Original subtitles

Horses fascinate us

for many reasons.

We're drawn to their large, soulful eyes...

Their gentleness.

We marvel at their powerful bodies

built to run.

We're particularly intrigued by their social nature,

the desire to communicate with each other,

the ability to bond with other species,

including us.

This is Sable Island...

a narrow strip of sand off Canada's eastern coast.

Though isolated from the world,

the island is famous for its small horses

that live wild amongst the shifting dunes.

We know the ancestors of these horses were once tame

and had been bred by humans.

But no one really knows

the true story of how they got here.

Some say they were the survivors

of ancient shipwrecks.

Life on the island would be hard for most

exposed to the elements.

Though the island is surrounded by seawater,

fresh water is scarce.

But horses are masters of adaptation,

and Sable Island horses have learned to dig

for underground pools to drink.

Another celebrated Sable Island inhabitant

plays a surprising role

in horse life.

The island is home to the largest colony

of gray seals in the world.

Every winter, seal droppings

bring rich nutrients from the sea...

Turning barren sand

into fertile soil.

The horses have no idea

of the unique gift the seals carry.

But horses are known for existing peacefully

with other species.

They go about their days

slightly curious

yet unbothered by the creatures on the beach.

No matter how they came

to this place of wind and sand,

the Sable Island horses

have developed both the toughness

and the gentleness necessary...

to make it their home.

The Yakutia Region of Russia, near the Arctic Circle,

is one of the coldest places on the planet.

But humans can exist here...

In part because of our relationship

with horses.

The horses carry loads

and work the fields.

The Yakutian people drink the horses' milk.

These intrepid beasts

have adapted to the extreme conditions

and seem perfectly at home.

Their highly evolved sense of smell

allows them to find grass under piles of snow.

Yakutian horses live outside all year round.

They can slow their breathing and blood flow

and go into a kind of standing hibernation.

Their bodies produce a type of antifreeze,

much like prehistoric mammoths.

They are proof

that horses can survive practically anywhere.

One majestic breed has adapted to live

in the deserts of Saudi Arabia...

One of the hottest places on the planet.

Arabian horses are the stuff of legend.

They are celebrated around the world

for their endurance,

intelligence...

and strong human bonds.

And prized by the Bedouin people...

Who even let them sleep in their tents.

The Arabian is built to fly.

Unlike a trot or a canter,

where the horse's feet hit the ground

in two or three beats,

a gallop requires all four legs

to be off the ground at once.

And flying is all about breath...

breathing in when up in the air,

breathing out

when the front legs hit ground.

No wonder horses, like us,

experience euphoria when running.

In the remote flatlands of Mongolia

lives a rare horse.

The only species of horse alive today

that has evolved naturally on its own,

truly wild.

At one point, they were almost extinct,

with only 12 left.

In 2002,

a behavioral ecologist named Claudia Feh

assembled a herd from the few horses remaining

and released them back into their native habitat.

Now more than 2,000

roam free.

These horses are known as takhi,

which means "spirit."

And like spirits,

takhi move unrestricted,

with no interest in humans,

even Claudia.

She observes from a distance...

Learning how horses behave instinctually...

As they have for thousands of years.

They use body language...

The twitch of an ear...

the nod of a head.

While we have only two muscles in our ears,

horses have 16,

allowing for a wealth of expression.

Pricked ears telegraph curious interest.

A lowered head

conveys acceptance of each other.

Hooded eyes signal comfort and relaxation.

These spirits move together as a herd,

silently signaling,

keeping each other safe.

The Gauche de la Dèche in France

is home to horse whisperer Jean-Francois Pignon.

Fluent in the subtle body language of horses,

Pignon has no need for reigns or a bridal.

He simply requests the horse's cooperation...

and the horse obliges.

This approach seeks not to train

but to build a relationship,

one that respects the horse's instincts,

its innate way of being.

Pignon uses a training stick

only as an extension of his own hand

to guide and support...

never to punish.

Here on the beach, there are no barriers.

The horses are free to flee or follow.

Horses actually read and remember emotion.

They can recognize a smile.

And they can smile back.

Horses are so sensitive,

they can feel the beating of our hearts.

If the horse whisperer is happy,

the horse will know.

So Pignon cultivates calmness,

steadiness,

and a loving heart.

The horse is so many things in a single creature...

A balance of gentleness and power...

A free spirit,

at once wild and calm...

A sensitive animal,

receptive and expressive with emotion.

Horses have been part of the human journey

for centuries.

And they will remain for many years to come

close companions by our sides...

and forever in our hearts.