Live Free Ride Free with Rupert Isaacson

“ If you lead with heart and joy, you end up with heart and joy.” – Laura Chesterfield
“ It’s not about being an expert in everything — it’s about being interested in everything.” – Laura Chesterfield

Laura Chesterfield grew up inside one of the most magical landscape restorations in the world: The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall. As the daughter of Heligan co‑founder Tim Smit, Laura watched the famous gardens emerge from decades of abandonment after the First World War — a process that revealed not only a remarkable landscape, but powerful stories about people, nature, restoration, and belonging.
In this episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson speaks with Laura about what it means to build a sense of place — and why storytelling, nature, animals, and imagination are essential to human wellbeing.
Laura shares the extraordinary story of Heligan’s rediscovery, when the signatures of gardeners who had left for World War I were found written on a wall in the “Thunderbox Room,” marking the moment the gardens fell silent for decades.
From tropical jungles and giant tree ferns to regenerative farming, rare breed livestock, poetry hidden in landscapes, and sculptures like the famous Mud Maid, Heligan has become a living example of how landscape, creativity, ecology, and community can intertwine.
The conversation explores how landscapes can become healing spaces, why storytelling connects people more deeply than information, the role animals — including horses — play in shaping human identity, regenerative farming and biodiversity restoration, reintroducing beavers as a keystone species, and how curiosity and playfulness drive innovation.
Laura also discusses her next chapter: launching Lova Studios, a consultancy helping organizations discover and communicate the deeper stories within their landscapes, businesses, and communities.
This is a conversation about place, memory, nature, imagination, and how meaningful stories shape the future.
FREE Helios Harmony Intro Course: https://longridehome.com/onoutpout

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
How the Lost Gardens of Heligan were rediscovered after decades of abandonment following World War I [00:03:00]
The powerful moment when the signatures of the wartime gardeners were discovered on the wall of the “Thunderbox Room” [00:04:29]
Why Heligan became a living landscape rather than a static historic garden [00:12:10]
How landscapes can become places of emotional healing and reflection [00:15:13]
The famous Heligan sculptures — including the Mud Maid, the Giant’s Head, and the Grey Lady — and how they inspire storytelling [00:26:10]
How poetry and art were integrated into the landscape through Simon Armitage’s Dwell collection [00:33:00]
The creation of the six‑meter fox sculpture inspired by Heligan wildlife and poetry [00:39:00]
Why the Heligan Bug Hotel became the largest insect hotel in the world [00:46:04]
How beavers function as a keystone species and transform ecosystems [00:56:27]
The role regenerative grazing plays in restoring soil health and biodiversity [01:11:00]
How horses shaped Laura’s personal connection to nature and leadership [01:18:00]
Why storytelling is the key to helping people connect emotionally with landscapes and places [01:37:00]
Memorable Moments from the Episode:
The rediscovery of Heligan’s abandoned tools and buildings exactly as the gardeners left them before the war [00:02:50]
The haunting signatures of the gardeners who left for World War I and never returned [00:04:29]
Walking through Heligan’s jungle ravine of giant tree ferns and gunnera plants [00:18:00]
The Mud Maid sculpture — a sleeping earth figure made of moss and soil [00:26:10]
Simon Armitage’s poem inspiring the creation of the massive fox sculpture [00:35:54]
The Bug Hotel TripAdvisor poem told from the perspective of insects [00:49:59]
The moment a fallen 200‑year‑old tree was transformed into the fox sculpture [00:42:00]
Laura describing the day she lost her beloved Welsh Section D pony after 23 years [01:21:00]
The idea that storytelling — not signage — is what makes people truly connect to a place [01:46:27]
Projects and Organizations Mentioned:
The Lost Gardens of Heligan
The Eden Project
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
New Trails Learning Systems
Helios Harmony
About Laura Chesterfield:
Laura Chesterfield grew up surrounded by one of the most remarkable landscape restoration projects in Europe: The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall.
Over nearly a decade working at Heligan, she helped lead projects that integrated storytelling, livestock farming, ecology, art, and visitor experience — including the Heligan Rare Breed Farm Park, wildlife initiatives, sculpture programs, and biodiversity projects such as beaver reintroduction and regenerative grazing.
Laura is now launching Lova Studios, a consultancy dedicated to helping organizations uncover and communicate the deeper stories within landscapes, communities, and businesses.
Website:  Lowenva Studios: https://lowenvastudio.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/@longridehome
New 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.

