How to Prepare Your Horse for a Portrait Session

A well-prepared horse makes for a more relaxed, beautiful session — and a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Over the years, we've developed a checklist of everything we recommend to our portrait clients in the days and hours before we arrive.

Grooming is the obvious starting point. A thorough bath two days before the session (not the day before, to allow natural oils to return and give the coat a healthy sheen) makes an enormous difference. Pay particular attention to the mane and tail — clean, tangle-free, and neatly pulled or braided if that suits your horse's discipline and your vision for the session.

Hoof care matters more than people expect. Freshly trimmed or shod hooves, oiled or painted if appropriate, will be visible in many of your images — especially in movement shots where the feet are lifted and prominent.

On the day itself, give your horse time to settle in the location before we begin shooting. If we're working in a new arena or field, allow 20–30 minutes for your horse to acclimatise. A relaxed horse is a photogenic horse — tension shows in the neck, the eye, and the way of going.

Finally, think about your own turnout. You will be in many of these images, and the most timeless portraits are those where rider and horse are presented simply and elegantly. Avoid very bright colours or busy patterns — neutral tones and classic equestrian attire will always photograph beautifully and won't date.