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 MDMA journeys, 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 past a horse paddock in Germany.✨ “You don’t change your life in one journey. The transformation is forever.” – Ralf Daab✨ “What if the Sultan was God, the Universe…and You?” – Ralf Daab🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why Ralf left the fast-paced world of international publishing for inner healing and mindfulness ([00:13:00])How MDMA and psilocybin journeys helped him process loss, failure, and rebirth ([00:17:00], [00:21:00])The unexpected impact of channeling, spiritual entrepreneurship, and synchronicity ([00:27:00], [01:04:00])Why ancient Persia and a mystical Sultan guided Ralf toward his creative mission ([00:36:00])What it means to have sex with your own soul—and why it led to deep self-acceptance ([00:48:00])How a recurring dream of a plane crash resolved through psychedelic insight ([00:55:00])What dying at age 96 on a beach in France taught him about living fully now ([00:59:00])🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:Ralf and Rupert meet during a chance encounter while picking up horse poo in Germany ([00:03:00])Ralf’s first MDMA journey: flying with birds and experiencing Earth from space ([00:30:00])The Sultan appears again and says, “I am God, the Universe… and You.” ([00:39:00])Channeling guidance in early morning states, leading to unexpected new business ventures ([01:04:00])Ralf dancing on a beach in France after accepting death and realizing he was 16 again ([01:01:00])📚 Projects, Thinkers, and Ideas Mentioned:Ralf Daab – High on Living publishing house and his book: Da Bist Ja Wieder: 32 Episoden (Self-published) https://amzn.to/3IM031zRupert Isaacson – The Horse Boy, The Long Ride Home, The Healing Land https://longridehome.com/books🌍 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows: Website: https://rupertisaacson.com📲 Follow Us:Long Ride Home: Website: https://longridehome.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh Instagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh YouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehomeNew Trails Learning Systems: Website: https://ntls.co Facebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworld Instagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworld YouTube: 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 inspiring episode of Equine Assisted World, Rupert Isaacson sits down with Melissa Connor, Executive Director of Renew Therapeutic Riding Center in Holland, Michigan. Recorded just weeks after Rupert visited the center, this conversation highlights what it takes to create a truly horse-centered therapeutic program—where equine well-being is as prioritized as human healing.Melissa shares her decades-long journey through the equine-assisted services field, how she shaped a program with excellence in horse care, and the practical systems Renew uses to maintain a thriving herd of 22 horses. From rider conditioning and pasture management to financial sustainability and healthy organizational culture, Melissa offers a rare, transparent view into what truly ethical equine-assisted work looks like behind the scenes. 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:Creating a Culture of Equine Well-Being (Starts at 01:00)Why therapeutic horses deserve the same quality of care as competition horsesHow listening to horses and honoring their vocation sets the foundationThe importance of movement, friendship, and forage (the three F’s)Evolving Out of the "Donated Horse" Mentality (Starts at 09:00)Melissa’s early experiences with horses in VirginiaWhy therapeutic programs shouldn’t accept broken-down or unsuitable horsesHow to reframe our value system when it comes to horses in serviceSetting Standards for Horse Acceptance & Retirement (Starts at 20:00)How Renew handles free leases and vet care capsWhy written agreements and ongoing owner relationships are criticalWhat happens when retirement is needed—but the owner steps backToplines, Thriving, and Conditioning (Starts at 29:00)Rupert’s reaction to seeing three glowing, fit therapy horsesThe conditioning system at Renew: riding, groundwork, and professional lessonsWhy not all conditioning needs to involve riding—and how Teke work will integrateTime Management & Staff Structure (Starts at 37:00)How Renew blocks out weekly time for horse conditioningUsing shared digital logs and notes to communicate across staffWhy excellence in horsemanship is a hiring priorityFinding Skilled Riders for Conditioning (Starts at 41:00)Where and how Renew recruits advanced, balanced ridersWhy setting the