✨ “Sometimes we just need to be—without the pressure of doing more.” – Dr. Kate Lund✨ “Movement and nature help us return to ourselves when the world feels too loud.” – Dr. Kate LundWhat does resilience really look like when life pulls the rug out from under you—again and again? Clinical psychologist, author, and resilience expert Dr. Kate Lund joins Rupert Isaacson for an intimate and powerful conversation about childhood illness, brain surgery, parenting, pressure, movement, nature, and how we find our way back to possibility.Diagnosed with hydrocephalus at age four, Kate spent much of her childhood in and out of hospitals—big surgeries, big fears, and big recoveries. Yet she grew into someone who not only rebuilt her life, but teaches others how to reclaim theirs. Today, she specializes in resilient parenting, stress regulation, and helping families thrive inside their own unique context.In this episode, Rupert and Kate explore how movement (from walking to tennis to long‑distance cycling), intentional rest, nature, visualization, and even animal‑assisted therapy shape our emotional survival. They break down why slowing down is often the hardest thing for parents, why we forget what joy feels like, and why resilience is less about bouncing back and more about building forward—one small step at a time.🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:How childhood illness shaped Kate’s lifelong understanding of resilience ([00:04:00])What hydrocephalus is—and how shunts, surgeries, and uncertainty affect a child’s identity ([00:06:00])The role of movement (tennis, walking, cycling) in recovering brain function and emotional balance ([00:23:00])Why parents must learn to regulate their own stress before they can help their children ([00:31:00])How the “Relaxation Response” technique works (and why it’s simpler than mindfulness) ([00:34:00])Using visualization and nature—real or imagined—to calm the nervous system ([00:50:00])The surprising power of animal‑assisted therapy (and Wally the therapy dog) ([00:53:00])Why slowing down is the #1 barrier to resilience—and how to begin ([01:14:00])How parents with different approaches can communicate and find middle ground ([01:16:00])Small daily practices to build a resilient life (movement, joy, reflection) ([01:26:00])🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:“I wasn’t the carefree child—I was always calculating risk. But I could still find what I could do.” ([00:11:00])Kate walking the circular driveway over and over while recovering from brain surgery—movement as survival. ([00:29:00])Rupert trying the Relaxation Response in real time—with the word “horses.” ([00:36:00])“Animals always show up. They teach us how to show up too.” ([00:59:00])The child in the hospital hallway who walked for the first time in weeks—just to reach Wally the therapy dog. ([00:55:00])When crisis hits: why sometimes the bravest act is simply allowing yourself to stop.” ([01:06:00])“We can get so used to living in suboptimal states that we forget there’s more available.” ([01:15:00])📚 Books and Projects Mentioned:Step Away: The Keys to Resilient Parenting – Dr. Kate LundThe Relaxation Response – Herbert Benson (background method referenced)The Optimized Mind Podcast – Hosted by Dr. Kate LundWebsite: https://katelundspeaks.com🌍 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows:Website: https://rupertisaacson.com📲 Follow Us:Long Ride Home:Website: https://longridehome.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrhInstagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrhYouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehomeNew Trails Learning Systems:Website: https://ntls.coFacebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworldInstagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworldYouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems📊 Affiliate Disclosure:Links to books and products may include affiliate tracking. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

In this episode, Rupert Isaacson speaks with Celisse Barrett — a practitioner whose work blends equine‑assisted therapy, movement‑based regulation, and full‑scale equestrian spectacle. From trick riding, vaulting, and Roman riding to using these same performance skills day‑to‑day with clients, Celisse shows how horses become partners in confidence‑building, trauma recovery, coordination, and empowerment.Rather than separating therapy from performance, Celisse explains how showmanship, rhythm, choreography, and playful challenge help clients — including neurodivergent and special‑needs riders — access balance, focus, and self‑belief. The conversation moves through her personal journey, her training roots, her safety framework, and the way she shapes a space where horses and humans learn together.If you want to support the show, you can do so