✨ “Once people release the trauma, we can start dreaming about possibility.” – Jeff Tomhave
✨ “It’s not rocket science. It’s telling a compelling story to a receptive audience.” – Jeff Tomhave

Jeff Tomhave is a Native American attorney and tribal advocate who has spent more than two decades working at the intersection of federal policy, infrastructure development, healthcare access, and tribal sovereignty.
In this episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson sits down with Jeff for a far‑reaching conversation about what it means to live in “America within America.” From federal land trust systems and underfunded reservations to cancer treatment access and tribal disenrollment, Jeff offers a rare inside look at how Native nations navigate – and challenge – the structures imposed upon them.
Jeff shares how his own path to law was less about becoming a courtroom attorney and more about gaining the tools to advocate for tribal communities at the highest levels of government. Together, he and Rupert explore invisibility, historic trauma, cultural survival, gaming revenues, sovereignty, and Jeff’s long‑term dream of training the next generation of tribal advocates.
This is not just a conversation about law. It is about survival, adaptation, sovereignty, healing, and what the future of Native America could look like.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Jeff’s tribal background (Hidatsa, Mandan, Arikara, Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk) and how boarding school history shaped modern Native identity [00:06:00]
Why he chose to earn a law degree without intending to practice traditional law [00:10:00]
How the federal trust system prevents many tribes from owning their own land [00:12:49]
Why property taxation limitations impact essential services on reservations [00:16:27]
How infrastructure advocacy actually works in Washington, DC [00:25:00]
The Navajo Mountain road project and how paving 14 miles changed an entire school system [00:25:46]
How HIV/AIDS treatment became accessible in Indian Country after years of advocacy [00:30:23]
The 10-year effort to secure reimbursement for the first cancer treatment center on Navajo Nation [00:32:32]
Why Native America often feels “invisible” inside the United States [00:45:04]
The impact of checkerboard land systems and railroad-era policies on modern reservations [00:47:25]
The reality behind gaming revenue and why most tribes remain economically fragile [01:04:33]
The controversial practice of tribal disenrollment and blood quantum laws [01:24:33]
Jeff’s vision for training a new generation of tribal advocates from within Native communities [01:44:00]
What a unified Native future could look like 50 years from now [01:46:39]
Memorable Moments from the Episode:
The powwow rodeo lariat dance as a symbol of cultural evolution [00:58:50]
The “divide and conquer” legacy and why tribal unity remains complex [01:10:53]
The idea that genocide can continue through policy and paperwork [01:26:26]
The story of French adoption into Plains tribes and cultural adaptation [01:32:00]
Rupert recounts how Navajo ceremony transformed his son’s autism journey [01:41:00]
Jeff’s quiet but powerful dream of building tribal advocacy capacity from the ground up [01:44:00]
Projects and Organizations Mentioned:
• Tomhave Group
• Native American Humane Society
• Navajo Nation
• Indian Health Service
• Bureau of Indian Affairs
• First Nations Development Institute
About Jeff Tomhave:
Jeff Tomhave is a Native American advocate and Juris Doctor who has dedicated his career to helping tribes secure infrastructure, healthcare access, and federal resources. Through the Tomhave Group, he works directly with tribal governments to develop strategy, secure funding, and navigate federal systems.
After more than two decades in Washington, DC, Jeff and his wife Brandy are relocating to North Dakota, where they plan to establish a community-based advocacy and training center aimed at building long-term tribal self-advocacy capacity.

To learn more: https://tomhavegroup.com
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/@longridehome
New 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.

✨ “The horse lives in the present. If you want to be a good horse person, you need to become more like the horse.” – Richard Williams
✨ “Horsemanship is a physical meditation. The horse is a three-dimensional mirror.” – Richard Williams

