Welcome to
My name is Katie and I’m the head coach, naturopath, and buteyko breathing practitioner. I guide nervous system healing and authentic connection through breathwork, nature-based practices, and the wisdom of horses and plants.
Now that might sound a bit hippy for those of you that just came for riding lessons! But our work is steeped in the sciences of nervous system regulation, social engagement system activation, and movement and breath as medicine. Our horses gently guide you back to your inner sanctuary along with working with breath and our plant allies.
Through our riding academy, we support riders from their first lesson through to horse ownership, competition, or professional accreditation. Our approach emphasizes communication, rider balance, clear cues, and developing a harmonious partnership. From first rides to professional goals, we support equestrians in developing a joyful, balanced partnership working with horses, where riding becomes a shared language of connection through movement, breath and communication.
Sanctuary is our holistic health coaching program. We specialize in nervous system support including managing mood, concentration sleep, and neurodiverse support. Stress can take its toll and ravage our bodies leaving little for us to give in our family network and work life.
Combining naturopathy, buteyko breathing and connection work with our equine friends creates a unique environment to develop strategies to manage the inevitable stressors of life and provide the body with the nutraceuticals to maintain peak mental, physical, and emotional wellness. I do love myself a little biohacking.
With 20 years of experience coaching and 31 years of experience riding, you will find lessons with Katie jam-packed with the knowledge to work you through to an experienced rider ready to compete, buy your horse, or simply hone your equestrian talent. With a herd of wonderful school masters, we start beginners through to advanced in dressage and jumping, obstacles, and working equitation movements.
Whether you want to learn solid foundations in horse riding or ready to join our show team our horses can cater to your level of training and development and support you on your journey towards your equestrian goals and dreams.
Katie Boniface (founder and certified naturopath, and buteyko breathing practitioner)
Holistic Health Coaching
Sanctuary is an intensive and intimate health coaching program that provides daily support, recipes, nutritional and nutraceutical prescriptions, and exercises for stress management, anxiety, nervous system regulation, and emotional agility so that we can find our internal sanctuary and feel ourselves again. It is run by me! Katie. I am a qualified naturopath and buteyko breathing practitioner. With a unique lens of the nervous system regulation and connection qualities that are required to work with horses, our face to face sanctuary is a refreshingly grounding experience.
If you are looking for holistic and natural support in your anxiety and stress management journey check out what programs we have available to you
Horse riding brisbane
Horse riding lessons from beginner to advanced we pride ourselves in being an academy of excellence. Taking our time to diligently hone your craft as an equestrian so that you are not only strong, secure and balanced in the saddle but can also empathetically connect with and communicate with the horses. We aren’t a school to push them through it, make them do it, use more whip. We study a craft of connection and compassionate leadership in relationship to the horse.
Buteyko breathing with horses
There is a lot of magic to be experienced in the reconnection to breath and the nervous system. Our horses offer support in the development of body awareness and hold space for us to connect with and release the stress, emotions and anxieties caught as tension in our body. A combination of releasing these anxieties, stresses and tensions through breathwork and with our horses creates a quiet, peace and the strength and awareness to recenter ourselves in our day to day lives.
The body keeps the score and our breathwork exercises are an additional tool for your tool kit we share in our naturopathic consultation to use in combination with working with our plant allies.
Not local to SE Queensland?
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Not local to SE Queensland? *
The riding school helps people and horses connect in a way that creates beautiful moments of peace and partnership - what I refer to as “unicorn moments”.
But even if you are not local to the school, you can still follow the Holistic Equestrian Methodology through one of our online programs, to become the horse and rider team of your dreams.