Your horse is your pride and joy and you want them looking their best for their photoshoot.
The images we create together will hang on your wall for years to come, and whilst I can photoshop the odd mark and errant hair, preparation is key to ensuring beautiful portraits.
When talking to my clients at their pre-shoot consultation I usually suggest getting your horse ‘show ready’. So that means it is bath time! A bath could take place the day before or the morning of the shoot – make sure to leave plenty of time for them to dry and keep them stabled to avoid any unfortunate rolling in mud that ruins all your hard work!
After the bath, a good groom is required, including detangling their mane and tail. Avoid the temptation to do a drastic trim, only do a subtle tidy-up if necessary. Unless you really want to, there is no need to plait their mane or tail, personally I think keeping it natural looks better.
If you plan to clip your horse, I suggest doing this no less than a week before to avoid any clipping marks.
Have a hoof pick to hand during the shoot. The last thing you want in a lovely relaxed walking shot is bedding flying out from their hooves! Give their toes a polish with some hoof oil.
In my bag of goodies, amongst a healthy supply of polos, I have baby oil to highlight the darker points on their face and wet wipes to touch up as we go along. If we are shooting in the summertime, I recommend spraying them down in fly spray and bringing a cloth or sponge to add more around their face to keep those pesky flies away.
Keep your horse to their normal routine to keep them calm. If you think they might be a bit ‘enthusiastic’ for their shoot, feel free to lightly exercise or lunge them beforehand. Just make sure to remove any sweat marks and re-groom before the shoot.
The most important thing is to give yourself plenty of time to prepare you and your horse. Horses will be horses after all, so giving yourself time will mean no last minute panics when they decide to roll in shavings!
Want to see your horses captured at their best? Enquire about shoot availability today by calling 07788282126 or fill out my contact form.
