Creating New Stories Together: Horses, Grief, Theater & Belonging with Betsy Kahl | EP 47
About this episode
Rupert Isaacson and Betsy Kahl discuss the essence of equine-assisted work as a collaborative storytelling process, exploring themes of grief, belonging, and the role of horses in healing.
What if the core of equine‑assisted work isn’t a method, a certification, or a discipline — but the shared act of creating a new story together? In this wide‑ranging and deeply human conversation, Rupert Isaacson speaks with Betsy Kahl — senior PATH instructor, social worker, horsewoman, and long‑time collaborator in the Horse Boy and Takhin Equine Integration work. Drawing on decades of experience across therapeutic riding, classical dressage, social work, and the performing arts, Betsy reflects on where equine‑assisted practice has come from, where it is now, and where it may need to go next. Together, Rupert and Betsy explore the often‑unspoken layers beneath equine‑assisted work: grief and loss, belonging and exclusion, the tension between mainstream systems and lived wisdom, and the role horses play in helping humans keep moving when life threatens to stall. From theater arts and role‑playing to adaptive riding, veterans’ work, and the quiet intelligence of in‑hand training, this episode weaves together disciplines that are too often kept apart. Rather than arguing for a single approach, this conversation invites practitioners, riders, and listeners to reflect on what unites…
People in this episode
Host: Rupert Isaacson
Guest: Betsy Kahl
Topics covered
- equine-assisted work
- grief and loss
- belonging and exclusion
- therapeutic riding
- creativity in healing
Keywords
- equine therapy
- social work
- theater arts
- adaptive riding
- veterans' work
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: PATH
Books & works: Horse Boy, Takhin Equine Integration
More episodes of Equine Assisted World with Rupert Isaacson
- Curiosity Over Fear: Building Resilience in Horses and Humans | Kira Julius | EAW 52
- From Problem Horse to Professional Practice: What Trauma Teaches Us About Training | Petra Vlasblom of 2Moons.nl, Netherlands | EAW 51
- Urban Horses, Hidden Access & Equine Therapy in the City | Lucy Dillon of ChildVision Dublin | EAW 50
- Grief, Horses & the Sacred Present: Love, Loss and Resilience with Karla Brahms | Equine Assisted World 49
- Rescue as Relationship: Horses, Trauma & Second Chances with Christine Doran | Equine Assisted World Ep 48
- Animals as Relatives: Native Wisdom, Trauma & Healing with Brandy Tomhave | EAW 46
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Equine Assisted World with Rupert Isaacson podcast page.