Horsey Background

Riding forward is all she’s known since she was 10 years old, when a strawberry roan Welsh Mountain Pony named Ginger was “hers” for two riding camp summers at Glen Durham Stables in upstate New York.

“It was a traditional Pony Club program where we learned everything,” says Harrison. “They took us to local shows in Ulster and Greene counties.”

At the Vershire Riding Camp in Vermont, she picked up the basics of eventing before a summer on Long Island at the Thomas School of Horsemanship.

“I came off during an in-and-out combination where my horse jumped the first fence, then put the brakes on, and his bridle and I ended up on the far side of the second,” she recalls. “He was named Romeo but was no love of mine!”

Photography and Horses

By her 40s, her greatest love—her son—led her back to horses after years spent adulting to earn an MFA in Photography from Cranbrook Academy of Art. She built a work portfolio in retail and administration.

“After offering riding lessons to my 5-year-old, who liked them well enough, I realized it was me who wanted to ride,” she reflects. After three years of weekly group lessons, Harrison bought her first horse, Tony. “I had him for 14 years. He was my first horse and my last.”

The Belgian/Quarter Horse gelding was reminiscent of the “amazing” drafts she saw competing in Michigan while studying for her MFA.

“I’d never been able to draw or paint, but I had a camera in my hand since I was a child,” Harrison recalls. “My first ‘real’ equine photos were at that venue. But my immersion into horse ownership inspired me to turn my camera on the world I was part of.

“I shot unlike what most photographers were doing. I got closer to the bodies, cropping and orienting my subjects to focus on light, texture, contrast, and massing. I wasn’t ‘taking pretty pictures of pretty horses.’”

She found others who understood what she was trying to do, pre-Facebook, on a forum called the Equine Art Guild.

“There were thousands of us,” she remembers. “We held online group shows, entered juried shows, networked and supported one another. I was asked first to jury and then direct an online equine art competition called Ex Arte Equinus.”

That led to meeting more horse-focused artists, and by 2009, she was part of a Red Hook, N.Y., art collective.

“We rented a space with a storefront gallery and smaller rooms in the back that we offered as studio spaces.”

Diagnosis & Gallery Beginnings

She was renting one of those spaces for her own work when she got the diagnosis: stage 3 ovarian cancer.

“Between surgery and chemo, I was unable to get out and photograph, and was spooked about going back in the darkroom to do my own printing,” says Harrison. “When I was done with treatment and in remission, the studio space came up for renewal. I had to decide, was I going to give it up?”

The answer came from the artist friends she gathered with each year during Saratoga Race Course’s Thoroughbred racing meet, held during the summer in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Among them was Canadian artist Linda Shantz.

“Linda had gallery representation in Saratoga, so she would drop off work when we met up, and I would pick it up for her at the end of the season and hold on to it for the bulk of the year until she needed to trade something out,” says Harrison.

“I asked if I could show her art in my studio and try to sell it. I’d been selling my own, so I knew how to market it. Linda agreed and I sold one [of her pieces] almost immediately. That was the genesis of Equis Art Gallery. If I couldn’t create enough of my work to sell, I could try to sell work by others.”

She asked her Equine Art Guild/Saratoga friends if they would send her their artwork to sell.

“And they did! I still represent many of them today, including Linda.”

Giving Back Joy

Harrison’s last cancer treatment was in August of 2013, putting her in remission for the last 11 years. She opened Equis Art Gallery in January of 2014, and it now has an international collector base and represents over 30 artists from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the Ukraine.

“Inviting [Ukrainian artist] Kateryna Beilikova was in discussion when war came,” she says. “I’m honored to have her work and amazed that she continues to create and get it out of the country to me, via Poland usually. I am lucky to know her and her work.

“Equis Gallery was my gift to myself. After surviving cancer, I asked myself what could give me joy and let me give back to those I care about. Two communities took care of me when things were at their worst, my equine artists and my Red Hook, so if I can bring support to them, I am thrilled.”

Equis Art Gallery has been called the only gallery of its kind.

