IDA PHOTO SHOOT

I love to do photo shoots. Katie, a college junior, boards her mare Ida at the barn where I kept Lark. She asked me if I would take pictures of her and Ida. We had a gorgeous fall day, and it was good to do the shoot before Ida's coat started growing the winter fuzzies.

This was a candid shot -- Katie enjoying a quiet moment with her horse.

I like the way the breeze was blowing Katie's hair away from her face. She has more of a mane than the horse.

Horses have amazing eyes. I love this shot, which also includes the halter nameplate of Ida's registered name, Fuerst Ideal.

This was one of the under saddle shots. I particularly liked this one because of the hock action. The hock is the middle joint in the horse's hind leg -- it appears to correspond with the elbow of a person. But in the horse, the hock is actually the heel because horses evolved over the years to walk on their middle toe. The hoof compostion is similar to our fingernail.

Ida is moving forward with energy and power coming from her hindquarters. Her ears are pricked forward, and she looks very happy.

I caught this shot as Katie was walking Ida into the woods behind the pasture. It certainly shows the love a girl has for her horse. They are so relaxed and enjoying their stroll.

This is what they call a conformation shot. Conformation is the sum of the parts -- the way a horse is put together. Many people, including horse people, mistakenly say confirmation.

I love this candid shot because I got lucky and captured both Ida and Katie striding forward with their right legs!