How to take the best photographs with your horse

Here are my top 7 tips to get the best photographs with your horse!

The most important thing to capture is the connection between you and your horse. They are such incredible and powerful animals, the bond we have with them is just amazing. Being prepared helps you to get the most out of your session, keeping things relaxed and enjoyable so that all you have to focus on is spending time with your pal!

ONE - TIMING

Either the early morning light at sunrise, or evening light the hour before sunset is always the best time to shoot! The soft low light creates beautiful portraits.  I always recommend to start shooting two hours before sunset to give you and your horse a chance to relax and not be under pressure.

TWO - CLOTHING CHOICE

Choose a colour that compliments both your horse and the season/time of year. Neutral and muted tones always work well, and bring the focus back to the people in the photos. If you love colour, bringing in one bright or bold colour can really make a photo.

Be you- Wear something that you love and feel comfortable in. Jeans, boots and a nice top or jumper always looks great. Or a long dress can also be amazing, if you love it go for it!!

THREE - THE EARS!

We all know that getting the ears forward is super important to get great shots with your horse, looking engaged, alert and happy makes a great photo. I always have a couple of little tricks up my sleeve too to get their attention. (The horse noise app is a favourite of mine) 

FOUR - A HAPPY HORSE IS ONE THAT’S FED!

Make sure that your horse has had something to eat before their session, if they’ve been brought in from the field to get ready, it’s always a good idea to give them some hay/haylege to munch on. It’s also a good idea to have a few treats in your pocket for during the session. Polos are a life saver in keeping your horses attention, with the added benefit you don’t get that lovely green goop that comes from munching on cereal treats or grass!! Polos also aren’t bulky in your pocket, take them out of the packet and leave them loose in your pocket.

FIVE - FLY SPRAY

This one’s for the summer season, we all know the dreaded midges love to come out and attack both you and your horse, while a bit of tail swishing is always great for photos, I’d rather you guys didn’t get eaten alive!!  I always recommend sponging on a good amount of fly spray (particularly under the belly) around 20 minutes before I arrive, that way it has time to dry on the coat and take effect.

SIX - BE PREPARED

Giving your horse a good tidy up is a lovely way to spend time bonding with your horse and improving the relationship. Here is a little list of things you can do to get your horse looking their best!

• Clean well, either brushing followed by hot cloth to remove the dust, or bathing if it’s warm enough.

• Clean and oil bridle.

• Pull and/or plait mane (Unless they have a lovely long mane, if they do then 100% leave it to flow in the wind!!)

• Trim feathers, ears and face hairs, this always helps to sharpen them up.

• Use a sponge or soft cloth to clean around the eyes and nostrils.

• Brushing out the tail and adding some baby oil or conditioning spray.

• Clean and oil hooves.

SEVEN - RELAX AND ENJOY THE TIME SPENT WITH YOUR HORSE

There is absolutely no pressure to perform on these sessions. The connection between you and your horse is the most amazing thing and being able to take some time out to just spend time with your pal can be the most amazing experience. Most of the time I hope that you will hardly notice I’m there! Animals are so sensitive to emotions, how you respond to them affects their response.  Don’t worry if your horse doesn’t stand still the whole time, I don’t expect them to!  A little energy and character always brings out the best photographs. Having photographs that you can see your horses character in are always the best, so let them show all their little quirks and don’t be afraid to have a laugh at them!