What’s the Maverick Experience like?
Austin Fitness Community: Use promo code KEEPTEXASFIT for 15% off the Ranch Trail Ride in Lockhart this summer. Read HERE for more.
The Short: We offer trail rides (CLICK HERE), lessons and horsemanship experiences for one time and weekly riders. To read more about the Horsemanship Experience CLICK HERE.
The Long: Up until the summer of 2019, we had exclusively offered our horsemanship experience, which is the original “lesson on the trail” of Texas. Our new trail program in Austin as well as “The Ranch Ride” in Lockhart is a perfect for riders looking for a “low key,” “relaxing” and “just fun” experience. While the Austin rides and Lockhart “Ranch Ride” still have some horsemanship elements to them, there is significantly less instruction during these rides in more structured riding spaces. We are excited to expand our services to meet your needs! Check out the DATES AND RATES Page to get more information about when and where. See the Horsemanship Experience and the Ranch Ride or click the link above to read more.
In an Expedia Travel Blog, Maverick Riding was listed as a “Top Thing to do in Lockhart” for its incredible horsemanship experience. Visiting Austin? It’s official: Lockhart is The Place to See and Maverick’s is The Thing to Do for Texas vacationers, 512 locals looking for a staycation, and folks who want to experience a taste of the small town life close to the big city. We take the phrase “Keep Lockhart Country” to heart. If you’re a local community member who wants to get involved with learning about horsemanship and ranch management on a deeper level, we want to hear from you. Traveler looking for more than a trail ride? Visitor who wants to ride a horse and not simply sit on a desensitized robot horse? You’ve found the right place. At Maverick Riding, we are pleased to offer you a grander understanding of what “Horseback Riding” is all about. Our riding groups are small although we are happy to accommodate larger groups with additional activities such as skeet shooting, paddle boating, fishing, camping, dancing, rides on the longhorn and more.
Check us out with YoloTX Travel TV Show’s episode on riding with us in 2017, or our features on Do512, Austin Top 50 Things, Best of Austin and Texas State Highways Magazine. We also have reviews on YELP, TRIP ADVISOR, FACEBOOK and GOOGLE REVIEWS. In Spring 2019, owner Jo Marie was featured in Austin Woman Magazine for her approach to a healthy, sustainable lifestyle that includes horsemanship on an every day basis.
Our most recent collaboration with You Tubers Ryan Trahan and Haley Pham highlight a taste of our Horsemanship Experience. Take a look at this fun video about Maverick Horseback Riding. Skip through halfway if you’d like to cut straight to the horsey part!
Want to learn more about our company and what we are all about. Read the ABOUT US page to learn about our vision of attaining ecological restoration, reaching out to the foster community, and sharing our spaces with the community.
Still have questions? Contact us: 512-230-8413
The Austin Location
The Short: Best for regular riders, children whose parents do not wish to ride, nervous riders, and folks interested in Dressage and Hunter riding or riders who want more one-on-one instruction on this beautiful little ranch.
The Long: Picturesque farm with easy paced trails on “the mountain:” a cerro, which is incorrectly and lovingly referred to as such. These quiet rides are limited to three people total. The terrain is suitable for beginners through experienced riders although cantering sessions are limited to confident, high intermediate riders in a beautiful paddock surrounded by the hills. This location was closed off for several months due to flooding. If your Austin location is cancelled due to weather, you’re welcome to relocated to Lockhart, reschedule your ride or request a refund in full.
We recommend the Austin location for folks who might not feel like they’re quite ready to take the take charge approach in which each rider is required to steer his own horse. Our private sessions in Austin are located on a gorgeous farm with a big pond, a creek that is swimmable in season, a horse trail up and around the mountain and cantering in a paddock under the hillside for more experienced riders.
Young, nervous and very mature riders may book this location without speaking with us directly, although you are welcome to reach out to us with questions.
The Lockhart Location
The Dale Location
What’s a trail ride?
The Short: Our trail ride is relaxing, semi-instructional and a great way to see our beautiful ranch. The Horsemanship Experience is tailored to folks who are enthusiastic about learning as much as they can, improving their skill (regardless of their current level), getting a workout and picking up the pace a bit.
The Long: Please see our DATES AND RATES page for details and times about rides at different locations. Our horsemanship lessons are all held in beautiful, scenic spaces on good school horses that have been there, done that. It’s a suitable experience for most riders, any age, beginner through advanced.
There are two ways to do a trail ride. The first is to come as an experienced rider. The experienced equestrian understands how to prepare a horse for the ride, how to handle common behavioral problems, who has fallen, who has truly been there and done that. This rider knows the ropes and is comfortable in a variety of scenery and settings. The cost for this is an entry fee to a preferred location and either a horse rental or the use of the rider’s own horse. We occasionally offer off-property trail rides. Call for more information.
The second way to do a “trail ride” is to get on a horse that’s prepared for you, and be herded on a pre-set trail that the horses have done the same way, day-in and day-out, such that they don’t respond to rider cues but simply follow the trail. We do not endorse this style of riding. It creates a false and misleading perception of the general public that horseback riding is easy, safe, requires little work and can be done with little effort. Wrong! A horseback riding experience is inherently dangerous, requires lots of effort, and will be affected by the rider’s willingness to follow instruction, observe the horse, and maintain emotional projection. Want to hear about our trail riding lessons? Take a look at this blog post on Marilyn’s experience, or read one of our hundreds of reviews on Trip Advisor, Facebook, Google Reviews or Yelp.
We offer lessons with a stunning backdrop that will make your inner photographer squeal with delight.
