Live Free Ride Free with Rupert Isaacson

In this deeply honest and wide‑ranging episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson speaks with family therapist and author Amanda Atkins about what it truly means to parent a high‑needs child — and how parents survive, adapt, and rediscover joy along the way.

Amanda shares the personal story behind her book How to Handle More Than You Can Handle, written from lived experience as the mother of Asher, a teenager with Prader‑Willi Syndrome. Together, Rupert and Amanda explore overwhelm, grief, resilience, humor, identity, marriage, community, and the long‑term realities of parenting children with disabiliti...

In this deeply moving and long‑awaited reunion episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson is joined by Tulga Otgonbaatar — the Mongolian guide, cultural bridge, and quiet catalyst behind the original Horse Boy journey.

Nearly twenty years after Rupert, his autistic son Rowan, and Tulga traveled together across Mongolia to meet shamans, reindeer herders, and the vast living intelligence of the steppe, the two sit down to reflect on what that journey set in motion — not only for Rowan and their families, but for Mongolia itself.

This conversation weaves together memory, history, spirit...

✨ "You’re not stuck. You just haven’t talked to the right mentor yet." – Jason Barrett
✨ "If you find a purpose—and the courage to follow it—you’ll surprise yourself every time." – Jason Barrett
What happens when a 12‑year‑old kid walks into a summer camp for people with profound disabilities—and never really leaves? Performer, father, and nonprofit co‑founder Jason Barrett joins Rupert Isaacson for a funny, vulnerable, and deeply inspiring conversation about service, special needs, faith, horses, circus arts, and what it really takes to build a life around purpose.

From his first summer at Camp S...

✨ “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 Lund

What 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 ch...

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 So...

In this deeply moving episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson welcomes Henrich Berkhoff, farmer, father, politician, and founder of child-protection and education initiatives in Germany.

From facing a devastating prenatal diagnosis to creating one of Germany’s first Green Care Farms, Henrich shares how his son’s birth with spina bifida transformed his family’s life—igniting a mission to integrate nature, farming, and inclusion into education and policy.

A lifelong advocate for children’s rights and special education, Henrich speaks about building community (“the tribe comes to you”), turning crisis into growth, and working wi...

In this episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson sits down with scientist, journalist, and bestselling author Dr. Jo Marchant (PhD in Genetics and Medical Microbiology) to explore the intersections between science, spirituality, and the human experience. From the placebo effect to consciousness, awe, and the nature of time itself, Jo unpacks her groundbreaking books Cure, The Human Cosmos, and her forthcoming In Search of Now. Together they examine what it means to live curiously, think freely, and rediscover wonder in a rational age.

✨ “Science is asking questions of nature and listening to the answers.” – Jo Marchant...

Once nonverbal, Lina Hjalmarsson-Lyons now communicates through a letter board and her own writing—sharing profound insights into love, autism, and the human spirit. In this extraordinary episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson sits down with long-time friend Helena Hjalmarsson and her daughter Lina to explore the paradox of autism, poetry born from struggle, and what it means to align with our planet and each other. Their conversation moves from the excruciating journey of learning to spell, to navigating health challenges, to Lina’s vision of compassion as the cornerstone of society.

✨ “In learning how to spell...

From hitchhiking to California with $35 in her pocket, to becoming a Stanford professor, medical doctor, and pioneer in equine-assisted programs, Dr. Beverley Kane’s story is one of resilience, curiosity, and transformation. In this episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson sits down with Dr. Kane to trace her journey through medicine, sports science, corporate Silicon Valley, parapsychology, and ultimately to horses—where she bridges science and spirituality.

Beverley shares how her early activism during the Vietnam War led her into medicine, what she learned working in preventive health and AI at Apple and WebMD, and...

 From the rugby fields of London to the Merchant Navy, Special Forces, skydiving, aviation, and entrepreneurship—Paul Illingworth’s life has been defined by risk, resilience, and relentless drive. In this episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson sits down with Paul to trace a journey that spans fear, family, and the search for tribe.

Paul shares how being bullied as a child forged his fighter’s spirit, how rugby and the Navy honed his leadership, and why fear should never be allowed to rule your life. From building successful businesses—including skydiving operations and escape rooms—to...

