THE ART OF EQUINE
1. SAFETY FIRST, FOR YOU AND YOUR SUBJECT
I know, I know…such a great way to start an article with everyone’s favourite topic, health and safety! In all seriousness though, you need to understand that protecting yourself and the horse needs to be your top priority.
Photographing horses is not just a matter of jumping the paddock fence and pressing the shutter button. As beautiful as they are, horses can be very unpredictable. They have big, slightly stained teeth at the front, and two very hard, round missiles (aka hooves) at the back. Before entering a paddock or barn, make sure you get some experience around horses without a camera in your hand.
Horses have an acute ability to sense emotions, so if you feel afraid, it’s likely the horse will too. Speak to the owners, ask questions about the horse and find out anything you need to know in regards to the nature of their animal, and then simply spend some time with the horse so you feel comfortable in each others company.
After 15 years of working with horses, I am still very aware of
