The Horse Photoproject

Rural fun.

2008-12-16T21:38:00.001-08:00

Yes, this really happened.

Varying the shot

2008-12-16T20:10:00.000-08:00

Here's a lesson I'm working on: varying the shot. I've heard it from editors and portfolio reviewers, from photogs whose work I respect. Sometimes an image is not just right...and it has to do with the perspective. So I went through my stories looking for something that shows a variety of perspectives. I was searching for a photo essay that contained three: the long shot, the medium shot, and the close up.

The long shot is an establishing shot that shows much of the whole setting. Providing context, I guess? Here's my entry:

Next is the medium shot, showing the interaction of a few items. Below is my medium shot attempt, but I'm not sure it qualifies...it's the horse hooves interacting with the arena floor? Let me know what you think.

Finally, the close-up.

Saddleseat yearling

2008-12-11T21:13:00.000-08:00

Selling the pony

2008-12-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

Belgain draft at sale

2008-12-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

Unloading horses

2008-11-26T17:27:00.000-08:00

Mexican rodeo

2008-11-25T19:10:00.000-08:00

These pictures are kinda old, but they are still interesting. Taken in Saltillo, Mexico at a rodeo. It was a pretty cool event because I got to be up close to the bucking chutes, even sitting up on top of them to take pics. The bulls were so huge it was very surreal to watch people tie themselves on to them.

Iowa mule trainer

2008-11-23T22:23:00.001-08:00

Iowa Auction

2008-11-23T22:19:00.000-08:00

A girl explains her pony to an interested Amish buyer.

Tacky horse stuff

2008-07-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

Say no more.

Vaquero Caliente

2008-07-29T20:09:00.000-07:00

Roping competition, Perry, Georgia.

Texas Thunder Takes a Fall

2008-07-28T20:55:00.001-07:00

Handlers of Texas Thunder, the Priefert Ranch Equipment exhibition team, sort out horses and harness during a mishap at the Midwest Horse Fair, 2008.

Check out some of the crowd reactions.

This occurred at the Midwest Horse Fair. Here' s how it happened. The driver was making a few finals rounds with the team going a gallop. For a draft horse, that's a very high motion, and they lift their forelegs up quite a bit. They were across the arena for me when it happened. The arena was full, and everyone was cheering like crazy, when all the sudden, kind of in slow motion, on of the horses in the middle got his front leg hooked over the harness in front of him. He crumpled to the ground, and took the horse next to him down also.

All 10,000 people in the arena gasped at the same time. Handlers ran out, and one of the drivers jumped off. The first pair was quickly unhooked and while the pair that was down was kept down. The announcer kept the crowd quiet while the untangled the first horse and he stood up. It seemed like minutes and minutes went by before they gave the second horse a chance to stand.

The crowd was very tense. The second horse, the one that got his leg caught, was still down. They let him up and he stood. The announcer stifled a roar from the crowd while they hooked the team back up again. The drivers got back on the wagon and trotted the horses around a few times, everyone was going wild.

It was insane. The Priefert team handled the whole thing so smoothly, it was amazing to watch. It was very emotional, because there were so many people in there and everyone was focused on what was happening in the ring, and it was scary! Props to the Priefert team.

Old Ladies and Mini's

2008-07-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

Mini horses and donkeys are the perfect height for people in wheelchairs.

Fabio on Horseback

2008-07-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

Taken ringside at Expo Center during the 2008 Midwest Horsefair.

Dude in Breeches

2008-07-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

This title of this post is kinda unfair to the subject, although true. He normally doesn't wear breeches to ride in, only during competitions and clinics. This photo was taken during a dressage clinic with Janet Brown. This is horse and rider team are nationally competitive in three day eventing and are very cool. We went on a winter trail ride one time and they were jumping over big oxers in the snow. It was awesome.

Mounting from the ground

2008-07-22T06:26:00.000-07:00

Most English style riders mount from a mounting block. This may be for various reasons, among them they feel it doesn't twist the horses back, it's easier on the rider, or their horse is ridiculously large for them.

The above shot is of a Parelli workshop participant practicing mounting from the ground.

Get ready for some European riding

2008-07-20T21:27:00.000-07:00

I noticed that the photos are a little heavy on the Western side of things, with saddle seat being the only form of English riding represented. Saddle seat is an pretty extreme discipline.

There are many different ways to ride a horse. The main distinctions would be Western and English, and within each are dozens of specialties. People get pretty religious about their way of riding/training. In how closely they follow certain methods and in the judgement it inspires in them when they see someone doing something else. In short, people often see their methods as the best and think everyone else's are stupid.

And I've shown a lot of Westerns stuff, so I'll post some more diverse snaps.

