Episode
The Journey That Forged The Horse Boy | Mongolia, Shamanism & Healing with Tulga Otgonbaatar | Ep 43
- Published
- Dec 25, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 9079
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://share.transistor.fm/s/9de69749
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Summary
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, spirituality, ecology, and lived experience. Tulga shares how a “city boy” became devoted to bringing people back into relationship with nature; how Mongolian kindness, patience, and forgiveness are forged through climate, culture, and Buddhism; and how shamanism survived Soviet suppression to remain a living healing practice today. Together, Rupert and Tulga revisit moments never fully told before — ceremonies where electronics failed, spirits tested intentions, vodka multiplied mysteriously, and healing unfolded in its own time. They explore the difference between cure and healing, the role of nature in regulating the human nervous system, and how autism came to be understood and accepted in Mongolia following the Horse Boy book and film. The episode closes with a powerful look forward: a possible 20‑year anniversary return to Mongolia — fathers and sons reunited — guided once again by the land, the spirits, and the people who made it all possible. ✨ “Healing isn’t about removing who someone is. It’s about relieving suffering so their gifts can emerge.” – Rupert Isaacson ✨ “Nature teaches patience. The land itself makes people kinder.” – Tulga Otgonbaatar ❤️ Support the Podcast on Patreon…