at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LongRideHome🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode• How Celisse integrates trick riding, vaulting, Roman riding, and performance skills into therapeutic work• Why movement, choreography, and physical challenge help clients regulate and build confidence• How she creates a safety culture that allows playful risk without compromising wellbeing• The role of rhythm, balance, and co‑movement in trauma recovery• How horses teach authenticity and emotional truth in both performance and therapy• Ways Celisse adapts her show‑based techniques to different personalities and needs• What long‑term practice has taught her about sustainability, joy, and preventing practitioner burnout• How equestrian spectacle can become a tool for empowerment, identity, and belonging🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode• [00:03:00] Celisse describes the first time she realized trick‑riding skills could help a client regulate and connect.• [00:10:00] A young rider discovers unexpected confidence through a simple performance‑style exercise.• [00:25:00] Rupert and Celisse talk about balancing "spectacle" with safety — and why fun, when done right, is protective.• [00:36:00] Breaking down how movement and balance training with a young horse transfers directly into client work.• [00:50:00] Celisse explains how co‑movement and rhythm help clients rebuild trust in their own bodies.• [01:20:00] A discussion about choreography, creativity, and how Roman riding principles translate into real therapeutic outcomes.• [01:36:00] How performance‑style exercises unlock emotional breakthroughs in riders who struggle with traditional approaches.📚 Contact, Projects, Thinkers, and Ideas Mentioned• Equestrian Chaos: https://www.equestrianchaos.com https://www.instagram.com/equestrianchaos/?hl=enhttps://www.facebook.com/EquestrianChaos/• Horse Boy Method, Movement Method & Takhin Equine Integration – https://ntls.co• Long Ride Home – https://longridehome.com • Rupert’s Programs and Shows: https://rupertisaacson.com📲 Follow UsLong Ride HomeWebsite: https://longridehome.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrhInstagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrhYouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehomeNew Trails Learning SystemsWebsite: https://ntls.coFacebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworldInstagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworldYouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems📊 Affiliate DisclosureLinks to books and products may include affiliate tracking. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

✨ “Fun is the foundation of transformation. Once people laugh, anything becomes possible.” – Troy Shaw✨ “Clichés are cliches because they’re true – when you make horses healthier and happier, you make humans healthier and happier, too.” – Rupert IsaacsonWhat happens when a corporate manager swaps the boardroom for the barn? In this heartwarming episode, Rupert Isaacson speaks with Troy Shaw, co-director of New Leaf Triangle in Leicestershire, UK — a thriving equine-assisted education and therapy center that grew from one family’s leap of faith into a nationally respected program. Alongside his wife Lorraine, Troy left behind the security of a corporate job to create a place where play, laughter, and horses transform lives.Troy shares the story of how New Leaf Triangle began in 2014 with just a few students and a handful of horses, and how it evolved into a multi-site program supporting young people with autism, emotional challenges, and special educational needs. From fun and dress-up sessions that unlock neuroplasticity to serious discussions about risk, horse welfare, and staff training, this episode explores how joy and rigor can coexist in equine-assisted work.If you’ve ever wondered how to make a sustainable living doing meaningful work with horses, or how to bring more fun and authenticity into your sessions, this conversation is for you.If you want to support the show, you can do so at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LongRideHome🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:• How Troy and Lorraine Shaw left corporate life to build New Leaf Triangle from scratch ([00:03:00])• The power of fun, silliness, and play in equine-assisted learning ([00:32:00])• How to gain credibility and funding through professionalism and paperwork ([00:17:00])• Why risk, laughter, and resilience are essential parts of therapy ([01:03:00])• How to build horses that are confident, bombproof, and emotionally balanced ([00:50:00])• The importance of matching horse and human personalities ([00:54:00])• What makes a great equine-assisted staff culture – and how to train it ([00:43:00])• The value of authenticity and humor in building resilience ([01:27:00])• How to grow an equine-assisted business without losing joy ([01:52:00])🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:• Rupert and Troy reminisce about the night New Leaf Triangle was born over dinner in Soho ([00:24:00])• The family who rediscovered communication through laughter on horseback ([00:11:00])• Why leading with laughter creates safety and connection ([00:33:00])• How dressing up as pirates, cowboys, or highwaymen becomes real therapy ([01:14:00])• Troy’s candid reflections on leaving behind a pension for purpose ([00:09:00])• The horses that teach emotional intelligence – and the humans who learn from them ([00:55:00])📚 Contact, Projects, Thinkers, and Ideas Mentioned:• New Leaf Triangle – https://newleaftriangle.co.uk• Lorraine and Troy Shaw – Co-directors, New Leaf Triangle• Horse Boy Method, Movement Method & Takhin Equine Integration – https://ntls.co🌍 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows:Website: https://rupertisaacson.com📲 Follow Us:Long Ride HomeWebsite: https://longridehome.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrhInstagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrhYouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehomeNew Trails Learning SystemsWebsite: https://ntls.coFacebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworldInstagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworldYouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems📊 Affiliate Disclosure:Links to books and products may include affiliate tracking. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

From cryptids to hickory trees, raccoons, and the hidden balance of the natural world, writer and poet Jarod Anderson invites us into his world of imagination, healing, and belonging. In this deep and reflective conversation, Rupert Isaacson explores Jarod’s journey through depression, his rediscovery of nature, and how storytelling can transform pain into wonder. Together they uncover how imagination acts as a bridge back to the wild world—even when we’re confined by screens or cities—and how the stories we tell can become medicine for our own minds. Known for his podcast The CryptoNaturalist and his books Something in the Woods Loves You and Strange Animals (Ballantine Books, 2025), Jarod shares how his creative process, humor, and reverence for the strange help turn despair into curiosity and isolation into connection. This episode is a meditation on what happens when poetry meets survival, when darkness meets awe, and when we finally remember that nature has never stopped loving us.✨ “We are more weather pattern than stone monument.” – Jarod Anderson✨ “If you reach for wonder and come at it as a student, you’ll find it reaching back.” – Jarod Anderson🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:How imagination and storytelling can help heal depression ([00:02:00])Reconnecting with nature after burnout and shame ([00:10:00])The origin story of The CryptoNaturalist podcast ([00:13:00])How cryptids mirror the human psyche and our need for balance ([00:16:00])The mythic guardians of Earth: from the Orbital Kingfisher to the Horned Wolf ([00:17:00])Finding healing through writing and mental health openness ([00:28:00])What inspired Something in the Woods Loves You ([00:29:00])Touching the Hickory Tree: how presence dissolves shame ([00:35:00])Lessons from the raccoon and the power of unpretty survival ([01:06:00])Shame, nature, and the cyclical nature of healing ([01:10:00])The role of stories, context, and compassion in healing ([01:27:00])🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:A teacher reading Mary Oliver poetry to 10-year-old Jarod in the woods ([00:02:00])The kitchen accident that led to rediscovering creativity through nature ([00:10:30])Creating The CryptoNaturalist: “a love letter to nature where everything is invented” ([00:14:00])The metaphor of depression as brain weather—no shame, just different skies ([00:45:00])The raccoon as a teacher of stubbornness and survival ([01:06:00])“Who says survival has to be pretty?” ([01:07:00])A squirrel revived by touch and returned to the grass—context as healing ([01:25:00])“If you reach for wonder and come at it as a student, you’ll find it reaching back.” ([01:51:00])📚 Books and Projects Mentioned: Jarod Anderson Something in the Woods Loves You (Timber Press) https://amzn.to/443Uao1 –Strange Animals (Ballantine Books, Feb 2025) https://amzn.to/47znvsL –Haunted Forest Trilogy (3 books) https://amzn.to/3Lwah7C The CryptoNaturalist Podcast –  https://www.cryptonaturalist.com/  https://www.jarodkanderson.comhttps://www.facebook.com/Cryptonaturalist/ https://www.instagram.com/cryptonaturalist/ 🌍 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows: Website: https://rupertisaacson.com📲 Follow Us:Long Ride Home: Website: https://longridehome.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrhInstagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrhYouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehomeNew Trails Learning Systems: Website: https://ntls.coFacebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworldInstagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworldYouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems📊 Affiliate Disclosure: Links to books and products may include affiliate tracking. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

