Is your horse being naughty or were they just not set up for success? This could apply to a horse show, a ride on the trail, a lesson, a trip to the vet or farrier, or in this case, a photoshoot. I always want to stress to each client that the better you prepare your horse, the better your session will be! The first step comes with knowing your horse! Every horse is different and will have different needs to make them feel most comfortable. But, with that being said, there are a few things that will help almost any horse be prepared to handle the task you ask of them.
Wiggle Worm
If you know your horse is a little wiggle worm and hates standing still, set them up best by exercising them well the evening before and/or morning before your session. Get in a nice lesson or trail ride, then lunge right before you bathe them. You can even brush up on their ground manners consistently the weeks or month before your shoot. Practice setting their feet, standing still for a few minutes at a time, and yielding off your lead. This will not only help during your shoot but it will be valuable for nearly every other thing you do with your horse. If there are lots of flies out, be sure to have extra fly spray and maybe a few different kinds on hand!
Snack Time
Part of knowing your horse is being aware they're probably going to be really upset if every other horse in the barn is eating while they're stuck out in the driveway, starving to death, posing for photos. Give your horse their food a few hours before your session start time and they will be 100x more cooperative for us! Especially when you take them to the pasture and ask them not to eat any grass.
Desensitize
If you're planning on wearing something that may spook your horse (like a long flowy dress), make sure you show your horse before your session so it's not something new and scary to them. If you're wanting to take them into water, do that before your session to make sure they'll go in. If you're wanting to ride bareback, don't let your session with me be your first time ever hopping on bareback (please). If you plan to take your horse off property to a new location and they're hesitant in new spaces, try to take them there before your shoot so it's not too new to them.
Buddy System
Is your horse nervous alone? Consider taking one of their friends around the property with you as you're shooting. This will help them feel safer in the unfamiliar spots and will usually help keep your horse's attention where we want it and ears up! Some horses do better and stay more focused alone, some feel more relaxed with a buddy. So you just have to know your horse!
Do What You Need To Do
If your horse needs some extra help to calm down, do what you need to do. But be sure to not overly relax them! Always test out whatever calming aid you choose to use before your session so you know how they react and how much to dose.
Be Understanding & Trusting
Be understanding of your horse and remember they are just a horse. If you do everything perfectly (or not) before your shoot and set them up for the best possible outcome... know that they still may get impatient, they still may get hangry, they still may want to do the opposite of what we ask. And that's okay! Trust that your photographer will direct you in a way to still get amazing photos! A great photographer that knows horses will know when it's time to give your horse a break, switch poses to a walking photo to get them moving, change locations to make them feel safer, or not do a certain pose if it's unsettling for your horse. The most common message I get when I deliver photos to someone who had an overly energetic horse was "oh my gosh I can't believe how good these turned out when it felt like chaos!"
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