About
“Many years ago, I took lessons with Katharine, on Freedom. It’s by far the best horsemanship experience I’ve ever gotten. You see, when I started with Kate, I already thought I knew it all. What girl-who-loves-horses doesn’t? 🤷🏼♀️. Well let’s just say, it’s been 10 years, and I am confident that my foundation and roots is all because Kate took the time to teach me more than just how to sit in the saddle….Energy, empathy, balance, awareness, all the things that help you connect with the horse. Powerful. Meaningful. Intentional.
I am forever thankful.” – Shelly B
About: Conscious Rider. Our ranch is in Austin Texas 78744. We started because my horse Freedom needed horse mates and I needed people to help me ride them and keep them fit and happy. I was asked to teach many times and eventually I started to guide people into a deeper union with the horses and from there become better riders. I found the horses loved their clients and the sessions. So it went from my horse passion as a hobby to my horse passion as a part time business. A professional artist already I rode in the mornings and painted in the afternoons and have pretty much kept it that way since 2000.
About: Katharine, I feel very blessed to share my horse knowledge, while focusing on riding as an internal conscious experience.
My horse life started at around two years old, my father rode with me on his lap. Both my parents rode horses. I loved spending time in my teens riding with my mother, getting our horses fit for hunting, before school or in the week ends.
My mother got me my first pony Sir Percival Pink, at the age of 11. I will never forget us walking through a boggy field one Spring to a beautiful round, 13.2 strawberry roan pony. I had no idea why we were there but I fell deeply in love with him. He was the kind of pony any horse mad child like myself would dream of having as a partner in my life. Then she said the immortal words “this is your pony”.
I had many many wonderful adventures on this guy, he took care of me over huge jumps out hunting. He taught me about courage and he was my joy. I went to sleep at night loving him and woke up in the mornings the same way. After some years I grew too big for him and got to love and take care of other ponies until I got my first beautiful horse, Flint.
Born in Britain and brought up in Hampshire, we fox hunted when we could on Wednesdays and Saturdays. I rode my ponies first Pinky then Blacky, Dandy and Flint over huge jumps from the age of 11 to 24. Our hunt was the Hursley Hambledon my mother was a pink jacket and my uncle, was the master of the Silverton Hunt in Devon. Off season I did Three Day Events (cross country, dressage and show jumping).
In 2000 I married, came to Austin Texas and bought a Tennesse Walker, Freedom. He had been traumatized previously and needed his confidence back. This led me to gentler ways of being with horses and I found natural horsewo’manship. For the next decade, this was my passion.
My classical riding back ground helped me to teach people to ride. The natural (empathic) horsewo’manship helped clients and horses heal from trauma. Typically I worked with clients who could ride but had lost their confidence. I noticed if a rider had a life challenge it would be mirrored by their communication or lack there of, with their horse, once we got conscious of it the connection and the riding would improve.
About: Equine Assisted Integration – E.A.I.
About: Special Needs Riding. From 2010 to 2015 I worked with children, an adult and their special needs. I was taught to be present as they could only tolerate humility, authenticity and calm. I realized I was going to have to learn to meditate to be a trusted guide. I was able to give these gentle, sensitive clients simple exercises using E.A.I. something I developed, by working with clients on the ground with the horses and to help them work through relationship or life challenges. Because the horses are honest reflections they are able to show us subconscious patterns that don’t work for us anymore so we can change them. This started to become popular with parents and siblings, then seemed to especially help children and teenagers who where not interested in talking.
In 2016 there was a spiritual shift. This changed me profoundly, I took time off to adjust. I learnt to live from a new perspective. During this period I began my interest in training horses using the Mia Lykke Neilson method. Studying Liz Mitten Ryans methods and the Trust Technique all of which we use in our sessions and the workshops.
I love helping people integrate classical riding and a relationship with themselves and the horses. I work with many spiritual warriors who want a deeper connection with horses and themselves. I am passionate about what I do as a horse woman, as an artist and healer.
Katharine Turner Mays Teacher/Guide
- Director and Founder of Conscious Rider since 2000
- Dressage training
- Hursley Hambledon Hunt 12 years
- Three Day Eventer UK 10 years
- Special needs facilitator and mentor since 2010
- Relationship Psychic – Professional Animal Psychic
- Artist Portraits
- Kundalini Yoga Certified Instructor
Caroline Jackaman Teacher/Guide
- Shoshne Lodge Yellowstone
- Guided trail rides
- Over night pack trips
- Extensive Western horsewomanship
- Conscious Rider 5 years
- Texas Horse Center
- Camp councillor
- Managing full care of 30 horses
Caroline is passionate about learning and being a strong horse woman. Her ambitions are to eventually be training wild horses and to continue enjoying teaching children and adults in sharing her equine knowledge, understanding and love.
Genevieve Kenny Teacher/Guide
- EAGALA Instructor
- Special Education Degree
- Special Education Teacher
- ABA Therapist
- Special Olympics Volunteer
Genevieve has her own horse riding facility Miercoles Moon in Wimberley TX. She has been with Conscious Rider since 2010.