I have been having serious horse withdrawals for a long time now. Debilitating, really.
Luckily, before I had to resort to asking for a pony of my own, I was invited out to Plane View Farm in Erie, about 15 miles from my house.
While Lauren showed me around, we talked about the individual horses' stories. Many of the horses who now live on the farm would have ended up at slaughter houses if Plane View hadn't stepped in and saved them from the auction block. Lauren and the other trainers find that many of these horses are trained or trainable, and place them in loving homes after giving them a lot of TLC (and carrots.) You can read about Plane View's efforts on their "sales and saves" page.
I've always been a horse girl, but I still can't figure out my favorite thing about them.
I love late-winter fuzziness.
Sleek summer coats are gorgeous, of course, but there's just something about the Winter Fuzzies that make me smile and want to snuggle up with a pony.
I miss knowing all the horses as individuals. When I worked at the barn in Montana, the other barn girls and I could talk for hours about each horse's quirks, his particular brand of sweetness and naughtiness, the distinct markings on his legs and head, and where he best liked being scratched.
Ack! I'm making myself homesick for the barn!
One of the last residents I met was the donkey. I wanted to put him in my pocket and bring him home with me. Apparently he's nine million years old- the farm got him from an auction thinking they'd just give the old guy a safe, warm place to go for his last days, not even knowing if he'd make it through the winter. That was nine years ago and the old dude is still going strong! He's a snuggle bug!
And his ear hair... I love.
Horses and donkeys and geese....
... oh my!
Every horse I met at Plane View was friendly and curious about the funny thing I was pointing at them. It made funny noises and a couple of them were sure it ate horses, but I was able to convince them otherwise.
This big guy was the most ferocious dog I've ever met. His tail wagged so hard I thought it was going to leave a bruise. And the drool! Yesh, I was clobbered with kisses. A horrible way to go. ; ) Terrifying, really.
How can you say no to that face???
A big thank you to Lauren for inviting me out and introducing me to all the horses!
16 comments:
Looks like you had fun! I love the feeling in the first one and the kissing horses one. Good job!
omigosh, those donkey ears!! They look so scritchable.
My first answer was going to be their smell! I love the way horses smell - it's the first thing that brings back all my barn memories. But a close second is their sheer physical beauty - and definitely their personalities. I just loved all of your photos - you picked out all of those special spots with your lens.
:) What a great day you had!
(A couple years ago, I went over to my friend's barn to take pictures of her horses. She has a donkey as well - and he was cute - but soooo obnoxious. I had to lock him in a stall just so he didn't tear my camera bag off my back! He's a carrot addict and couldn't control himself!)
yes, the warm nuzzle smell...
This is my favorite post on your blog to date! And I would usually take dogs over horses any day!
Wow...those shots really are amazing!
It IS hard to pick out a favorite thing about horses. Other than their incredible beauty, I love their smell and their soft muzzles. And smooth canters. Bareback. I LOVE the eye and muzzle shots you got. They are ALL so gorgeous, I can't pick a favorite. This post rocks! :D
Beautiful pictures. There is such an elegance about horses... and their EYES! Lovely.
Stunning. Just absolutely STUNNING.
Tears in eyes. Such sweet babies; so thankful for folks who love animals as much as I do. I could almost feel their soft fur under my hand and cheeks.
Thanks, Haley.
Such sweet sweet babies!! Every one of them! :)
Thanks, you guys! I am excited to say that I booked another horse session for this weekend! (Emily will be joining me.)
I am kind of feeling like this is the direction I want to go towards..... horses have always been a special part of my life.
Thanks for your encouragement! It means a TON to me that accomplished pet photographers would stop by to pump me up! I love you guys!
These are beautiful! I love the different horse parts too. And I also love the shot of the pup with the trailers in the background. He looks like he owns the place!
Love them!! You really must go to the Equine Photographers Network site. They are putting together a project of just this sort of thing that this farm represents- horse rescue and their stories. You should submit your photos and stories to it. Really great work Haley.
Sue, great idea! I read about the project and emailed the manager of the barn... we'll see what she thinks. I think it sounds like a great idea. Thank you!
That eye closeup one is totally working for me now. :)
Makes me wish I lived on or near a farm. It looks so relaxing.
Wow -- fantastic photos! You really capture the soulfulness in each individual animal, and also your close-ups of ears, noses, and other facial parts makes the viewer want to reach out and stroke their fur. Wonderful!
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