In this rare solo episode of Live Free Ride Free, host Rupert Isaacson shares his own extraordinary story—tracing a path from his multicultural childhood in London to horseback adventures, indigenous rights campaigns, and the creation of groundbreaking autism and equine therapy programs. Rupert weaves together vivid life experiences: from retraining an unruly ex-racehorse as a boy, to helping the Bushmen of the Kalahari win historic land claims, to transforming his son’s autism journey through horses, nature, and movement. This is a deep dive into service, resilience, and the magic of following the call of adventure.

🔍 What Yo...

What happens when a successful publisher hits rock bottom—and finds his way back through psychedelics, storytelling, and soul work? In this episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson sits down with Ralf Daab, a Cologne-based publisher and spiritual entrepreneur, to explore how dreams, and intuition reshaped his life. From sex with his soul-self to conversations with ancient Persian sultans, Ralf shares candidly about death, rebirth, and the creative power of expanded consciousness. It’s a story of heartbreak, transformation, and discovering that the spiritual path doesn’t have to begin in the jungle—it can start with a walk p...

Filmmaker Craig Foster (My Octopus Teacher) and wildlife sculptor-naturalist George Bumann return to Live Free Ride Free for a sweeping, soul-deep conversation on rewilding the human spirit. With Rupert Isaacson, they dive into the healing force of biodiversity, the true meaning of conflict resolution, and why tracking—not just animals, but ourselves—is essential for becoming fully alive. From snails in beer bottles to raven politics at the dump, they explore how the smallest natural encounters offer the biggest epiphanies. This episode is an invitation to reclaim our 3-million-year-old blueprint for joy, freedom, and kinship with all beings.

✨...

Dr. Ben Conner, professor of practical theology and founder of the Center for Disability and Ministry, joins Rupert Isaacson for a radical rethinking of Christianity and environmentalism. From reinterpreting "dominion" in Genesis to empowering neurodivergent voices in ministry, Ben challenges assumptions about American evangelicalism, conservation, and the role of theology in planetary healing. Together, they explore how to reconnect children, horses, and communities to a sense of sacred kinship with nature—through wonder, embodiment, and relational theology.

✨ “Maybe the vocation of a mountain is just to be a mountain.” – Ben Conner

✨ "Jesus in the wilderness w...

"The foundation of Western rationalism? A series of mystical dreams."

Artist, philosopher, and occult scholar Dr. Justin Sledge joins Rupert Isaacson to illuminate a forgotten dimension of Western thought. With over 870,000 YouTube followers on his channel Esoterica, Dr. Sledge has built a global audience passionate about the academic study of magic, mysticism, and esotericism. In this fast-moving and rigorously researched conversation, Justin pulls back the curtain on the mystical roots of rationalism, the dream logic behind Descartes, and how occult traditions shaped the very sciences that claim to have left them behind.

Why should...

Artist, regenerative grazier, and rewilding facilitator Nick Viney joins Rupert Isaacson for an expansive conversation from the wilds of Dartmoor to the edges of imagination. With boots-on-the-ground wisdom from 20 years of land restoration, livestock management, and community-building, Nick makes a compelling case for restoring ecosystems through play, art, and radical listening. This episode is a masterclass in how to bring trees back, slow the water, and let the wild shape us.

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Farrier, ultra-runner, and Derby training guide Stevie Delahunt joins Rupert Isaacson for a surprising, funny, and soulful conversation that gallops through Patagonia, Mongolia, Oregon, and the inner landscapes of fear, boredom, and awe. They unpack the difference between trauma and triumph, how endurance sports can help rewire the brain, and what it means to truly listen to animals, land, and spirit. Whether you’re derby-curious, nature-hungry, or wondering how to make a more meaningful life with your horses, this one’s a ride.

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🚨 Support the Cornwall Rainforest Research Station: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/the-cornwall-rainforest-comm

Robin and Merlin Hanbury-Tenison are currently raising funds to build the UK's first Atlantic rainforest research station through their Thousand Year Trust. This station will serve as a hub for groundbreaking studies into biodiversity, climate resilience, and the mental health benefits of temperate forests. The crowdfunder is live until May 21st, 2025, and donations will be matched by Aviva—with additional matched funding unlocked if the target is reached.

Legendary explorer and indigenous rights activist Robin Hanbury-Tenison OBE, DL, DSc, DHc, MA, FLS...