Super Speedy

2008-07-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

Some of these barrel racing horses have high speed. It's pretty cool to watch. Note the old vintage Wranglers on the first rider. This was my first real try at panning. I'd never even practiced it before but all the sudden I had to if I wanted to photograph horses and riders.

Saddle seat show

2008-07-16T22:32:00.000-07:00

AJ in chinks

2008-07-16T22:31:00.000-07:00

This man is old enough to remember when horses were hitched up in his Oklahoma town.

Horrible

2008-07-16T22:25:00.001-07:00

Clint and I rode down to the Mexican border to drop off a bunch of gorgeous young horses to Oscar, who sends them to his brother in Mexico. The horses all had great breeding or great color. These images are of some guys who were unloading "killers" bound for the slaughterhouses in Mexico. They taking no care in letting the horses off the trailer.

Somehow, the mother of all horse-wrecks occurred. It was a five horse pile-up. Two of them are on the bottom. Each horse had a limb or something through the fence. One of them had a bar stuck in his mouth, like a bit. He was bleeding out his mouth.

In the top picture, Clint was climbing up there to seperate them a little bit and drive some of the ones of top backwards.

Eventually, they had to get a crowbar to open the latch. The horses all spilled out and walked away.

Toots in the ring

2008-07-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

Auction faces

2008-07-16T22:13:00.001-07:00

Overall, I have a hard time taking portraits in an auction house. Although I always have permission to shoot, people are very aware of the camera, because they are usually not allowed. Plus, because of the way an auction house is designed, I would likely have to be standing in front of everyone. facing them. So anyway, when I get a good portrait, I'm thrilled.

What kids do while their moms do horse stuff

2008-07-16T22:11:00.000-07:00

Barrel race crazies

2008-07-16T22:07:00.000-07:00

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Apparently, there are those who believe that painting crosses on your horse will make you faster. Likewise, there are those who believe that tying your horse up with everything possible will make it faster. I am not inclined to agree with either of these viewpoints.

Hot asses.

2008-07-16T22:05:00.000-07:00

These three donkeys were watching us chase horses around the pasture. We were trying to run them up to the barn, and a couple were being difficult. Pretty soon, all the horses were running around like crazy. Except for the donkeys, who were just standing there.

Getting ready

2008-07-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

Super Sonic

2008-07-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

Dental work time

2008-07-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

Dr. Bill gets it done. And he's happy about it. Hell ya! I once shot pictures of Bill for a newspaper article. I chose one for the story where he was elbow deep in a cow, preg checking her. It was a great shot. Unconventional, though. He got a kick out of it.

In this pic, he's doing dental work on a horse. Though it looks pretty intense, it's actually a routine procedure for most. Horses do have to be sedated during the procedure.

Rodeo style

2008-07-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

It was so dusty in there I was thrilled to get any images. This one turned out awesomely.

The Black Mare

2008-07-16T21:21:00.002-07:00

Clint is riding this horse but it's not his. Incidentally, the owners of the horse decided it was not worth training to ride after this episode. Specifically, after seeing this pic.

Show Prep

2008-07-16T21:21:00.001-07:00

Warning!!! Graphic in nature!!! Skip this if you get queasy.

2008-07-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

Because those are his testicles. Or, they were his, until Doc ripped them out. Sorry. I was the one that kicked them away from his face, because no living creature wants to wake up to that. One of the testicles did not properly descend, and Doc had to cut open the skin and pull it out. It was painful and I don't even have testicles. Ahh!

Okay, techincally not a horse shot

2008-07-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

But a bitchin' rodeo pic so I had to post it.

Untitled

2008-07-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

Draft sale

2008-07-16T21:09:00.001-07:00

The top picture was shot in 2007, the bottom in 2008. Always a fun and interesting sale. Heavily populated by Amish, as you see. The horses are powerful and gentle. The staff that run this sale are a blast.

View from above

2008-07-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

Also

32 teamsx8 horsesx2000 lbs each=whoa

2008-07-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

From a draft show in Wisconsin. It was amazing to see that many teams lined up together. Outside the arena, waiting to enter, the harnesses on the horses were reflecting light and glowing in the most beautiful way. They were so shiny!

Old Ladies on 5-Gaited Horses

2008-07-16T20:57:00.000-07:00

This was a fun show to take pics at. The subjects were amazing.

N. Mexico Auction

2008-07-16T20:54:00.000-07:00

Taken from the chute leading into the sale ring.

The Sale Ring

2008-07-16T20:52:00.000-07:00

2006? Taken with a small 5 megapix point and shoot.

Oklahoma March, 2008

2008-07-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

This is Clint riding the paint horse. It was insane, and dusty.