Horse and Owner Photography

As a horse and owner photographer, the range and variety of events I photograph present many challenges. Show jumping, eventing, dressage, and point-to-point are all very different disciplines that require a different approach when trying to capture the perfect image.
I recently had the opportunity to photograph Woody, a horse with lots of character, energy and intelligence.

Classed as a British Hanoverian, Woodys’ breed is described as “a noble, big-framed and compact Warmblood horse with good rideability” by authors Schlie and Löwe in their book “The Hanoverian”. Describing the breed as having “natural abilities, its temperament and character make it suitable as a performance horse, as well as a pleasure horse”.
Diana, Woody’s owner, bred him 6.5 years ago, nurturing him as a foal and developing his ability and skills as a dressage performer.

 Working with horses in her professional life and as a hobby for over forty years, it’s fair to say that Diana knows her horses.
Competing in eventing until she lost her horse to Navicular Syndrome, Diana sensed a change in direction.

“Having worked around horses for many years, I liked the idea of breeding my own competition horses. Denby came along first, a very talented horse with great natural ability, then Woody a couple of years later. Both horses were mothered by the same mare”.

Woody is a big powerful horse, and at 17.2 hands, he requires a firm hand, and you must let him know who’s in charge, or he will run rings around you. A horse with lots of character, he will frequently test the electric fence with his whiskers to see if it’s switched on. Any drop in power will see him taking advantage of the situation, and he’ll be through the fence in a flash (excuse the pun), given the opportunity.
He’s been trained for dressage since birth and transitions beautifully between all the required movements. It’s a labour of love for Diana, where incremental improvements are hard fought for.

“His training is comprised of various sessions throughout the week. We do five training sessions in the menage, the horsey equivalent of a gym workout. Plus, to provide a bit of variety and mental relaxation, I will take him on an easy hack at least once weekly. We’ll also do some lunging practice to add a bit of variety and hone his muscle memory. This also allows me to see how his stride pattern and top line are coming along too”.

Combined with time in the field with his brother Denby, Woody undoubtedly leads a balanced life between competing, training and leisure time.

Horse Photographer – the goal

With limited time available ( I only had 15 minutes at the end of a training session), I had a couple shots in mind. Nothing too dramatic with it being my first time meeting Woody. Ideally, I wanted to explore his character with Dianna to see what he was capable of.
For this session, I hoped to get:

• Side on stationery
• Side on – Trot
• Angled, stationary with rider
• Close up on the rider

Before heading back to the stables, I captured a few of Woody having a good un-restrained gallop around the field, which was a joy to watch.
In time, as a horse photographer, I have several ideas that I’d like to explore with Woody which include a series focused on fine art pictures.

Would you like a beautiful portrait of your four-legged friend? As a horse and owner photographer, I’d love to help. Call or email me for information.