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide, childhood trauma, and emotional abuse. If these topics may be triggering, we suggest skipping this episode or proceeding with care. If you or someone you know is affected by such experiences or is contemplating suicide, please seek support from qualified professionals and local mental health resources.

Emelie Cajsdotter—author, healer, and founder of a unique animal sanctuary in western Sweden—joins Rupert Isaacson for a sweeping, emotional, and revelatory conversation that bridges grief, neurodivergence, trauma, ancestral healing, and the reality of interspecies communication. With gentle intensity, Emelie recounts a ch...

George Bumann—sculptor, wildlife researcher, educator, and author—joins Rupert Isaacson for a profound conversation exploring how animals communicate, what it means to truly listen to the natural world, and how this understanding can transform our inner and outer lives. George, who lives just outside Yellowstone National Park, offers insights drawn from decades of tracking wolves, grizzlies, elk, and bison, as well as from his unique perspective as both an artist and scientist. Remarkably, George can mimic the calls of animals like crows and wolves so precisely that he is able to call them in—and, even more importantly, he und...

In this episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson dives deep into the intersection of holistic health, biohacking, and consciousness with Dr. Har Hari Khalsa, a Los Angeles-based chiropractor, yogi, and pioneer in integrative medicine. Together, they explore the power of vibration and frequency in healing—from chiropractic care to scalar waves—and how our relationship with nature, technology, and ancient wisdom holds the key to true well-being.

📌 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

In this episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson sits down with art historian, educator, and filmmaker Tom Parsons. With a career spanning decades, Tom shares his fascinating journey from studying art history to working with youth, fostering creativity, and inspiring a love for aesthetics and self-expression. He discusses the importance of art, personal growth, and the value of risk-taking and play in a fulfilled life.

📌 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Lainie Liberti, world traveler, author, and founder of Transformative Mentoring for Teens and Project World School, joins Rupert Isaacson in this inspiring episode of Live Free Ride Free. She shares her remarkable journey of leaving behind conventional life to travel the world with her son, Miro, and the profound lessons she has learned about education, partnership parenting, and teen mental health along the way.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Breaking Free from the Conventional Life (Starts at [00:02:00]): Lainie shares the story of how the 2008 economic crash led her to rethink everything, culminating in...

Bestselling author J.D. Barker joins Rupert Isaacson for an in-depth discussion about his journey from ghostwriting and book doctoring to becoming a globally recognized thriller writer. With endorsements from Stephen King and collaborations with James Patterson, Barker shares his insights into writing gripping fiction, navigating the publishing world, and his experience as an autistic author. This episode is a must-listen for aspiring writers, thriller lovers, and anyone curious about the behind-the-scenes workings of the literary world.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Craig Foster, renowned naturalist, filmmaker, and co-creator of the Academy Award-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher, joins Rupert Isaacson for a second captivating discussion. This episode dives deeper into the ancient human art of tracking, its profound connection to mental health, and how it can rewire the brain for resilience, belonging, and joy. Craig shares stories of his immersive tracking experiences in Cape Town’s kelp forests and beyond, emphasizing the healing and unifying power of this primal practice.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Rebecca Didier is the managing editor of Trafalgar Square  Books, the premier publisher of equestrian and horse-related books in the United States. With over 23 years of experience, Rebecca has been instrumental in shaping the world of equestrian publishing, blending her love of literature, design, and horses. From her early days learning to ride in Vermont to becoming a key figure in the publishing world, Rebecca’s journey is a testament to her dedication and passion.

In this episode of Live Free, Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson explores Rebecca’s path into publishing, her thoughts on the importance of books...

Bridging Divides Through Art and Connection with Ari Honarvar

Ari Honarvar is an award-winning writer, speaker, artist, and peacebuilder. As the founder of Rumi With A View, she uses art, music, and Persian mystical poetry to create healing spaces and build bridges between communities divided by conflict and trauma. Ari’s work has been featured in publications such as The Guardian, Teen Vogue, and The New York Times, and she serves as the Iranian Musical Ambassador of Peace.

Ari facilitates "Resilience through Joy" workshops for refugees and volunteers on both sides of the U...