What happens when curiosity meets compassion and data meets horsemanship? In this inspiring episode, Rupert Isaacson speaks with Dr. Pebbles Turbeville, CEO of the Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF) — an organization that funds groundbreaking studies proving the power of horse-human interactions. For nearly two decades, HHRF has legitimized and advanced the field of equine-assisted services through rigorous, peer-reviewed research, helping programs worldwide access funding and credibility.Pebbles shares the foundation's origins, from founder Molly Sweeney's question of how horses help humans to the global network of researchers and practitioners now carrying that torch. Together, she and Rupert explore the science behind equine-assisted therapy, innovative studies linking brain scans to equine activity, and the growing focus on equine well-being — because healing must go both ways.If you’re in the equine-assisted world, this episode is your guide to the data, ethics, and compassion shaping the future of our field.If you want to support the show, you can do so at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LongRideHome✨ “When we make horses healthier and happier, we make humans healthier and happier, too.” – Dr. Pebbles Turbeville✨ “Research legitimizes what we do. It helps the world see that playing with ponies is powerful medicine.” – Rupert Isaacson🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:How Horses and Humans Research Foundation began — and the story of founder Molly Sweeney ([00:03:00])How HHRF’s Shark Tank-style grant process ensures integrity and safety in research ([00:08:00])The challenges of funding equine-assisted research and why quality control matters ([00:10:00])Highlights of HHRF-funded studies, including brain mapping in therapeutic riding ([00:27:00])How horses’ well-being is now central to research — and what the Five Domains model means ([00:34:00])Why fitness, enrichment, and emotional health matter for therapy horses ([00:38:00])How HHRF bridges research and real-world application through free webinars ([00:45:00])The organization’s upcoming conference and equine well-being initiatives ([00:47:00])Innovative grants focused solely on equine welfare ([00:50:00])The role of emotional intelligence and kindness in both horse and human learning ([01:05:00])How collaboration, not competition, will shape the future of the equine-assisted world ([01:25:00])🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:The volunteer who changed everything: how one woman’s curiosity built a global research movement ([00:03:00])Pebbles on the irony of how hard it is to give away money – and what makes a great grant applicant ([00:10:00])The first study to measure both human and horse brain activity ([00:27:00])How understanding horse behavior and enrichment prevents burnout and aggression ([00:36:00])The power of the Five Domains: nutrition, environment, health, behavior, and mental state ([00:34:00])Rupert’s reflection on how emotional control and empathy are rooted in horsemanship ([01:06:00])Why interdisciplinary collaboration is the key to advancing the whole field ([01:25:00])📚 Contact, Projects, Thinkers, and Ideas Mentioned:Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF) – https://horsesandhumans.orgDr. Pebbles Turbeville – CEO, Horses and Humans Research FoundationDr. Molly Sweeney – Founder, HHRFDr. Steven Peters – Keynote Speaker, HHRF Conference 2026Dr. Helen Sharp – Research collaborator and educatorDr. Beth Lanning, Baylor University – Neuroscience-based equine studiesChristina Wilkins – Equitation Science & Five Domains CourseSquare Peg Foundation – https://www.squarepegfoundation.orgHorse Boy Method, Movement Method & Takhin Equine Integration – https://ntls.co🌍 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows: Website: https://rupertisaacson.com📲 Follow Us:Long Ride HomeWebsite: https://longridehome.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrhInstagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrhYouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehomeNew Trails Learning SystemsWebsite: https://ntls.coFacebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworldInstagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworldYouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems📊 Affiliate Disclosure: Links to books and products may include affiliate tracking. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.