“[Operating] an art gallery is not an easy business, and every sale means a lot, but one of my favorite stories is of a couple one summer who bought several pieces,” she recalls. “I was so excited I looked them up, and she turned out to be the curator of a famous museum gallery in New York City. Knowing that she found art in Equis worth owning meant a lot.”

This cancer warrior believes in giving a leg up to artists who don’t always find representation and introducing them to collectors who may appreciate their work and want to own it; collectors who want their art like they want their horses—right up close.

This article about Juliet R. Harrison appeared in the June 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Juliet R. Harrison: A Gallery of Dreams appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

“I always thought people who owned Minis were maniacs,” she laughs. “Until I got Tony. I take it all back. They are wonderful.”

Originally named Smoky, Parsons renamed him after her father’s friend who had recently passed away.

“He was a second father to me,” she shares. “My friend Mo Kelly added the ‘Smalls’ to it.”

Her friend also owns Tony’s daughter, Sugar Smalls. She was the product of an accidental breeding before Tony was gelded by the breeder, and has dwarfism.

A Knack for Tricks

Parsons, who also rides a Dales Pony named Bucky, decided to try clicker training when she got Tony.

“My husband is a dog trainer, so he does a lot of clicker training,” she says. “So I said, ‘Let’s give it a go with Tony and see how he does with it.’ And he just was amazing. He will do anything you ask if you’ve got a treat.” He gets mostly timothy pellets for treats, though she says his favorite rewards are Jolly Ranchers.

Parsons used George Bruce’s Click with Horses program and learned with Tony as they went. It was clear from the beginning that the 30-inch-tall gelding had a real knack for tricks.

They started with the basic tricks: target, fetch, spin around, stop and wait (which she says is the hardest for Tony because it’s so boring), and then moved on to more advanced tricks, including rear, lay down, Spanish walk, slow down and speed up, standing on a pedestal, and jumping.

But these are regular horse tricks that many horses are trained to do. What makes Tony Smalls so special are his more advanced tricks.

“He takes money off people,” says Parsons. “He takes laundry off the line and puts in a basket. We take him ‘shopping,’ where he pulls bags of Swedish Fish off [the shelf] and puts them in a kid’s shopping cart.” When inside the house, Tony often offers to bring you a cushion. “It was something he just did on this own,” she laughs.

Artistic Talent

Tony Smalls also plays the keyboard, but his real specialty is painting. In December 2019, Annie’s friend Danielle saw a video of another horse painting and told Parsons, “Tony Smalls needs to do this!”

While there are other horses that paint, Tony’s version of the trick is very complicated.

“Most horses that paint, the owner just hands them a brush and they move it around the canvas,” explains Parsons. “With Tony, we wanted him to do as much as possible. So, we give him several colors of paint in cups and each cup has a brush. He picks up the brush he wants, paints with it, spits it out and grabs another one in another color. My only job is to make sure there is no paint on the handle, because he doesn’t like the taste, and to pick up the brushes and put them back in the cups.”

Raising Money for a Cause

This incredible talent has helped Tony Smalls raise money for Misty Meadows Equine Learning Center on Martha’s Vineyard. The nonprofit is a PATH Intl. Accredited therapeutic riding center. Their mission is to offer an environment where horses and humans work together to transform lives. Misty Meadows offers many programs, including youth and adult horsemanship programs and therapeutic horsemanship for veterans and those with disabilities.

“They are brilliant—they do so much for the community,” says Parsons, who teaches mounted archery at the center.

During the worst of the Covid pandemic, Tony had a lot of time to paint, so Parsons decided to start selling his artwork to benefit Misty Meadows, as well as other charitable organizations.

“I have people contact me asking for paintings for auctions, and we always send one or two,” she says.

Tony is probably the only horse that has ever had his work in a real art gallery. There happens to be a gallery by Misty Meadows. The owner allowed Parsons to do a proper art show, filling the gallery with Tony’s pieces, which raised $5,000 for Misty Meadows.

“Tony Smalls has had paintings hung in the same gallery as Thomas Hart Benton, one of my favorite artists,” says Parsons. “It blows me away.”

Therapy Visits

When Tony Smalls isn’t learning tricks or raising money for charity, he is visiting hospitals and senior centers as a certified therapy horse.

