Frequently Asked Questions | Buying Your First Horse | Highbrow Ranch
Who is Kate, and what is Highbrow Ranch?
Kate is a 6x National Champion and World Champion equestrian who's spent over 20 years helping adult beginners enter the horse world. She's a 1st generation horse girl — meaning she didn't grow up with horses and had to figure it out the hard way — which is exactly why she's built her career around making horse ownership feel less intimidating and a lot more attainable for first-time buyers.
Highbrow Ranch is the 500-acre working ranch in Caldwell, Texas (along the Brazos River) where Kate works with first-time horse buyers in person. It's also where she trains and selects the luxury beginner-safe horses she sells.
What does Highbrow Ranch actually offer right now?
Three things:
- The Right Horse Consulting Experience™ — a private 2-day in-person consulting at the ranch for people preparing to buy their first horse. Clients ride 6 hand-selected, competition-level beginner horses and leave with a personalized blueprint for what to buy and what to avoid. ($3,500)
- Luxury beginner-safe horses for sale — Kate carefully selects and trains a small number of high-end beginner horses each year. When one is available, it's listed on the Horses for Sale page.
- Free educational content — blog posts, social content on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, and free resources for adult beginners who are considering or actively planning to buy their first horse.
What about beginner riding workshops or group experiences?
Highbrow Ranch is not currently offering open beginner riding workshops or group events. Kate's full attention is on private consulting clients and the horses she trains. Group experiences may return in the future — to be the first to know, join the email list on any page of the site.
I want to buy my first horse — what's the right starting point?
It depends on where you are.
- If you're early in the process (still researching, not sure what kind of horse you want): start with the free content here on the blog and on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. There's no need to spend money to learn the basics.
- If you're getting closer to buying and don't want to make a $35,000+ mistake: apply for the Right Horse Consulting Experience. Most clients book this 2–6 months before they're actually ready to buy.
- If you've already worked with Kate or you know what you want: check the Horses for Sale page, or reach out through the contact form to be notified when a horse matching your needs becomes available.
Tell me more about the consulting experience.
The Right Horse Consulting Experience™ is a 2-day private intensive at the ranch. You'll ride 6 high-end, professionally trained beginner horses — each chosen to represent a different temperament, energy level, training background, and riding feel. By the end, you'll know exactly what type of horse fits you, what to avoid, and what to look for in any horse you evaluate.
You leave with a written "Right Horse Plan™" — your personalized blueprint — plus 30 days of follow-up support where you can send horses you're considering and get Kate's direct feedback before you commit.
The investment is $3,500, and we limit how many clients we accept each month so each one gets the level of attention this decision deserves.
Apply for the Right Horse Consulting Experience →
Do you sell horses?
Yes — though carefully and selectively. Kate trains and offers a small number of luxury beginner-safe horses for sale each year. These are not casual sale horses; they're horses she'd personally recommend to her own consulting clients, which is the bar.
When a horse is available, it's listed on the Horses for Sale page. To be notified when a new horse becomes available, join the email list or follow @highbrowranchtx on Instagram or @highbrowranch on TikTok and YouTube.
See horses currently available →
What kind of horses do you sell?
High-end, beginner-safe horses with real competition-level training. Most are western horses, suited for adult beginners who want a horse they can grow with — calm temperament, well-broke, finished or near-finished in their training, and physically sound. Pricing typically reflects the training investment ($35,000+).
Are online courses or digital products coming?
Yes — Kate is building a library of online courses and digital tools so that more first-time horse buyers can get the right information without flying to Texas. Topics will include buying your first horse, evaluating horses, understanding horse behavior, and budgeting for ownership.
To be first in line when courses and digital products launch, join the email list on any page of the site.
Where can I follow Kate's content?
- Instagram: @highbrowranchtx
- TikTok: @highbrowranch
- YouTube: @highbrowranch
- Facebook: Highbrow Ranch
Kate posts weekly content for adult beginner riders and first-time horse buyers — myth-busting, common mistakes, what to look for in a beginner horse, and the honest information most people wish someone had told them at the start.
Is the ranch available for filming or photo shoots?
Occasionally, yes. Highbrow Ranch is a working ranch with cattle, horses, open Texas pasture along the Brazos River, and an authentic working ranch aesthetic. We've hosted commercial shoots, brand campaigns, and editorial projects.
For inquiries about rates, availability, and what's possible, reach out through the contact form with a brief description of your project and timeline.
How do I get in touch?
Use the Contact page to reach Kate directly. You can also book a 15-minute intro call if you're considering the consulting experience and want to talk first.
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