The model is Linda Higgins: MM#903904

This was a collaboration with Karen at the Art Farm: MM#757129, who supplied this amazing blue gown, and this beautiful horse.

The horse is Tano. He's a wacky boy.


I told you I had a project coming up! This is part of it. I just want to say that I had this image in mind when it was decided we would do the shoot with one of Karen's horses...and it came nowhere close to this.

Guys, I do appreciate the critiques, but please be realistic: nothing is perfect as long as you're taking a photo of a trotting horse. There are possibly things I could have paid attention to if I weren't trying to capture a photograph of the model on top of a moving horse. Try it, and see if you get the dress, composition, lighting, position, expression, crop, mood, tone, and what the hell else all correct, and with a model who had just learned not an hour prior how to ride the horse. So forgive me if I'm more than a little dismissive of the minor imperfections being pointed out. Nothing is ever perfect, but the image is complete.

And a letter from Karen answering the questions/controversies that have arisen from this shoot:

Tano is a purebred Morgan. His neck is curved like that because "It's a Morgan show thing" He is listening and also showing off
The Western gear would not be my first choice but it was purely for Linda's safety. I could have put English gear on him which is less visible and more pleasing to the eye but she would have had nothing to hold onto with her body. She's holding the reins like that because she has no clue how to ride, I gave her just enough basic instruction to be able to stop and stay on.
Kids don't try this at home....Tano is 20 years old "been around the block" and has had things flapping on his body in parades many times, he also trusts me 100%. As long as I was there he knows he's ok.
I would have never put Linda on the thoroughbred and no one should ever try a big dress like that on a horse who hasn't been trained to accept it. They WILL freak out. If you give me a person who is an expert rider we could do the shoot bareback and it would look even better. Ps I might have one just found her.
He looks glossy because he's sweaty. He was not working hard but it's just like if you walked around the block, you would sweat too!
Western gear and bits are not cruel. He was raised to a western bit since birth. It's a piece of metal that rests on the gums in an empty space in the mouth. When he is behaving properly it just sits there. When you stop or turn it puts a slight pressure on the gum and chin. He has ridden in a hackamore before and hates it because those put pressure on the nose and cuts off the breathing passages. In a perfect world with a lot of time and patience we can train our horses to walk down the road with no bridle whatsoever but they are prey animals and sometimes they are going to spook and run into oncoming traffic. Personally I'd rather have some way of controlling them when that happens
Oh and dresses are washable LOL!