“We had a donkey that we did therapy visits with, but we stopped because he just didn’t like it,” says Parsons. “When Tony came along, we decided to try again. Up until the pandemic we used to go every other week.”

Parsons is certified through Pet Partners, but their tests and program is geared toward dogs, so she looked for something that was for horses. She found the Miniature Equine Therapy Standards Association. Through them, Tony did a series of assessments, including video calls during visits, so they could watch him work. They required a long checklist of everything he can do, which he passed.

Parsons says that Tony Smalls seems to understand and enjoy his job.

“He’s a funny one because when we’re out and about doing stuff, me and him, he’s very feisty and has got a lot of energy,” she says. “He can out-run all my horses, and he’s got a lot of character. But when I take him to the hospital, he’s perfect. He’ll stand quietly next to a wheelchair—he knows his job.”

They spent a lot of time clicker training Tony to stand quietly with a relaxed head. Parsons says even if someone accidentally pats him a bit too hard, he won’t react. Of course, she intervenes if someone is getting too rough, but Tony is patient with those he visits.

“I can personally attest to the healing power and joy that this compassionate duo brings to others,” writes one woman in a letter. “I have a rare autoimmune neurological disease and was diagnosed with an aggressive form of uterine cancer. When Annie learned that I would be on Cape Cod for a respite from chemotherapy, she contacted my daughter and arranged a surprise visit. The joy I received from their visit still brings tears to my eyes.”

That visit was a special one for Parsons, too, as they had to sneak Tony Smalls into a hotel room!

Having Patience

Tony also is involved in Parsons’ archery demonstrations, and is now learning ground driving to do skijoring, if he enjoys it.

If you’re ready to try your hand at tricks, Parsons has one piece of advice.

“Patience. Go slow. If you go too fast, your horse will get frustrated. So many times, horses are labeled as bad or naughty, but it’s because they are confused, usually because of lack of clear communication from the human, which can be frustrating for them and us. So be patient.”

You can follow Tony Smalls on Facebook or purchase his artwork through Misty Meadows Equine Learning Center website.

This article about Tony Smalls appeared in the July 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post The Magnificent Mini Horse Tony Smalls appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Imagine being behind the lens, capturing photos of the majestic Icelandic Horses in the mystical and breathtaking scenery of Iceland.

Take a visual journey through the land of fire and ice, where I spent 10 days photographing the stunning beauty of the Icelandic Horse in its natural habitat.

As soon as I arrived in Iceland, I knew this was going to be a trip unlike any other. The landscape was covered in colorful lupine flowers, and I saw ocean, waterfalls, mountains, and glaciers everywhere. For the next 10 days, I would photograph one of the country’s most iconic animals: Icelandic Horses.

This experience was organized and lead by photographer Phyllis Burchett. Almost exactly a year before I boarded the plane to Iceland, and on the heels of turning 50 during the pandemic lockdown, I found out about this opportunity and couldn’t pass it up.

Phyllis organized six different equine photo shoot setups that ranged from waterfalls and river crossings to horses in meadows of lupine flowers.

A team of four talented horsewomen moved the herds or individual horses to the locations and into the specific spots where we wanted to photograph them. They endured rain, rivers, and early mornings, as well as being dive-bombed by nesting sterns, just so we could get our shots!

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The joy of capturing this experience through my lens is one I will remember for the rest of my life. Through capturing the beauty, grace, and sheer majesty of these magnificent creatures against some of the most breathtaking backdrops that nature has to offer, Iceland left an indelible mark on my heart.

The post A Journey Through Photos: Icelandic Horses appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Boutique ownership has been the catalyst for several opportunities, one of them being taking over the reins of the Kenyan Collection, a colorful, hand-beaded accessory line for horses, humans and dogs based in Africa.

Setting the Foundation

Lay grew up in Ada, Okla., where she received a full scholarship to attend East Central University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing. Eager to explore new places, she moved to San Diego, Calif., after college and secured a job at Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

She didn’t have a horse growing up, but Lay frequently drove by the San Diego Polo Club. The sign outside stated “First lesson free, come try polo.” It was in that moment that Lay realized her mom could no longer tell her she couldn’t have a horse.

