Prepare for your Equine Session

Let’s get your horse ready!

You may wonder what you need to do to prepare for your session. Well, these are not just pictures these are artwork of your beloved family member! That's important! And to get the most out of your session, and the best-looking possible shots, you need to have your horse looking their best! 

So what do we need to do to prepare? 

Number 1: Bath! 

Bath the day BEFORE! This is very important. If you have one, blanket them for the night or stall them (whichever you would prefer!) We, of course, want your pets shiny, and clean, and to get rid of the dusty look (especially if you have a dark-colored horse). It will help wash away any loose hairs, grass, or poop stains, and bring out their color. Don't forget the face! We want to wash off any eye boogies! As well as a good brushing just before the session, and clean manes, tails, and feet! 

Number 2: Exercise!

This one is very important because you can overdo the exercise before a session and we don't want that! I recommend a short ride or lunge, before the session, especially if you have an energetic horse. We do NOT want them sweaty! A short lunge or ride will let them get any sillys out of the way and be more focused during their session without them having sweat marks or flared nostrils. 

Number 3: Tack!

Hardly ever will you find a horse that can photograph loose, I mean we can dream our horses will 100% stay with us but more often than not, grass, food, or the scary leaf blowing will cause them to move or run. So now we have to decide, do we want fully tacked up, bridle only, or headstall free? If you do tack, please have tack cleaned the day before the session (boots, saddle pads, headstall, saddle, reins, etc), if you choose bridle only make sure the bridle has been cleaned the day before! Or if you prefer the loose horse look, not to worry, I have black lines I bring with me to the session to give that "tackless" look, without the horse being loose. Avoid any bright-colored tack, halters, or wraps, as they can be distracting and hard to edit out.  

Number 4: Relax! 

During the session, I like to keep things short, sweet, and simple. Horses do not have a very long attention span to stand and pose for very long so we want to make this as easy for them as possible. Do not stress if your horse is energetic and trying to move around a lot, we will still get their photo! We also want to remain relaxed as horses can sense our emotions so well! So we want them to follow our lead and be calm. 

For equine sessions always remember to bring close-toed shoes that are safe for handling your horse!