Heath City Farm, July 17th 2024
I'm enjoying remembering that we had a summer! After a weekend in wellyboots and wearing my dry robe to muck out and poo pick at the livery yard, this morning, I had a meeting online that connected me again to Balsall Heath City Farm (BHCF). BHCF has been important to me in the past year… Continue reading ‘Bringing the animals in’ workshop at Balsall Heath City Farm, July 17th 2024
Reflections from Flyinge for Exploring Interspecies Welfare in Social Science
Flying to Flyinge as a social scientist... Flyinge Kungsgård have just hosted (September 2024) the 'Horse Welfare Summit', which - immediately after the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, has occurred at an exciting moment in developing horse welfare knowledge, practice and - yes - debate. I attended this conference as part of my ongoing research… Continue reading Reflections from Flyinge for Exploring Interspecies Welfare in Social Science
Humans Learning from Horses: Insights for Sports and Welfare
Humans and horses have - for around the last six thousand years - developed alongside one another, and whilst today many horses worldwide are utilitarian workers (e.g. transport, farming), other horses have the 'job' of being co-athletes. Furtardo and colleagues (2021) have explicitly explored welfare issues in terms of how happy is the horse athlete...… Continue reading Humans Learning from Horses: Insights for Sports and Welfare
A space that aims to reflect our (more than human) social world …
We interact with non-human animals in many ways - which can produce understandings of them as friends, food, vermin, neighbours, workers, carers, therapists and more. Urban, suburban or rural, in different countries and regions, bringing other animals into our understanding of our shared social world is an ongoing task for social research.
Interspecies Insights 