“I didn’t know how to ride, so I took a lesson,” she recalls. “The instructor had me jumping cavalletti by my second lesson, and I was hooked. I was a jumper from then on, and I’ve loved horses ever since.”

When Lay turned 40, she retired from Enterprise, ready for a change. With an eye for fashion and design, she started making equestrian jewelry and charms for bridles. She sold the jewelry along with other clothing brands from her car, enjoying being on the road. The mobile boutique organically grew to what it is today with two mobile units and two store fronts. Exceptional Equestrian celebrated 16 years in business this spring.

The Kenyan Collection

Lay has carried The Kenyan Collection at Exceptional Equestrian for 10 years. She was one of their largest dealers. Captivated by the brand’s backstory, she loved knowing each piece sold empowered the Maasai women in Africa, allowing them to contribute at home.

When Joan Schultz, founder of the brand, wanted to retire, she approached Lay and her husband about taking over the reins. Lay had no desire to own another business at the time, but she couldn’t say no.

“I loved The Kenyan Collection so much,” she says. “I wanted to make sure that it continued on the same path that it was going, so we scrounged up every penny we could and bought the company.”

Suddenly, she found herself on a flight to Kenya to set up a new workshop, meet everyone, and finalize business details. While Lay runs the operation remotely, she has a strong team in Kenya. The workshop is conveniently located across the street from a major supermarket. The Maasai Mamas come in about once a month to purchase rice, flour, and other essentials and gather or drop off assignments. Working from home allows the mamas to earn money and care for their families.

“These women raise their children, and they raise goats, sheep, and cattle,” says Lay. “They live out in the bush, and sometimes they don’t even have running water, or they’ll have to hike a couple miles to get water for the family for the day. It’s not necessarily about how much time it takes them to do a piece, but how much time they have available to get it done. These women are able to go empower themselves.”

The women are paid directly, and the workshop always has new mamas lining up outside for work. The Kenyan Collection is one of the better-paying beading jobs in the area. The leather is sourced locally, hand cut and chalked where the mamas are to bead from beginning to end. Once the beaded strip is collected, it’s time to add the buckles and holes and condition the leather, and finally to ship it to the U.S. The most popular products in The Kenyan Collection are dog collars, but belts, bracelets, key rings, purse straps and hat bands are also sold.

Back in the Saddle

Before Lay found the perfect store front location at the World Equestrian Center, the Exceptional Equestrian was mobile-based. She and her husband were constantly on the road. Lay ended up taking an unintentional 13-year break from riding.

“Covid came along, and I had some extra time,” she recalls. “I found myself feeling a little low, and one of the barns here also has a boutique inside their farm carrying the Kenyan Collection. I called them up and said I was interested in riding, and they found a horse for me. I’ve been riding ever since.”

After a 15-year hiatus from showing, she entered the show ring at the World Equestrian Center in June of 2021, and she decided to start searching for a horse to lease for the winter circuit.

She has seven amazing employees who also ride and are obsessed with equestrian style. With the help of her husband, Stewart, their French Bulldog, Harley, and her dedicated team at The Kenyan Collection, the businesses continue to thrive.

“I had no idea the business would grow the way it has,” she says. “I didn’t really have a vision for that. I just had a passion for horses and fashion.”

The post Empowering Women with the Kenyan Collection appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

My friend Carol Prindle of Whispering Meadows Morgan Farm and I had been talking for months about doing a winter photoshoot with her colorful herd of horses. The part we couldn’t plan is that I wanted to do it on a morning when there was frost clinging to the trees, and this only happens a few times each winter, usually with little warning.

As I was eating breakfast, morning light started to illuminate the landscape, and I looked out to see the trees heavy with frost. I messaged Carol to see if she would be game. She replied yes, and the wheels were set in motion!

I took care of my own horses, thinking I would wait until the sun came up a bit more before heading out, when she sent me a photo of one of her foals with frost clinging to his fluffy coat. I chugged my coffee, grabbed my camera gear, and hit the road.

Carol and I ended up playing with the horses in the snow and cold for over three hours because we were having so much fun!

