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Category Archives: Horses {Equine}

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A horse of a different color….

October 28, 2009 – 2:58 pm

I get to meet all kinds of different breeds of horses doing this work. This was a new one for me- a Spotted Saddle Horse. His name is Tumbleweed.

Tumbleweed likes to run and buck, chew on just about anything, and eat just about anything.

One thing he does not like to do is stand still for pictures! But, in pet photography, it’s all about perseverance!

And not only did we end up with numerous portrait shots of Tumbleweed, we even managed to get some posed shots with his best human friend and the dog he wishes would be his friend.

It seems Tumbleweed is really quite enamored with Maverick the greyhound. But… remember when I said he likes to chew on everything?

This is right before the yelp from Maverick and this is my last picture of the two of them together!

Maverick is the opposite of Tumbleweed in that he will pose for photos all day. He is the sweetest, most loving guy in the world. And gorgeous, too!

Ok, back to the star of the show. Look at the eyes on this horse! If he only knew how beautiful he is in photographs, maybe he’d stand still more often!

By Beth | Also posted in Dogs {and their people} | Comments (1)

My son took these photos……..

October 11, 2009 – 9:55 am

…..of me at my first National Reining Horse Association horse show!

That’s me with my “rental” horse, Molly Melody in front of a packed house ( ha!)

I got a score of “0″. Of course, that’s the worst you can get. But I actually was pretty pleased because I did a decent job through the entire pattern until the very end when I thought I was finished and backed up a few steps. Who knew you couldn’t do that? Certainly not me- as I neglected to read the rule book. Oh well.

Here’s another photo of Molly and me ( courtesy of my wonderful son who patiently endured the two-day horse show in Bowling Green.)

She’s so cute, isnt’ she?:) And you should see her spin and slide- she’s a pro!

I had a great time with my trainer, Cory Craig, of Craig Performance Horses and all my reining friends. ( Luckily they all scored better than me!) And they talked me down as I was truly a bit nervous in my first reining show.

I’m sure I’ll have many more to come- and the good news is…. I have no place to go but up!

By Beth | Also posted in My Menagerie | Comments (0)

So lucky…..

September 13, 2009 – 3:32 pm

….to have a wonderful farm home. These two beautiful horses were taken off the racetrack after their racing careers and given a lovely home together in LaGrange, Kentucky.

I had a fantastic time photographing these two. They spent most of the session just doing what they do best- running!

Mucho is the most outgoing of the two. He is behind Barney in the photo above, but most of the time he was in the lead.

He is fantastic at the gallop- so full of himself!

Here’s another shot of Mucho. He’s just so gorgeous. He was really ripping it in this one!!

Barney is more of a follower- a tad more laid back.  Really beautiful black gelding- he liked to pose. Even though we never haltered either horse, I got plenty of portrait shots because they liked to take breaks from their running to give me some nice still images.

Barney and Mucho did not race together. But they have been stabled together since they came off the track and they hate to be apart. There wasn’t a single time they weren’t together- the only way I got the portrait above ( or any of my other portrait shots) was to crop the other horse out- because he’s right there next to him. I like this shot because it shows them nose and nose. So cute!

These guys are really lucky to be off the track and into a nice home. That isn’t always the case for retired race horses- and it’s wonderful to see these two so happy.

I also photographed three adorable dogs at this farm. But I have yet to edit those pictures. I am off tomorrow to go to Learnfest. It’s going to be an incredible learning experience with four fabulous photographers!

I can’t wait and will fill you in on the details when I return.

By Beth | Comments (2)

Kid’s Close-up

September 9, 2009 – 8:30 am

So… I photographed a horse for a client a few weeks ago and she requested some eye shots. I have done that quite a bit- I think it’s a really cool angle, and if you’re a horse person, you know how amazing those eyes are! But a lot of time, the client doesn’t really pay much attention to this angle and prefers a full head-shot or a full body-shot.

Anyway… to make a long story short… this one client ordered the “eye shot” in sepia, in a canvas. It came back last week and it was SO fabulous I couldn’t stand it. MAJOR perk of being a photographer is the ability to go out and get shots or my animals whenever I want:)

So I totally copied her idea and shot some eye shots of my own horse, Kid, and ordered a great big canvas in sepia for myself!!

Here’s the shot.

Kid is 23 years old, and I’ve been with him since he was 2. So he is totally my baby. He has “doe eyes”- large, expressive and kind.

And I loved this angle because it shows only his expression. I can’t wait until the canvas comes. He’s so gorgeous- my home will be all the more beautiful with him in it. :)

By Beth | Also posted in My Menagerie | Comments (1)

“Blessed”

June 25, 2009 – 2:19 pm

I met a fabulous horse with a wonderful story for a photo shoot in Goshen. His name is Beato- pronounced “Bee-ah-tu”.

Beato means “blessed” and he earned the name because when he was born, his legs didn’t function and he could not stand. But when the veterinarian came out to euthanize him, miraculously the little colt was standing there waiting for him! So, he was named “blessed” because it is a miracle he is even alive.

He’s a stunning boy, now. And he’s come a long way from being rescued as a young horse to being nurtured and loved by his owner, Julie.

One of the features I love the most in horses is their expression. Beato’s eyes, to me anyway, show how loving and intelligent he is.

Julie spends a lot of time with Beato. He has come such a long way under her care. And she recently taught him to stand on this platform- a “trick” he is so proud of! He stands up there any looks around like he’s king of the world.  I have a lot of photos of him doing this particular action- but this is my favorite. Because I swear it looks like Julie is telling him a secret and he is listening. Like they are sharing a moment that only they understand.

Beato was wonderful to photograph and is a shining example of how a rescued horse can become an amazing partner. He brings joy to everyone he meets.

By Beth | Comments (1)