bar high helps attract the right peopleBuilding a team of instructors with both equestrian and teaching skillsTurning Horses Out—Even in Michigan Winters (Starts at 47:00)How Renew designed their pastures and shelter for 24/7 turnoutThe mental and physical benefits of herd life and freedom to moveManaging blankets, individualized care, and daily wellness checksFunding a High-Standard Therapeutic Program (Starts at 56:00)Renew’s journey from a small leased parcel to a built-from-scratch facilityStrategies that work: storytelling, Chamber of Commerce, and Rotary clubsWhy inviting donors to the farm changes everythingCommunity Culture, Conflict & Longevity (Starts at 1:10:00)How Renew fosters staff cohesion, continued education, and joy at workMelissa’s perspective on conflict resolution and non-toxic leadershipBuilding systems that ensure sustainability beyond one leaderThe Future of Equine Assisted Services (Starts at 1:33:00)Why mentorship is urgently needed in our fast-growing fieldRecruiting not just horse people, but professionals in governance and financeMelissa’s dream: long-term impact and positive life change with every ride🌟 Memorable Moments from the Episode:Rupert’s reaction to seeing perfect toplines on therapy horses (29:00)Why “the barns are for humans, not horses” (07:00)Melissa’s powerful response to someone offering broken equipment (14:00)The reality of owners not reclaiming their horses after years in service (22:00)One donor’s lunch meeting that became the start of Renew’s land purchase (1:05:00)🤝 Connect with Melissa Connor & Renew TRC: Website: https://renewtrc.org Facebook: https://facebook.com/renewtrc Instagram: https://instagram.com/renewtrc🌐 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows: Rupert Isaacson: https://rupertisaacson.com Equine-Assisted Programs: https://newtrailslearning.com📲 Follow Us: Long Ride Home Facebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh Instagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh YouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehomeNew Trails Learning Systems Website: https://ntls.co Facebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworld Instagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworld YouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems🧺 Affiliate Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. If you purchase through them, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show!

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.✨ “You feel the beating heart of the intertidal in your own beating heart.” – Craig Foster✨ “Noticing is the beginning of healing.” – George Bumann🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why extreme biodiversity supercharges physical vitality and mental clarity ([00:04:00])How conflict dissolves when we're in kinship with more-than-human communities ([00:19:00])Why tracking—animals, people, and ourselves—is the original language of connection ([00:33:00])What George learned about group dynamics and animal behavior from Yellowstone’s wolves and ravens ([00:45:00])How sculpting, storytelling, and species documentation help heal our cultural broken-heartedness ([00:58:00])What happens to human consciousness when we spend uninterrupted time in nature ([01:06:00])Why snails, magpies, ravens, and city foxes may be more important than elephants and whales ([01:17:00])The myth of separation: how the illusion of “self vs. nature” feeds personal suffering ([01:30:00])How ego functions in wild systems vs. modern society—and how culture can recalibrate it ([01:39:00])How George and Craig help people rewild through art, archives, biodiversity, and beauty ([01:53:00])The final invitation: how noticing becomes a daily ritual of reconnection and joy ([02:03:00])🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:Craig’s experience of pure vitality on a pristine research island—surrounded by mantas, sharks, and rays ([00:02:00])George’s intimate vocal impressions of coyotes, wolves, and elk—including one he heard that morning ([00:07:00], [01:13:00])What snails in beer bottles near Miami taught Craig about resilience and belonging ([02:06:00])The concept of Mother Nature as the ultimate shareholder of all human endeavors ([00:29:00])What happens when children in urban schools are given cameras—and how their perception shifts over days ([00:18:00])George’s ravens at the dump: what “vermin” reveal about the power of noticing ([02:09:00])Craig’s octopus friend who walks bipedally and eats sharks—and lets Craig film her doing it ([02:22:00])📚 Projects, Thinkers, and Ideas Mentioned:Craig Foster – My Octopus Teacher, Sea Change Project (https://seachangeproject.com)1001 Sea Forest Species ProjectGeorge Bumann – Wildlife sculptor, educator, and naturalist (https://georgebumann.com)David Graeber – The Dawn of Everything https://amzn.to/464fE6eBates Method – Natural eyesight restoration https://amzn.to/4kFMqhFDr. Chantel Prat – The Neuroscience of You https://amzn.to/3TFhPWsRupert Isaacson – The Horse Boy, The Long Ride Home, The Healing Land https://longridehome.com/books-ru/ 🌍 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows: Website: https://rupertisaacson.com📲 Follow Us:Long Ride Home: Website: https://longridehome.