This photo story about Morgans in the snow appeared in the November/December 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Morgans in the Snow: A Photo Portfolio appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

In the ninth episode of The Horse Illustrated Episode of Horses in the Morning, sponsored by Title Sponsor Straight Arrow Products, hosts Glenn the Geek and Sarah Evers Conrad chat with Julie Atwood, founder of the HALTER Project, which provides resources and training to help animal owners be prepared for disasters and common emergencies. And Shelley Paulson shares her adventures as an equestrian photographer who is commonly featured in Horse Illustrated and other publications. And Dale Rudin talks about horse training and attending and getting the most out of horse clinics.

Hosts: Sarah Conrad, Digital Content Editor of Horse Illustrated & Young Rider and Glenn the Geek, host of Horses in the Morning

Title Sponsor: Straight Arrow Family of Brands

There’s an App for that!  Check out the new Horse Radio Network app for iPhone and Android. Follow Horse Radio Network on Twitter or follow Horses In The Morning on Facebook.

Julie Atwood, founder and director of The HALTER Project

Julie Atwood is the founder and director of The HALTER Project, which was founded in 2014 to fill a regional need in California’s Northern and Bay areas for information, resources and training to help animal owners be prepared for disasters, as well as common emergencies. This small, grassroots effort is now a global program. HALTER Project provides extensive, free education and outreach resources to organizations, agencies, and individuals. It offers trainings for scholarships to firefighters, search-and-rescue and accountable care organizations, veterinarians, and volunteer animal disaster and advanced technical rescue responders.

The HALTER Project “All Species, All Hazards, All Safe” whole-community approach and attention to under-resourced areas has garnered two FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards. Their semi-annual Home & Ranch Readiness event is the subject of a feature TV documentary, and www.HALTERproject.org is a widely-used resource for animal owners, stable and sanctuary managers, teachers, and community leaders.

Atwood is a lifelong horsewoman and cat-lover in Sonoma County, Calif. She’s a serial entrepreneur with careers in home design, event planning, and philanthropy.

Additional Information: For more on disaster planning from Horse Illustrated, visit When Disaster Strikes.

Disaster Planning Resources  for Equine Owners

◆ Official Website: www.halterproject.org
◆ Equine Rescue and Sanctuary Owner Preparedness Resources
◆ Your LOCAL (County) Animal Control Agency
◆ Your County’s Farm Bureau
◆ Your County’s Agriculture  Commissioner
◆ Extension Equine U
◆ American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Owner Emergency and Disaster Preparedness
◆ American Veterinary Medical Association’s Disaster Preparedness Section
◆ Fleet of Angels
◆ UC Davis Center for Equine Health “Horse Report”
◆ University of Kentucky’s Equine Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Resource
◆ University of Guelph’s Equine Guelph Equine First Aid and Fire & Emergency Preparedness Courses

Equestrian Photographer Shelley Paulson

Shelley Paulson is an award-winning commercial and editorial equestrian photographer based in Minnesota. She has combined her deep love of horses with her passion for creating heartfelt, meaningful images to create a thriving full-time career as both a photographer and educator. Her work has been published worldwide and can be seen in various equestrian publications and in advertising for major equine brands such as Horse Illustrated, Western Horseman, Nutrena, and Farnam.

Additional Information: All of Shelley’s articles and photo stories can be found here, including the article on the Wild Ponies of Chincoteague and Assateague Islands discussed in the episode. Check out some of Shelley’s award-winning shots for Horse Illustrated from the 2021 American Horse Publications (AHP) Awards and the 2020 AHP Awards. And meet Shelley’s new horse, who has her own Instagram page.

Links for Shelley Paulson

◆ Website: www.shelleypaulson.com
◆ Equine Stock Photo Library: https://shelleypaulsonstock.com
◆ Shelley Paulson Education: www.shelleypaulsoneducation.com
◆ Shelley’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/shelleypaulsonphotography

Horse Trainer, Clinician, and Nutritionist Dale Rudin on Attending Horse Clinics

Dale Rudin is the founder of Pure Joy Horsemanship, a welfare-centered, evidence-based, and holistic approach to equine education and care, and Pure Joy Horse Haven, a sanctuary and rehabilitation program for horses who have suffered physical and emotional trauma and abuse. She is the co-founder of Force Free Tennessee, a consumer resource for compassionate animal training and care professionals. Dale is also a Certified Horsemanship Association certified riding instructor, a certified equine nutritionist, and a member of the Pet Professional Guild. She has been working with horses and the humans who love them for over 35 years and offers in-person and remote instruction and consultations in nutrition, equine wellness, saddle fit, behavior, and rehabilitation.

