In an era of hyper-curated social feeds and slick urban living, India Katona offers something altogether rarer: muddy boots at dawn, the quiet rhythm of a stable yard and a life shaped by an enduring devotion to horses.
Creativity runs through the family. Her mother, Nisha Katona, is the celebrated chef and restaurateur behind the Mowgli Street Food group, which has brought vibrant Indian home cooking and welcoming hospitality to high streets across Britain. Her father, Zoltán Katona, is the acclaimed classical guitarist and half of the Katona Twins, celebrated on concert stages around the world. While hospitality and music shaped the creative backdrop of her upbringing, it was the quiet pull of the countryside that would ultimately define India’s path.
At just 24, the outdoorsy content creator has cultivated a loyal following drawn to the understated elegance of rural life. It is a world of early morning rides, rolling paddocks lit with dappled sunshine and a charmingly chaotic menagerie of animals. For India, the countryside is not a backdrop for content but the very fabric of daily life.
‘I think the last time we counted, we had more than 40 animals,’ she says. ‘It’s a bit mad, really, but I love it.’
Three years ago, the Katona family moved from Wirral to nearby rural Cheshire, transforming what was once a field behind their home into a private haven for four-legged friends.
‘The field has now got stables and paddocks. It’s super dreamy. And we may have got a bit carried away with the animals.’
Evidence is all around. Alpacas graze nearby. Goats peek in through the doors. Chickens and ducks wander freely. There are dogs, too, and an oriental short-haired cat who occasionally appears on her social channels. Yet the true heart of their home, and of India’s daily life, lies with the horses.
‘There are four horses, and I spend the most time with them,’ she explains.
Each horse has its own story. Spotty is a striking and famously photogenic favourite among her social media followers. King is a loyal companion who has been with the family for more than a decade. Chutney is her beloved childhood pony, now in his thirties, which makes him something of an elder statesman in the stable.
Then there is Tokyo, the youngest of the quartet and India’s current project. ‘Tokyo is my baby horse, working with him is really exciting,’ says India.
Riding has been a part of life for as long as she can remember. ‘I think girls either have this horse gene or they don’t,’ she reflects. ‘It’s 50–50. But if you have it, you’re absolutely obsessed. I started riding when I was five. My parents got me Chutney for my sixth birthday.
I learned everything on him.’
The enchantment has never faded. ‘Even now, if I drive past a field of horses, I’m the same as when I was six years old,’ she says. ‘I’ll still look up with big heart eyes.’
Behind the gorgeously serene photographs India shares online (at last count, she had 166,000 Instagram followers and 105,000 on TikTok) lies a disciplined daily routine.
‘I ride at least two horses a day, she explains. ‘People think that doesn’t sound like much, but it’s actually three or four hours every day keeping them fit and healthy.’
For India, the rewards are as much emotional as physical.
‘You completely forget everything that’s going on around you when you’re riding,’ she says. ‘You just focus on your emotions and how they regulate the horse’s emotions. It’s incredibly calming.’
For most of her riding life, India happily describes herself as a ‘happy hacker’, a rider content with long countryside rides or sunset beach canters rather than competition arenas. But Tokyo has begun to change that.
‘This year I started competing with him for the first time,’ she says. The pair have already collected several red ribbons, though she insists the experience matters more than the result.
‘I don’t really mind whether I win anything or not,’ she says. ‘We are having lots of fun.’
India’s online audience continues to grow quickly, drawn to a portrayal of country living that feels authentic rather than staged.
‘The horses have big stains on them and the yard isn’t perfect,’ she says. ‘It’s not curated, and I think people like that it’s real – mud and all.’
Equestrian brands have certainly noticed. Partnerships with respected riding labels now form part of her professional life, although she only works with a handful of brands she has used for years.
‘Amazingly, they reached out when I was still a small creator,’ she says. ‘Now my hobbies can actually be my job. You couldn’t really ask for more.’
Alongside riding and content creation, India is branching into education, sharing her skills with a programme designed to help creators and businesses grow their presence online.
‘I realised how incredible it’s been to scale my platform organically,’ she says. ‘A lot of people want to understand how Instagram and TikTok actually work.’
The course will offer insight into building authentic audiences and transforming creative passions into sustainable careers.
‘It’s such a new industry,’ she says. ‘But it’s amazing when people realise their passions can become their profession.’
Away from the paddocks, another project is quietly taking shape: the renovation of a home of her own, conveniently located next door to her family.
‘My style is very old English country house,’ she says. ‘I love old paintings, gold frames, wooden floors. That whole traditional look.’
And, inevitably, a few more animals may find their way into the picture. ‘There will probably be more,’ she says.
For now, India’s ambitions remain firmly rooted in the saddle. This summer, she hopes to take Tokyo further into competition, perhaps tackling her first one-day event.
‘You’ll probably see a lot of me training my big, lolloping horse over cross-country jumps,’ she says.
Yet whatever opportunities arise, whether competitions, collaborations or creative ventures, the essence of India’s world is unlikely to change. Life continues to revolve around the quiet rituals of the yard, the early morning rides in fresh Cheshire air and the enduring bond between rider and horse.
‘Once you’ve caught the bug,’ she says, ‘it’s impossible to shake.’.
@indiakatona
katonacreative.com