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh Instagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh YouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehomeNew Trails Learning Systems: Website: https://ntls.co Facebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworld Instagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworld YouTube: 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 thought-provoking follow-up episode of Equine Assisted World, Rupert Isaacson reunites with legendary horseman Mark Rashid and clinician-author Crissi McDonald. This time, the conversation shifts deeper into the internal landscapes of both horse and human, exploring what it really means to be soft—without losing structure.From navigating low-level panic and reframing anxiety, to understanding when pressure is productive and when it breaks us, Mark and Crissi offer powerful insights not only for horse people, but for anyone seeking a more peaceful way of being in the world. Broadcasting from Happy Dog Ranch in Colorado, they also share how kindness, community, nature, and play are essential ingredients in creating meaningful transformation.(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:The Paradox of Softness & Anxiety (Starts at 01:00)Why striving for softness can trigger anxietyMark's pressure scale (0 to 10) and self-regulation in real timeHow internal tension blocks horse-human communicationSpeed Bumps and Nervous System Awareness (Starts at 08:00)Crissi explains the compounding stress of modern lifeWhy we don’t need to always be calm—and how to ride the nervous system waveThe idea of setting stress aside just long enough to connectWhen Softness Meets an Unready Horse (Starts at 13:00)What to do when your horse is not in a soft stateThe art of doing what you can do instead of forcing what you can’tPressure vs. Anxiety (Starts at 25:00)How pressure can lead to problem-solving, while anxiety leads to shutdownA lesson in reframing stress as “just an event, not an emergency”Why “Misery is Optional” became a clinic mottoHow We Live Matters (Starts at 31:00)Crissi’s 20-year journey toward balance: food, sleep, connection, movementThe surprising role of creativity (like watercolor and photography) in emotional regulationClinic Structure That Feels Like Freedom (Starts at 36:00)Daily dojo sessions: breath, safety, and playful presenceGiving students permission not to ride—and why that sets the tone for learningLetting laughter and safety replace performance pressureNature, Tribe & the Horse-Human Herd (Starts at 42:00)Designing Happy Dog Ranch to support exploration, not confinementThe unseen structure that holds clinics togetherHow horses themselves teach people, especially when given time and spaceSoftness With Structure (Starts at 52:00)Why softness without structure isn’t softness at allRain contact, feel, and feedback loops in real timeMark’s practical metaphors: the coffee cup, the skeleton, and invisible teaching momentsBuilding Confidence Without Force (Starts at 1:10:00)How support teams guide riders back from the edge of overwhelmLetting people grow without letting them get lostKindness as Framework (Starts at 1:20:00)The radical idea that a clinic structure can be kind—not punishingWhy many riders unconsciously argue with happinessThe ripple effects of affirming "You're okay. Your horse is okay."Reclaiming Tribe & Breaking the Misery Habit (Starts at 1:30:00)The loneliness epidemic in the horse world—and how clinics become familyMark and Crissi’s reminder: We get good at what we practice—even if it’s unhappinessWhy being of service to horses and humans might be the simplest cure for anxiety🌟 Memorable Moments from the Episode:"Misery is optional"—what it means and how it reshapes learning (25:00)Mark’s coffee cup metaphor for structured softness (1:00:00)How “crazy time” with horses taught Rupert to prioritize play and energy release (23:00)Why one rider’s fear melted just by being told she didn’t have to ride (37:00)When anxiety isn’t really anxiety—it’s just too much pressure without