Additional Information: For more on disaster planning from Horse Illustrated, visit When Disaster Strikes.

Links:

◆ Official Websites: www.Purejoyhorsemanship.com and www.Purejoyhorsehaven.org
◆ www.facebook.com/PureJoyHorsemanship
◆ www.instagram.com/purejoyhorsemanship

Title Sponsor

We want to thank our Title Sponsor, the Straight Arrow Family of Brands, makers of Mane ‘n Tail, Cowboy Magic & Exhibitor’s, with over 100 years of grooming excellence. For more information about your favorite products, please visit www.straightarrowinc.com and find Straight Arrow Products at a tack shop near you!

The post Podcast Episode #9: The HALTER Project, Equestrian Photographer Shelley Paulson, and Attending Horse Clinics for January 25, 2022 from Title Sponsor Straight Arrow Products appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

At small horse shows without professional photographers on site, it’s usually up to friends and family members to take all the photos and record the classes on video. These photos and videos preserve wonderful memories for the future, but they’re also useful in the present for riders wishing to analyze their classes and strive for improvement. For anyone whose camera skills are a little rusty, here are some tips for taking better horse show photos and videos.

Photo Tips

1. USE THE RIGHT CAMERA FOR THE RIGHT JOB

Your phone can perform nicely for certain situations, like portraits after the class or overviews of the show scene. But for the best results, a DSLR camera is faster and generally does a much better job on action and equine portraits.

2. USE THE RIGHT LENS

If you take a DSLR, which has removable lenses, to the show, you can choose the right lens for the task. Generally, horses look their best when photographed with longer lenses, such as 150mm. A long lens will also help you get closer to the action during the class. The zoom features on mobile devices aren’t nearly as sharp as a long DSLR lens, and the results from mobile devices are often more pixelated.

3. SHOOT OUTSIDE IF YOU CAN

Outdoor arenas are ideal for photography. Things are a little more challenging if the class takes place in an indoor arena. Your camera might have trouble focusing and freezing the motion indoors. But you can always compromise and take some photos of your rider warming up outside in better light.

4. USE A HIGH SHUTTER SPEED

Do a little research ahead of time to learn how to adjust the shutter speed of your particular camera. Try to use at least 1/500th of a second to keep the action sharp!

5. DON’T FLASH

Flashes are best disabled at a horse show, just in case the light spooks any horses. Flashes can be useful outdoors for filling in shadows, but it’s not typically worth the risk. Indoors, raise the camera’s light sensitivity (“ISO”) to a higher level to compensate for the dim light.

Video Tips

6. SHOOT HORIZONTAL VIDEO

Your phone may be easier to hold in a vertical orientation, but that doesn’t mean you should shoot horse show videos that way! Videos in general look better and are easier to watch when they’re shot horizontally, and the setting and action of a horse show is much more suited to that orientation.

7. PAY ATTENTION

Sometimes people attempt to shoot show videos without really paying attention to the camera. They have the camera on and are recording, but they’re watching the class and not the camera. The shaky results are often worse than nothing. Stay focused and don’t multitask. If you’re going to shoot video, give it your full attention. Ideally, you would use a video tripod to keep things very steady; you can even find tripods for mobile devices or get a mobile phone attachment for a standard tripod.

8. KEEP THE CLIPS SHORT

Try not to film video clips that are too long; it will be almost impossible to find the part you want later. Filming short clips keeps things much more manageable.

LIGHTING TIPS

9. BEAT THE LIGHT

Sunny midsummer days are a real challenge for taking photos and shooting videos, especially at a horse show. High mid-day sun makes a strong contrast between the light and shadows, and the shadows usually end up very dark and unappealing in the photo. But the next tips offer solutions for this issue.

