Affectionate Horses #12396

The Story

A horse trainer friend and I had been photographing her two Arabian horses running together in a small paddock in deep powder snow and it was time to give them a break. Steady barnmates, they are a close pair and had run side by side through much of the shoot. Here at a standstill, they still chose to stay close by each other. I kept alert with the camera up and ready to get anything that might happen. Luckily, it was just by chance the mare turned to the white stallion to make this portrait that shows their affection.

Most people don’t know that horses actually lead very rich emotional lives. Don’t let that seemingly unreadable passive and plain face fool you. Very much like humans, animals in the equine world have their ups and downs, their friends, and their favorite things to eat and do. Not surprisingly, you could always tell there were affection and a willingness to be together between these two.

The white stallion is one I jokingly call the Fabio of horses because of the long platinum mane and forelock seen here. He certainly has the looks! This is an older image and today at age 28 he’s still a handsome male as ever. You can see more pictures of him throughout this website such as Freedom #12396. Or this picture of the same horses moving through the paddock the same day in Pair In Powder #13146.

A few years after this winter shoot in the snow, a little foal named Allegra came to the white stallion and bay mare. A few of her baby pictures as a foal at three months are Two Peas #13358 as well as In Step #13720. Over time, she grew into a stunning and very beautiful adult horse. One of my favorite pictures of her is Allegra #14370 which shows her natural exuberance and love of life too. This horse truly loves people and enjoys being close to them.

Thanks to my horse trainer friend and owner, I’ve photographed her small band of Arabian horses in depth over the years. Many of the pictures have been published around the world in calendars and magazines through stock agencies. It’s been work but a lot of fun too! If you need expert help with a horse or riding, you can find my trainer friend at Whoa Nellie Equine Services.

Location: Willow Hill, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Picture and story © Andrew Dierks