In this episode of Equine Assisted World, Rupert Isaacson speaks with Katja Mehlhorn — psychologist, academic, and founder of Horse Kids Groningen in the Netherlands. Katja bridges two worlds that rarely meet: university‑level research and deeply embodied, nature‑based equine‑assisted practice.

From her early work in PATH programs in the United States to building a highly individualized, child‑led practice on a Dutch farm, Katja shares how curiosity, movement, imagination, and horse welfare shape everything she does. Together, Rupert and Katja explore how neuroplasticity, safety, and play support learning in children who struggle with anxiety, school refusal, autism, and social‑emotional challenges.

This conversation ranges widely — from teaching maths through Formula One role‑play on horseback, to helping traumatized clients rebuild self‑worth by caring for horses, to using landscapes, wildlife, foraging, and even horse poo as gateways to regulation and learning. Along the way, Katja reflects on leaving a secure university career to grow her farm‑based work, and on what the equine‑assisted field must do to stay ethical, relevant, and humane.

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 curiosity and play create safety and open the brain for learning
• Why following the child matters more than following a protocol
• How movement and balance activate neuroplasticity through the vestibular system
• Ways to introduce maths, numbers, and academics without fear or pressure
• How horses provide emotional feedback when children cannot verbalize
• Why horse welfare, fitness, and variety of work are essential in equine‑assisted programs
• How in‑hand and classical groundwork benefit both horses and humans
• Why nature, foraging, animals, and landscape are powerful therapeutic tools
• How rescue horses paired with at‑risk youth can transform both
• What equine‑assisted practice can offer to struggling schools and post‑COVID students

🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode

[00:03:35] Katja describes her first experiences volunteering at a PATH center and witnessing profound changes in children

[00:09:18] Using Formula One racing games on horseback to gently reintroduce maths and numbers

[00:16:00] Teaching balance through playful exercises inspired by weighted “Russian doll” toys

[00:18:38] The role of vestibular activation in long‑term learning and neuroplasticity

[00:27:01] Reading horses’ calming and stress signals to understand what children cannot express

[00:32:57] Integrating fitness, trick training, and in‑hand work into therapy sessions

[00:40:17] How helping horses heal can rebuild self‑worth in traumatized clients

[00:43:00] Research findings from Brook Hill Farm showing improved school outcomes for at‑risk youth

[00:50:55] Using landscape, imagination, wildlife, and foraging to reconnect children with nature

[01:21:12] Why longer sessions allow children time to truly arrive and regulate

📚 Contact, Projects, and Resources Mentioned

• Katja Mehlhorn / Horse Kids Groningen https://katjamehlhorn.nl
• Horse Boy Method, Movement Method & Takhin Equine Integration https://ntls.co
• Long Ride Home / Rupert Isaacson https://rupertisaacson.com
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📊 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 of Equine Assisted World, Rupert Isaacson speaks with Suzie Latchford, founder of Heal With Horses in Ontario, Canada — a long‑running equine‑assisted program working with autistic children, families, and communities in a demanding four‑season climate.

Suzie shares how Heal With Horses grew organically over more than fifteen years, often without a clear roadmap, and what that growth revealed about sustainability, invisible structure, horse welfare, staff leadership, and practitioner wellbeing. What begins as a conversation about weather and logistics becomes a deeply honest exploration of burnout, menopause, identity, delegation, and the hidden costs of purpose‑driven work.

Rather than presenting easy answers, this episode offers lived experience from someone who has stayed in the work long enough to feel its strain — and to find ways through it. From following the child and respecting nature‑led limits, to building mobile animal programs and planning for succession, Suzie reflects on what it really takes to keep equine‑assisted work ethical, human, and sustainable over decades.

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 following the child builds communication and trust before any therapeutic goals are imposed
• Why nature‑based limits — weather, seasons, and animals — can support regulation better than rigid schedules
• What invisible structure looks like in real equine‑assisted programs, and why it matters
• How long‑term practitioners experience burnout, including emotional, physical, and hormonal factors
• Why delegation, staff leadership, and succession planning are essential for program survival
• How mobile animal programs extend equine‑assisted work into seniors’ homes, schools, and community spaces
• What sustainable horse welfare looks like in cold climates through herd living and 24/7 turnout

🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode

[00:01:40] Suzie reflects on the unplanned beginnings of Heal With Horses and how Horse Boy Method shaped her early direction

[00:06:53] Navigating winter cancellations, financial strain, and client expectations in extreme Canadian weather

[00:16:26] A clear, lived example of “following the child” through imagination, animals, and choice

[00:32:37] Suzie speaks candidly about burnout, depression, and losing joy in work she once loved

[00:40:00] An open discussion about menopause, identity loss, and rebuilding self‑trust

[00:50:00] How stepping back allowed younger staff to step up — and why delegation matters

[01:25:24] The mobile animal program: bringing pigs, goats, and bunnies into nursing homes and universities

[01:41:00] Redefining success beyond money, productivity, and traditional metrics

📚 Contact, Projects, and Resources Mentioned

Heal With Horses (Canada) https://healwithhorses.ca

Horse Boy Method, Movement Method & Takhin Equine Integration https://ntls.co

Long Ride Home / Rupert Isaacson https://rupertisaacson.com

🌍 Follow Us

Long Ride Home

• https://longridehome.com
• https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh
• https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh
• https://youtube.com/@longridehome

New Trails Learning Systems

• https://ntls.co
• https://facebook.com/horseboyworld
• https://instagram.com/horseboyworld
• 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=en

https://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 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.