Flies – they are the bane of our horse’s existence and the object of all equestrians’ frustrations during the Summer.
They are not welcome guests on an equine portrait photoshoot either. Not only is it a mega photoshopping job to remove all those pesky bugs and it is hard to get a decent shot when a horse is tossing it’s head or ears, it isn’t fun for our equine models who are being asked to stand beautifully and prick their ears forward despite being uncomfortable.
So what can we do to mitigate the midges, beat the bugs or hide from the horse flies?
Here are my top tips for beating the flies on your equine photoshoot:
Spray and pray
Prior to the start of the shoot, give your horse a good spray with your favourite fly spray, leaving time for it to dry on their coat so it doesn’t leave marks. Bring a cloth and the spray on the shoot and use them to periodically wipe fly spray around your horse’s face and any other spots that seem to be irritating them as we go.
Timing is everything
Flies tend to be a their most active during the day, so shooting early in the morning or later in the evening when it is cooler (and the light is beautifully soft) is a good way to avoid them.
Unfortunately, midges seem to love these times of day but they are smaller and easier to photoshop!
Horse flies tend to love hanging out in wooded, shady areas so on a warm day we will avoid hanging around those areas for too long. We will also avoid standing water if possible as these are a fly magnet.
We can also aim to shoot on days that the weather is going to be a bit cooler and overcast so it is a bit nicer for everyone.
Keeping moving
If we cannot avoid the flies, keeping the shoot flowing quickly means your horse isn’t left standing for too long for flies to land and bite. I will mix the shoot up with walking shots, moving to different locations and changing poses so your horse can be as comfortable as possible. We will also incorporate plenty of breaks to their stable if necessary to hide from the worst of the flies.