10. SHOOT WITH THE SUN BEHIND YOU

This is called “front lighting.” It usually isn’t the best for human portraits (too much squinting, along with shadows under the eyes and nose), but it works pretty well for horses. Front lighting also works well for photos of the class itself.

11. OR, SHOOT INTO THE SUN

This is called “back lighting.” Depending on the conditions, this can be a very nice way to beat the shadows, but you have to watch out for lens flares from the sun. Also, you might run into trouble with very low contrast on dark horses.

12. DON’T SHOOT SIDE-LIGHTING

Between front lighting and back lighting is side-lighting, where half the subject is lit and half is in shadow. This is challenging to do well at midday, so try to avoid it.

13. EMBRACE THE CLOUDS

If you’re lucky enough to get some clouds, use them! Clouds reduce or eliminate the tough shadows, making your photos automatically come out more appealing. Clouds also boost the saturation of your colors. Obviously, you can’t control the weather, but you can be ready to shoot even more on the cloudy days.

General Tips

14. UNDERSTAND THE CLASS

Know what you’re recording. Take a minute to learn the course/pattern to better anticipate the action.

15. FIND A GOOD BACKGROUND

Watch what is happening behind your subject. There is probably a lot of visual chaos: tents, barns, trucks, tractors … and the dreaded porta potties. Try to find a place where you can shoot at least part of the class with a clean background. For after-the-class portraits, you can choose a nice location to photograph the horse and competitor.

16. TRY DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS

Don’t always photograph or shoot video from a standing position. Try getting down lower and shooting from a sitting position or look for a higher (yet safe) vantage point if possible. Variety keeps your work interesting.

17. SHOOT MOMENTS

Everyone is looking at the arena. Take a few moments to look the other way—at the grandparents setting up the shade tent, the pony being groomed for the next class, and the husband holding the dog’s leash plus his wife’s other horse. You’ll find a million tiny moments just waiting to become treasured photos.

These tips on taking better photos and videos at a horse show appeared in the June 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Clicks and Flicks: How to Take Great Photos and Videos at Horse Shows appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

In the 60 years since its founding, the work of the Tempel Lipizzans has educated and inspired many generations of Americans on cultural and equine histories and on the art of dressage. Located just 45 miles north of Chicago, Ill., Tempel Farms is a privately owned breeding, training and exhibition center. The picturesque midwestern facility is home to Lipizzan horses in all stages of life and training.

With dedication to maintaining the original standards of the breed, Tempel Lipizzans regards with great respect the European state stud farms that have fostered the breed for hundreds of years, beginning in Slovenia in 1580. This year, eight foals are expected. Considered an endangered domestic breed, each Lipizzan birth is a unique message from the past.

Each summer the farm opens its doors to the public to share the beauty of the Lipizzan horse and the classical dressage training for which they are best known. Behind the scenes, tours throughout the year allow access to life outside the performance stables where broodmares, youngsters and retired horses spend their days.

This photo portfolio featuring images of the Tempel Farms Lipizzans appeared in the March 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post What’s Old Is New with the Lipizzans at Tempel Farms appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Horses have a primitive beauty that touches us deeply. Their closeness to nature, combined with their immense power and grace, have inspired artists throughout the centuries.

One such artist is Star Liana York, a New Mexico-based sculptor who expresses her love for horses through her captivating bronzes. York’s equine figures include works inspired by DaVinci, the Qing Dynasty and Paleolithic cave art.

York’s passion for horses began in childhood in her home state of Maryland. After attending the University of Maryland, the Institute of Art in Baltimore, and Corcoran College of Art & Design in Washington, D.C., she began sculpting professionally. It was natural that horses would be among her subjects.

“I started out doing miniatures because I could cast them myself in silver and gold using a jewelry casting method,” says York. “The equines I created tended to be fanciful, seeming appropriate for the tiny size and the precious metal material, so I often sculpted unicorns and Pegasus. In fact, my first major award was from the National Sculpture Society in New York City for Bridling of Pegasus in sterling silver, which had taken best in show at their annual exhibition in 1978.”

As the size of York’s sculptures increased, she began casting in bronze, the medium she still uses today. She soon began sculpting subjects from her life.

