For the Love of a Horse
I am not a horse person - dogs remain my passion - but I met Susie at this year’s Mardi Growl and heard about Abigail. Now, Abigail is a mare owned by Susie and I have heard it said by “horse people” that amres are tempermental creatures, always plotting of ways to confound their owners. Not so sweet Abby - at 28 years old, she is a doll. Actually, almost “doll like” - from what I have learned a horse has to be 14.2 hands tall to be a horse or else it is a pony. Abby just squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezes by, so no, she IS a horse and a gentle, petite lady.
When Susie and I first talked about the session, I suggested a studio session. Wait, I have a studio big enough for a horse? Well, I do now but I didn’t then - so why not bring the studio to the barn? I had done formal portraits fo young equestrians before in a barn, as shown:
My partner in crime on this day, posing in the “studio” that was set up in a paddock.
So the barn became our studio and portraits were made:
We also went outdoors into the field. Note to self: buttercups and grass turn a horse’s legs to a yellowish green. Oh, and I also learned Abigail is NOT a white horse. There is no such thing as a “true” white horse. She is a grey horse. But you know what? he still needs to have her feet cleaned up due to buttercups and grass.
Regardless of her coloration, there is one thing I can say about Abby besides speaking of her sweet nature - she is very much loved and cherished by Susie, her owner. There is a lot more effort to owning a horse than a dog, so I can appreciate and applaud what such people do for their animals.