Medicine of the Herd
An 80-Minute Feature Documentary
Four strangers.
Four weeks.
One herd.
In the foothills of Nevada’s Eastern Sierra, four strangers arrive for a month-long equine retreat, each carrying wounds from the past. Paired with a horse carrying its own trauma, they begin to build a bond. As trust takes root, horse and human confront their fears—and discover the possibility of healing together.
What If the Horses Have Been Teaching Us All Along?
Medicine of the Herd explores a different way of being with horses—one built on trust, choice, communication, and mutual respect.
As four participants form relationships with seventeen rescued horses, the film asks what becomes possible when humans stop trying to control the natural world and begin listening to it.
About the Film
Medicine of the Herd is directed, edited, and produced by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Chihiro Wimbush.
In the shadow of Nevada’s Eastern Sierra, four strangers arrive for a month-long equine retreat, home to a herd of seventeen rescued horses. Keely is an escapee from the Bay Area's male-dominated tech world, searching for tenderness. Paula, a Brazilian spiritual seeker, looks for healing in the aftermath of a life-threatening illness. Logan seeks release from the wounds of an abusive childhood shaped by his sexuality. Jetara carries the profound grief of losing her children in a devastating car accident.
Each participant is paired with a horse carrying its own trauma. Ivy is a recovering overworked rodeo horse. Legend was rescued from neglect. River was saved from a wild-horse slaughter auction. Aspen is skittish and elusive, carrying the imprint of an unstable past.
What begins as an opportunity to connect with a horse becomes something deeper. Through patience, observation, choice, and communication, horse and human begin to build trust. In the quiet work of learning to listen to one another, they begin to discover a different way of being together—one grounded in mutual respect, the freedom to choose, and the possibility of healing.
Medicine of the Herd offers a different vision of the horse-human relationship, one that moves beyond control and dominance toward trust, communication, and reciprocity.
The Herd
Seventeen rescued horses.
No bits.
No whips.
No dominance.
Only relationship.
Through positive reinforcement and relationships built on trust, choice, and mutual respect, the horses are free to express their own voices, preferences, and personalities.
In Medicine of the Herd, they are not tools or therapy devices. They are partners.
Why Horses? Why Now?
For thousands of years, horses have shaped human civilization. They have carried us through exploration, agriculture, war, and daily life. Yet despite our long history together, we may have only begun to understand what they have to teach us.
Medicine of the Herd explores what can emerge when our relationship with horses shifts from control and dominance toward listening, partnership, and reciprocity.
At a time when many people feel increasingly disconnected from themselves, each other, and the natural world, the film invites us to consider whether a different relationship with horses might also inspire a different relationship with life.
Medicine of the Herd
Trailers
Medicine Of The Herd Trailer 1
Medicine Of The Herd Trailer 2
Join the Herd
Be among the first to receive:
✓ Festival announcements
✓ Screening dates
✓ Behind-the-scenes stories
✓ Companion book updates
✓ Streaming release information
Donations are tax-deductible through our fiscal sponsor, From the Heart Productions
Help bring Medicine of the Herd to audiences around the world. Your tax-deductible donation supports festival screenings, outreach, and distribution.