Rediscovering Joy and Authenticity Through Inner Journeys with Ralf Daab 

Ralf Daab, a renowned publisher from Germany, has spent decades working with some of the most prestigious art and design publishers, including Taschen. He later founded his own publishing house, where he curated over 300 titles on architecture, interior design, and fashion. However, life’s unexpected turns, including personal loss and professional challenges, led him on an inner journey of profound transformation. Through meditative practices, self-exploration, and therapeutic journeys, Ralf uncovered a deeper connection to his authentic self and the universal truths that bind us all.

Finding Balance: Technology, Racehorses, and Thrilling Stories with Victor Bahna

Victor Bahna is a tech industry veteran, thoroughbred racing enthusiast, and the author of the gripping new thriller, Heliacal Star. Based in Seattle, Victor has seamlessly blended his passions for technology and racehorses into a life filled with discovery, balance, and storytelling. In his debut novel, Heliacal Star, Victor explores the thrilling yet darker sides of the racing industry, creating a narrative that captivates and informs. In this episode, Victor shares his unique journey, insights into horse racing and the tech world, and lessons learned from the...

If you've ever wondered how the classic animal scenes in movies get made, Terry Kuebler, has has a lifetime of experience behind the scenes in Hollywood.

Starting as an animal trainer and horsewoman at home in California she entered the movie industry in the 1980s and helped create some very iconic movies- listen on to hear about that.

But there's way more to Terry than simply animal training. After a lesson from a very particular lion - a story that will leave you breathless- Terry realized that she- and the industry- needed a radically different...

If you haven't watched the film My Octopus Teacher, then stop reading this right now and go to Netflix. (Trailer here on YouTube)

An extraordinary work, which chronicles the relationship between South African diver and director Craig Foster and, yes, a wild octopus, the film won an Oscar and rightly so. The link between man and nature shown in the movie - or rather the clear reminder that man is nature and not removed from it in some way, as we may erroneously sometimes think, is shown with startling intimacy and  a sense of wonder that brings y...

There are people out there in the world who make good things happen. The good things you see on your news feeds - not the doom scrolling.

The good documentaries you might have watched, the projects fighting climate change, AIDS, human rights abuses and the like - its often easy to forget that there are actual individuals behind the scenes making these things happen, then helping them get out to the audiences that need them, and finally leveraging those projects into actual change both at a policy level and for real lives of real people living in...

That the Carradine family is a Hollywood dynasty is common knowledge.

Less known is that one of its scions - Kansas Carradine, daughter of legendary actor David Carradine (Kung Fu, Kill Bill et al) has become possibly one of the most self actualized people of her generation and is going around the world helping others to do the same.

Kansas Carradine is an amazing talent: a professional trick rider and rope since her childhood, a stunt rider and actress, a therapist with the legendary HeartMath Insititute which conducts research into the electromagnetic fields of hearts...

Many of us dream about - or at the very least wonder about - the phenomen of becoming a YouTuber. Actually making a living out of content creation. Many of us also dream of being able to positively influence the lives of others this way and spread knowledge of healing and well being for the common good while, well being successful. Sukie Baxter, whose work on explaining the autonomic nervous system and how it can be harnessed to work more efficiently for health and happiness, has done just that. Her views on YouTube have gone into the millions without...

Have you ever dreamed of being a filmmaker, a producer? A storyteller of the screen? We all have at some point -anyone who consumes screen entertainment hankers at some point to be the one making the content. Yet how to even get started? Even in these days of YouTubers and independent film making platforms where movies made on cell phones get sold to TV, we know its hard. How do you get the finances, the actors, the costumes, the scripts? How do you put it all together and make a go of it, a successful career of it?

Have you ever heard of the Grand Tour? If you haven’t, you’ve certainly benefited from it – in the 18th and 19th centuries young artists, composers and  aristocrats from northern Europe, most especially England and Germany, used to tour the great cities of Renaissance Italy, adventuring in all sorts of dissolute ways but also learning the Classics along the way, not to mention witnessing the great art of Venice, Florence and Rome, and bringing this Enlightenment firmly into our modern consciousness. Byron, the Shelleys, Goethe – all found their muse on the Grand Tour. We would have no Frankenstein, no Childe...