“Having competed and worked at rodeos as a teenager, I drew on my experiences with that to sculpt western subject matter, much influenced by Frederic Remington,” she says.

York’s western influence evolved even further when she moved to the Southwest in the 1980s.

“My western images began to reflect my own firsthand experiences with the ranchers, cowboys, Apaches, Navajos and Pueblo Indians who populated my new environment,” she explains.

After spending some time creating sculptures that mirrored the people York saw in the rural Southwestern landscape, she was drawn back to equine sculpture. Time spent hiking through the canyons of the Southwest and seeing the rock art left behind by ancient cultures inspired her.

“Pictographs and petroglyphs from vanished cultures piqued my interest, and I started to bring them new life and relevancy by turning them into three dimensions, sculpting them in bronze,” she says.

York’s newfound interest in primitive art took her to the Dordogne Valley in France, home of cave paintings carbon dated at 20,000 to 32,000 years old.

“Most of the paintings were of animals, many now extinct or different after many millennia, like the mammoths and sabertooths,” she says. “The horse herds painted on these walls were the inspiration for my Rock Art Mare series. I loved the plump, pregnant-looking ponies that translated so well into three dimensions, and the colors the ancient artists used that worked well with bronze patinas—ground up pigments of yellow ocher, red iron oxide, charcoal black. They reminded me of my own pregnant Quarter Horse mares at the time. I enjoy making them playfully expressive in their positions and gestures.”

Although York no longer breeds horses, she still rides daily and has several horses that were born at her ranch in northern New Mexico. Her studio is located on her ranch, which is called Rancho Verde.

“Our ranch is just across the road from the Santa Fe National Forest, and close to the red rock canyons of Abiquiu, so the ride out is quite exceptional,” she says. “I’ve been riding out here for almost 30 years now and never tire of the extraordinary landscape.”

York is a dedicated horsewoman in addition to being an artist, and she is currently working with a young Mustang mare she adopted from The Horse Shelter in Santa Fe.

“My husband [horse trainer Greg Russell] had been asked to be a part of their annual fundraiser,” she says. “They give 10 untrained shelter horses to 10 local horse trainers to train for 100 days. After the 100 days, there’s an event held that allows the trainers to perform with their horses, and then approved people can adopt the newly trained horses. I’d gotten attached to the little mare Greg had trained, and so I adopted her. Though I still ride them, my other horses are all seniors now, so I prefer to ride them more gently.”

Although York also sculpts wildlife and human subjects, it’s clear that horses are her true love.

“I believe that any passion we experience in our lives influences our work as artists and is an important element in keeping our art creative and vibrant,” she says. “My horse passion certainly does this for me.”

For more information about York’s work, visit www.staryorksculpture.com.

This article on equine sculptor Star Liana York appeared in the March 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Sculptures with Influence: Star Liana York appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

It seems you can’t watch a TV show or movie these days without seeing scenes filmed with a drone. This unique perspective is able to spark our imagination and give us a view of the world normally reserved for birds and frequent flyers. Aerial photography from a drone can be extra challenging because you are not only taking photos, but you are also flying a small aircraft. Getting the right exposure, accurate focus and an interesting composition while trying not to crash your drone is harder than it looks! I will admit that while trying to do drone photography of horses, my drone has gotten cozy at the top of a tall pine tree and on the side of a hill and lived to tell the tale with photos that have made my efforts pay off.

Drones and Horse Safety Drones can cause a horse to have a negative reaction. Follow these simple tips to keep horses safe around a drone. ◆ Know and follow the FAA rules for flying a drone. If you plan to fly a drone for profit, you need to obtain a Part 107 license from the FAA. ◆ Make sure every rider knows you will be flying a drone near their horse and has given you permission to fly near them. ◆ Take off and land the drone away from horses. This is the part of flight that generally causes the biggest reaction. ◆ Start with the drone high and away from the horses and bring it gradually closer to gauge their reaction to it. ◆ If your drone is airborne and a horse spooks or gets nervous, fly away as quickly as possible. My personal experience has been that if you take your time and follow these tips, most horses will acclimate to the drone fairly quickly and some may not react at all.

This article on drone photography of horses appeared in the January 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Horses from Above: Drone Photography of Horses appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.