Bookability is a available online for Lockhart and Austin locations; Prices and Schedules listed on the Prices and Schedules Page. Please call for alternate locations scheduling and details.
Special Events
Art Fundraiser Events currently being held in Blanco. Click HERE for more information. Our first event was held August 24th and while we are still tallying up the totals it looks like we brought in about $1500 for Alzheimer’s Texas. The next event is October 12th.
Please check back in with us about special events in San Marcos, Austin, Pflugerville, San Antonio and Round Rock! Our next event is October 13th in San Marcos at the Alzheimer’s Walk. Rush, mini horse extraordinaire, is going to be walking with us to raise money to help Alzheimer’s researcher’s help people!
Click for info about our 2017 First Annual Halloween Party
Informacion en espanol sobre este fin de semana: Haz Clic!
If you are looking for general information about hosting your wedding, family reunion, corporate event or fundraiser with us, please check out our Special Events Page and contact us for more information.
Dora (13) came with us to ride for four days. Her parents brought her first thing in the morning and came back in the evening. Dora completed bareback riding sessions, learned about horse care and ranch maintenance, went on River, Ranch and Downtown rides and even got to visit the local candy store.
Ava (7), Katie (11), Samuel (8), Henry (8) and Rachel (12) rode for five days in a row as a group for summer camp activities. The children stayed with us in our family ranch house overnight. Our focus for the week was learning all about horses, ranch care and even horse photography. It was a horse-centric week with some fun extras you can only get on a Texas-style family ranch, such as evenings spent discussing horsemanship tactics learned during the day while pursuing around our 1.5 acre pond in paddle boats or cruising through the ranch in our truck to enjoy the views, fun, and of course, check the perimeter fences! We took the children riding into town for a trip to the Caldwell County Jail House Museum, to Flash Candy and Toys, Black’s for BBQ and Made for Walkin’ Boot Store. Looking for summer camp options? Call us to find out what we have scheduled for spring break, fall break, winter break and summer.
Horsemanship Apprenticeships
Britt O. is coming out every Saturday to help get the horses fed and pulled, saddles pulled and gear ready to go. She’s learning about how to call the horses in on the ATV when individuals don’t show up for morning roll call. Britt O. gets saddle time on new horses and is learning about handling yearlings and new or challenging horses and horse behaviors.
Alli and Sam (9) are learning all about horses, riding, and teaching. They participate in Monday night class and are present to lend a hand on almost all weekend rides. Alli and Sam help work horses by riding challenging, but schooled ponies. This helps us determine the level of rider appropriate for various horses.
Brittany and Victoria (adults) spent six weeks learning about equine care and management, ranch care and bareback riding.
Marissa (13) spent two years riding with Maverick Stables located just 20 minutes from the heart of San Marcos. She was an intermediate rider who mastered her skills learning how to care for tack, properly prepare a horse for a ride, instruct beginners and ride bareback. She spent many overnights with us, and became one of MacCoy’s infamous “rent-a-children,” as she laughingly calls them. Marissa is still a part of the Maverick Ranch home, and comes to visit us to this day.
Sara (adult) started as a regular riding student at Maverick’s. Now we call HER when we need an extra hand with a group ride. Sara was already a very skilled rider, and we continue to work with her on minor adjustments to pressure and release, balanced riding, and handling green or challenging horses.
Ben (adult) needed to prepare to ride for a reality TV show! He didn’t know what he would be required to do, but he needed to learn to ride as well as he could, as fast as he could. Ben came three times a week for a few weeks and had a whole host of activities to throw him into horsemanship boot camp.
Makenna (9) rode with us for two years. We taught her everything, and by the time we parted ways to move to Lockhart, Makenna knew how to approach, halter, lead and tie forward horses, pick feet of challenging horses, tack English and Western, ride bareback, canter, pony and more. We broke a miniature horse for her, which her family proceeded to sell through a local Hunter Jumper Facility.
Prices on Apprenticeship Programs vary. Please contact us for more information.
Team Building
Eric called on behalf of his company, who wanted to set up a one-time team-building trail riding lesson session for 13 people. He needed to be in and out in 2 hours. We got the details of the riders to have horse and rider pairs matched up in advance. Our lesson on the trail is perfect for team building activities.
A group of Facebook interns chose horseback riding as their team building activity. Facebook sent the interns to ride with us on an exploratory trail in McKinney Roughs. We covered the park and made sure the students were good and worn out before we sent them back home.
Foreign Language Meets Horseback Riding?
Leo (6) was a student struggling in his ESL program. His mother and father brought him to us for an ESL program, via ranchlife and horses. Leo really opened up and developed confidence to continue improving his conversational English with his peers.
MacCoy taught a group introductory Spanish class as a communicative experience (similar to immersion), using the ranch animals as the avenue for learning.
We have accommodated riders of low English proficiency on private rides. If you’d like to hear about how we can help a group you represent, please call.
MacCoy is a near native-like Spanish speaker who has also taught Italian and Chinese. Her affinity for languages is a passion that MacCoy likes to integrate into horseback riding experiences whenever possible.
Language classes, which utilize activities on and around the ranch, are available upon request.
Yoga
MacCoy was not raised doing yoga, and frankly thought yoga was kind of silly, until she fell in love. As a young horse trainer and breaker, MacCoy had to find many ways to stay healthy. Yoga so much impacted her daily life that she has gone on to instruct mounted yoga classes as well as yoga on the ground, in the beautiful energy and space of the ranch house porch, which offers a panoramic view of the valley, pond, creek and horses.
Yes, we practice the art of the horse yogi.
Yoga classes are available weekly by special request.
Have an idea? Let’s hear it!