To live free and ride free you don't have to be a celeb. You don't have to be changing the world in an obvious way. The non-obvious, the non celebrity pathway is just as powerful but oft overlooked. With that in mind I feel it's very important to balance the extraordinary ways in which we have seen guests on the podcast live self actualized lived with equally extraordinary tales of a more ordinary path. Ordinary circumstances is perhaps a better way of putting it. But what extraordinary response to those circumstances. Jill Cohen, of Santa Cruz, California, is one...

Have you ever gone looking for treasure. And found it? Like many who go looking for gold, the first clues came through offhand comments, snatches overheard conversations that somehow struck a resonance, a chord, in the gut. I had embarked upon a journey to the centre of the Old Masters tradition of dressage. At first, I didn't know that was what I was doing. My quest was to understand more about how to truly and softly collect a horse _ and not for the usual reasons. You see, I had stumbled into something; when riding with my then four-year-old autistic...

 Living free and riding free - it's one thing to do it. It's another thing altogether to provide a whole universe that allows others to do it. Castle Leslie in Ireland is that place. A thousand acres and a castle, an equestrian tourism paradise, a place people go to disappear into the hills and forests of the border region, a research and learning site for climate and soil science, a treasure house of baroque and renaissance art that you can live in, the sort of place that rock stars go on honeymoon, and  special needs families can find healing in...

Film Festivals are something one reads about all the time. We accept them as institutions that drive the movie business in the same way that we take for granted music festivals and literary and other arts festivals, as things that exist almost as geological features of the landscape. Or at least the cultural landscape. 

What many of us don’t know is that the festivals that come to accept as institutions in and onto themselves, were all started by someone with an idea. This includes such behemoth such as Sundance, which was the idea of the actor Rob...

Linda Tellington Jones is a true legend. In the horse world, in the world of human healing, in the world of dogs, in the world in general... TTouch, an easy, effective way of resetting the nervous system for animals and humans, is a global movement. Linda's 22 books on the subject have been translated into multiple languages and have sold uncounted copies. Those who have tried TTouch, whether for animals or humans, all report massive improvements in both physical and emotional conditions. Now in her 80s, Linda still travels the world teaching, inspiring, constantly developing new aspects to her method...

 John Mitchinson is a true man of mystery. 

You may have been hanging out with him for years and don't know it. Many of you out there have been watching TV, reading books, discovering stories that John Mitchinson has created, or published, or influenced, or written...without his name being on them. 

Have you watched the hilarious, clever, cult BBC Show QI (which stands for Quite Interesting), presented by the redoubtable Steven Fry and now in its bazillionth season? Well, chances are John Mitchinson wrote every word that delighted you. He also conceived the show in...

If there is someone who typifies what it means to quite literally Live Free and Ride Free, it is online equestrian and nervous system celebrity Jane Pike. 

Born in Australia, and growing up first on woolly ponies in Tasmania, then on the Australian show pony circuit, Jane has taken a circuitous route through many branches of life, all of which culminated into her Confident Rider and Joy Ride Programs, which help uncounted numbers of people around the world to achieve functionality in their bodies and brains, whether in the saddle or in their daily lives. 

Cu...

A legend and ueber-influencer in the horsemanship community, in the years since COVID Warwick Schiller has become much much more. In addition to creating one of the first and most successful online libraries of horse training videos, Warwick’s Journey On Podcast exceeded a million downloads quite a while ago and is on it’s way to stratospheric heights. 

In addition Warwick’s activities of late have expanded far beyond the horse world. His own personal pilgrimage to find his own inner emotional healing after years of shut down (his words) has lead him to explore the healing...

Sir Tim Smit is a legend. Knighted for his ecological and economic contribution not just to Great Britain, but the international community at large. Sir Tim is famous for having founded Cornwall's Lost Gardens of Heligan, and the Eden Project in which the public can visit working rain forests under glass domes and truly learn the importance of ecology and how it effects their daily lives, while at the same time being entertained and contributing to the economies of otherwise depressed areas.

What many people don't know is that the Eden Projects are now going global with...

Here on our pilot episode of the Live Free Ride Free Podcast, we talk about the nature of success and self-actualization - what this means, not just in terms of money and career, but in terms of personal happiness and fulfillment.

Our host Rupert Isaacson, tells his story from doing manual labor as an illegal immigrant to running his own successful writing career and businesses as well as his charity and human rights advocacy work.

We set the tone for the exciting guests to come: people who have achieved the pinnacles of their potential, often...