strategy (26:00)🤝 Connect with Mark Rashid & Crissi McDonald: Mark's Website: https://markrashid.com Crissi’s Website: https://crissimcdonald.com Books by Mark Rashid: Considering the Horse: Tales of Problems Solved and Lessons Learned: https://amzn.to/3GbhmrKFinding the Missed Path: The Art of Restarting Horse: https://amzn.to/44e47i2A Journey to Softness: In Search of Feel and Connection with the Horse: https://amzn.to/44c0KIjFor the Love of the Horse: Looking Back, Looking Forward: https://amzn.to/4lkx8zDBooks by Crissi McDonald: Rising From the Sea (North to Home Book 3): https://amzn.to/3ZL864hContinuing The Ride: Rebuilding Confidence from the Ground Up: https://amzn.to/40iZUsfThe Clock in the Water (North to Home): https://amzn.to/40gmv8NGetting Along with Horses: An Evolution in Understanding: https://amzn.to/4k4E8zs🌐 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows: Rupert Isaacson: https://rupertisaacson.com Equine-Assisted Programs: https://newtrailslearning.com📲 Follow Us: Long Ride Home Facebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh Instagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh YouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehomeNew Trails Learning Systems Website: https://ntls.co Facebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworld Instagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworld YouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems🧺 Affiliate Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. If you purchase through them, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show!

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 was being re-nurtured by creation itself." – Ben Conner🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why many American evangelicals misunderstand the concept of "dominion" in Genesis ([00:07:00])The roots of Christianity’s alienation from nature: Enlightenment rationalism, individualism, and soul-saving escapism ([00:14:00])How children (especially neurodivergent ones) teach us to see God through curiosity and wonder ([00:48:00])Practical steps to re-integrate theology, land, and disability in ministry and daily life ([00:52:00])The theology of kinship: how mountains, rivers, horses, and people are all called into vocation ([01:07:00])The idea that Christianity is often more about identity and power than faith in Christ himself ([01:15:00])Rupert's comparison of CS Lewis and Tolkien as hidden eco-theologians ([01:26:00])Creating church outside: the rise of Wild Church and Refugia communities ([01:30:00])Ben's story of his son recovering from brain trauma and becoming his teacher in theology ([01:36:00])🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:Why many American evangelicals misunderstand dominion and where that theology came from ([00:07:00])The Enlightenment-era origins of individualistic Christianity in the U.S. ([00:14:00])"You aren't seeing the rabbit anymore. You're seeing yourself and the schemes and appetites you bring to the world." – Matthew Scully, quoted by Ben ([00:35:00])Why start theology with children and people with disabilities ([00:48:00])Horses have vocations too: understanding agency, refusal, and partnership ([01:06:00])How Ben's son, initially disabled, became a theological teacher ([01:36:00])📚 Books, Thinkers, and Movements Mentioned:Thomas Berry – *The Sacred Universe *https://amzn.to/4ltj1rJDavid Clough – *Creaturely Theology *https://amzn.to/4kbRslFVictoria Loorz – Church of the Wild (and the Wild Church Network) https://amzn.to/4lx1GydMatthew Scully – *Dominion *https://amzn.to/4erqXr2Randy Woodley – Harmony Way & Indigenous Christianity https://amzn.to/4lv6UucPatty Krawec – *Becoming Kin *https://amzn.to/3TPCjvyFour Arrows – *Restoring the Kinship Worldview *https://amzn.to/4kazIXTDeb Rienstra – *Refugia Faith https://amzn.to/4khixUO *A Rocha USA (https://arocha.org)🛍️ Contact Ben Conner:Center for Disability and Ministry: https://westernsem.edu/center-for-disability-and-ministryFaculty Page: https://www.westernsem.edu/faculty/conner/Podcast: Disabling the Church🌍 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows: Website: https://rupertisaacson.com📲 Follow Us: Long Ride Home: Website: https://longridehome.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh Instagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh YouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehomeNew Trails Learning Systems: Website: https://ntls.co Facebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworld Instagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworld YouTube: 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.