From preserving rare classical manuscripts to exploring the emotional and civilizing power of horsemanship, Richard Williams — publisher of Xenophon Press — joins Rupert Isaacson for a deep dive into why the old masters still matter.
In this episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert and Richard trace the arc of classical equestrian knowledge from Xenophon through the Renaissance academies, La Guérinière, Steinbrecht, Baucher, and Nuno Oliveira — right up to the modern therapeutic and rehabilitative applications of classical riding.
Richard shares how he came to acquire Xenophon Press, why publishing these works is an act of stewardship rather than profit, and how editing and translating classical texts became a form of "time travel." The conversation moves from Renaissance schools that trained diplomats through horsemanship, to emotional regulation in the saddle, to the role horses may play in addiction recovery and mental health today.
🎥 FREE Helios Harmony Intro Course: https://longridehome.com/onoutpout
📚 All Books Mentioned: https://longridehome.com/books
🎟️ Xenophon Press Discount Code: 7greatCUSTOMER (7% off) https://xenophonpress.com
This is not simply a conversation about dressage. It is about humility, mastery, emotional regulation, leadership, and the civilizing influence of the horse.
🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Richard’s journey into purchasing Xenophon Press and preserving classical texts ([00:03:00])
How publishing classical works became a form of “time travel” across centuries ([00:06:00])
Why Renaissance academies trained diplomats through horsemanship, fencing, and mathematics ([00:32:00])
How stallions in the academies helped civilize young aristocrats ([00:35:00])
The link between classical riding and emotional regulation ([00:49:00])
Why breathing and “feel” anchor the rider in the present moment ([00:54:00])
The four conditions of horsemanship: ignoring, opposing, yielding, harmonizing ([01:00:00])
Why therapeutic riding is embodied practice — not a gimmick ([01:11:00])
How classical training benefits the horse physically and mentally ([01:16:00])
A recommended reading pathway through the classical canon ([01:18:00])

🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:
Rupert describing Xenophon Press as a modern Library of Alexandria ([00:01:30])
Richard’s story of his brother being launched into a manure pile by a pony ([00:37:00])
The insight that horses sort for emotional maturity ([00:39:00])
Discussion of how leaders historically were judged by how they rode ([00:43:00])
The idea that horsemanship teaches recovery from imbalance — not avoidance of it ([01:02:00])
Riding as a practice of embodied mindfulness and humility ([00:50:00])
Exploring the potential of horses in addiction recovery work ([01:15:00])

📚 Projects, Thinkers, and Ideas Mentioned:
Xenophon
Giovanni Battista Tomassini – The Italian Tradition of Equestrian Art
François Robichon de La Guérinière – École de Cavalerie
Gustav Steinbrecht – Gymnasium of the Horse
François Baucher
Nuno Oliveira
Dom Diogo de Bragança – Dressage in the French Tradition
Alois Podhajsky – The Complete Training of Horse and Rider
Sally Swift – Centered Riding
Renaissance Schools of Horsemanship in Naples
🌍 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/@longridehome
New 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.

✨ “I’m upset because life should be so beautiful.” – Rejane D’Espirac 
✨ “Healing begins with attention.” – Rupert Isaacson
In this expansive and deeply reflective episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson is joined by French writer, journalist, filmmaker, and activist Rejane D’Espirac for a wide‑ranging conversation on healing, presence, storytelling, plants, and what it means to live a life in service.
Rejane’s work sits at the crossroads of human rights, environmental activism, health, and inner transformation. From documenting the long‑term aftermath of the Bhopal industrial disaster in India, to exploring Ayurveda, yoga, infertility, and the healing power of attention, her life and career have been shaped by one central question: how do we truly care for one another in a damaged world?
Together, Rupert and Rejane explore the idea of being “upset by beauty” — not anger, but the kind of heartbreak that comes from seeing how precious life is, and how easily that magic is overlooked or harmed. They discuss relationship as medicine, presence as a healing force, plants as silent allies, and why service — rather than self‑actualization alone — is often the key to meaning.
❤️ Support the Podcast on Patreon https://patreon.com/longridehome

This episode weaves personal story, activism, philosophy, and nature into a conversation about attention, awe, responsibility, and hope.
🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
What Rejane means by being “upset” — not with anger, but with love, beauty, and the pain of seeing life disrespected ([00:02:26]–[00:06:00])
The long‑term human and environmental impact of the Bhopal industrial disaster, and why its consequences are still unfolding decades later ([00:08:44]–[00:11:00])
How the Sambhavna free clinic in Bhopal uses Ayurveda, yoga, plants, and care to support survivors when Western medicine alone no longer works ([00:13:17]–[00:26:23])
Why care, listening, and relationship account for a large part of healing — often more than techniques or medication ([00:31:25]–[00:37:21])
Rejane’s personal journey through infertility, Ayurveda, and unexpected pregnancy — and what it revealed about quality versus quantity in healing ([00:47:11]–[00:57:06])
How attention, presence, and being truly seen can unlock self‑healing processes in body and mind ([01:02:27]–[01:04:53])
Why sadness, isolation, and disconnection are central challenges of modern life — and how service and relationship help counter them ([01:24:53]–[01:27:22])
The quiet power of flowers, plants, and awe — and why beauty itself can be a political and healing force ([01:29:42]–[01:33:22])

🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:
Rejane explains how witnessing suffering without solutions led her from journalism into activism ([00:07:40]–[00:08:15])
A detailed account of how the Sambhavna clinic was founded, and why detoxification, yoga, and plants became central tools ([00:21:02]–[00:25:55])
Rupert reflects on care, attention, and yoga nidra as accessible forms of self‑healing ([00:40:31]–[00:42:16])
Rejane shares how a simple question — “Why are you so sad?” — opened a profound healing journey ([00:49:49]–[01:03:10])
A moving exchange on flowers as symbols of connection, resilience, and life’s quiet intelligence ([01:29:24]–[01:33:30])

📚 Books, Projects & Resources Mentioned:
Sambhavna Clinic (Bhopal) & documentary “Sambhavna” https://sambhavnabhopal.org/
At Last, a Baby – Rejane D’Espirac 
The Discreet Power of Flowers – Rejane D’Espirac https://www.rejanedespirac.com/
The Horse Boy, The Long Ride Home & The Healing Land – Rupert Isaacson
Movement Method – New Trails Learning Systems
🌍 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/@longridehome
New 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.

✨ “Being different is not your weakness — it’s your superpower.” – John Kippen 
✨ “Story is the original healing technology.” – Rupert Isaacson

In this deeply moving and wide‑ranging episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson speaks with resilience coach, magician, and motivational speaker John Kippen about identity, illness, visibility, and what it truly takes to come out of hiding.

John shares his extraordinary personal story — from being diagnosed with a life‑threatening brain tumor in his early thirties, to waking from surgery with permanent facial paralysis that led him to withdraw from public life for more than a decade. What followed was not just physical recovery, but a long inner journey through shame, self‑judgment, and loss of identity.

Through magic, storytelling, and radical honesty, John ultimately found his way back into the world — discovering that the very thing he tried to hide could become his greatest point of connection. Today, he uses those lessons to help others step out of fear, reclaim their dreams, and see their differences as sources of strength.

This conversation explores illness, facial difference, vulnerability, creativity, neuroscience, coaching, dreaming, and the quiet power of presence. It is an episode about being seen — and about learning to see yourself with compassion.
❤️ Support the Podcast on Patreon https://patreon.com/longridehome
🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
How a sudden medical crisis can fracture identity — and why facial difference uniquely impacts how we see ourselves and how others respond ([00:03:22]–[00:07:46])
What it means to “go into hiding” emotionally and socially — and how shame keeps people invisible for years ([00:07:14]–[00:08:10])
How magic became a tool for healing, presence, and connection rather than performance ([00:10:00]–[00:14:00])
Why naming the story behind visible difference allows others to relax, connect, and truly see you ([00:12:22]–[00:13:40])
How creativity and wonder help bypass fear and open new neurological pathways ([00:50:32]–[01:00:14])
John’s “Tripod Method” for getting unstuck when fear and overwhelm take over ([00:40:32]–[00:43:19])
Why many adults are living someone else’s dream — and how to reconnect with your own ([00:51:42]–[00:54:08])
How coaching can help uncover limiting beliefs rooted in childhood experiences ([01:03:23]–[01:08:03])
The role of joy, service, nature, and presence in sustaining a meaningful life ([01:16:32]–[01:19:34])

🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:
John describes waking from brain surgery and realizing how deeply facial paralysis affected his sense of worth ([00:06:15]–[00:07:14])
A powerful story from the Magic Castle where a single evening of magic helped a woman stop hiding after a mastectomy ([00:16:00]–[00:25:00])
Rupert reflects on facial identity, vulnerability, and storytelling as a form of healing ([00:19:00]–[00:23:00])
John explains how COVID mask mandates challenged — but did not undo — his healing around visibility ([00:29:50]–[00:31:26])
A moving discussion on dreams, creativity, and why it’s never too late to begin again ([00:51:00]–[01:25:00])

📚 Books, Projects & Resources Mentioned:
Playing the Hand You Were Dealt – John Kippen https://amzn.to/3YM8K0E
John Kippen:  https://johnkippen.com 
The Horse Boy, The Long Ride Home & The Healing Land – Rupert Isaacson 
Movement Method – New Trails Learning Systems

🌍 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/@longridehome

New 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.