Life never ceases to amaze me, w ith its potential for drama and excitement constantly “lurking”….well with my life it does anyway! I’…
Life never ceases to amaze me, w ith its potential for drama and excitement constantly “lurking”….well with my life it does anyway! I’ve reached the weekend and made it through the week. And what a week it has been! / It has been one of many unsettling experiences, where I find myself questioning…..how the heart does not harden completely so that another living thing or experience can ever touch it, how you can want so badly to never “feel” anything again, yet all the while be just plain grateful that it doesn’t happen like that, because then you would miss out on the joy that creeps in like a surprise when you are not expecting it, and touches the places beneath the armour and make your heart sing. I marvel at the pit you can dig for yourself, yet however full of exhaustion or despair it might become, it can also contain proportionately the same amount, if not more, joy and gratitude. I wonder at nature and life and miracles and why they sometimes don’t happen how you want, yet occur when you least expect them. And most of all, I am just deeply grateful for the ability to laugh at myself and have a sense of humour at life’s turbulent moments of chaos and fleeting glimpses of euphoria. Last Thursday night, a new baby arrived in the family…..a little foal. Having bred horses for over twenty years, I never get over the huge energy buzz I get to witness a birth, discover a new baby, or see a foal untangle the little body from the long legs and master the art of equine life so quickly. It is always an emotional and, for me, a spiritual moment. These days, such moments are rare, as I no longer have a herd or run an official breeding establishment, I only have my old stallion Mystic (well past retirement age, but you try telling him that!) and his long time girlfriend Wildfire, a little mare I bred 16 years ago. We have also been agisting Mariah, a little mare for my friend’s 9yo daughter, trying to get her in foal, but after two years, had given up on it ever happening. Until of course……. I had been heading off to bed, and had actually done something out of character for me, and in an effort to achieve a pain free night following such a desperately busy week, I took some ibuprofen (my condition worsens at times of tiredness and stress, so the pain levels become quite hard to handle, though normally, I refuse to use anything from drug companies….) Anyhow, off to bed I went, and pulled up the covers – it is unseasonably cold here – the nights are generally warm, but of course, Murphy’s Law says that was about to happen would NOT happen on a nice balmy night. So….I awaken to squeals….. / “Go away” I thought. “It is nothing” / But on a farm, you get to know all the little noises of the bush, the birds, the critturs in general, and you just KNOW when they are not right. So the squeals I recognized were of horses meeting new horses, not old horses getting very familiar!! I thought my niece’s show horses must have gotten loose and come visiting my little horses. I grabbed the torch, and headed out in my sleepwear, barefooted and all (glad it was dark and the nearest neighbours were miles away) There was my little mare Wildfire with a new baby foal and she was squealing and kicking, trying to keep it away from Mariah and the stallion. I got excited and started calling to her, as I managed to squeeze through the barb wire fence without losing anything more than my dignity. Then I spotted Mariah dragging the afterbirth behind her, and got such a shock. She was not even supposed to be in foal, and this new baby was HERS!. She was not barren after all, and had actually been in foal all year, even though sharing a very intimate time with the stallion and fooling us all! It was a huge shock, as all I could think of was how overjoyed the little girl who owned her would be, as it had been her birthday that day. I could imagine her shock and delight when I broke the news! My first problem was parting the expectant Mother from a foal that she was determined was hers ( probably wondering at how pain free and instant the birth had been!!!) and avoiding the flying heels and threat of teeth on my bare legs…. You know how cranky new Mothers can be, or even the ones who THINK they are! Eventually, I caught Wildfire in the dark and got her across to a gate into the next paddock, and I tried to get her through the broken gate, with one hand and naturally she did not make it simple. But at last she went through, and the obliging old boy Mystic followed her. (The maternity wing was “women’s business” and he wanted no place in there, even if it was his progeny there wobbling it way around and looking for a mother!) / (It reminds me of him with his foals two years ago…if ever I have seen a stallion look mortified and embarrassed, it was this old boy, when the little foals would rush up to him and stick their inquisitive noses into his nether regions looking for a feed! Lol) I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking “now Mariah can get to her baby and bond and have some rest”. But no. I suddenly realized the paddock I had pushed the other two horses into had its other gate wide open, and away went those two, off down towards the highway. So in the freezing wind, still in my pjs, and with only a little torch, off I went after them. And did the old cat and mouse game. They would let me get within a few metres of them, then with a “yippee! We’re free!” they would trot off with their noses and tails in the air. Bugger! There was no way they were about to give up their new found freedom! And anyone who has been around horses will know you do not chase them – you will never win! So through one paddock and another, I followed them, calling out oh so nice things, promising them all kinds of treats…all the while gritting my teeth…..and hoping the torch didn’t pack it in. Eventually they went towards the dairy, which is where it got really frightening for me, as the swampy damp ground, long grass and drains were full of snakes at this time of year, one of them being the Tiger snake, Australia’s second most venomous snake. I took a deep breath, swallowed my fear and plowed across the grass, a place I would not even walk over in broad daylight. I just prayed the snakes would be asleep somewhere else or at least feeling kind. Eventually Mystic, the old darling, came back to me, allowed me to catch him by the mane, and I lead them back to their paddock. On the way back across the dark long grass, I felt sharp sting on my barefoot and thought “It is nothing but a sharp stick I have trodden on”. By the time I got them safely home and the mare with her foal (it was a filly!!) settled under the trees out of the wind, I was frozen and it was almost 1am. I got indoors and had a wash, then sat down to look at my foot. There was one puncture wound on my toe and it was quite sore. So….I asked myself “Is it a snake bite (ha! A one toothed snake or just one with a bad aim!) or a bullant or bee sting? ” At this point, the adrenalin had my heart pumping from rushing out after the horses and the excitement of finding a new foal, and the ibuprofen had kicked in and I was feeling quite dizzy and drowsy – so I thought, “Is this the effect of snakebite?” I felt really stupid….should I go into the hospital and look like a real dill if it is only a bee sting, or will I look worse than an idiot if I die in my sleep and the kids find me in the morning! I did not wish to call anyone at that hour of the morning, yet my thoughts turned to my two young children asleep in their beds. What to do? I called the hospital and they told me to come in and spend the night in hospital, but I thought it would not be easy with my children….so I decided to wait it out. So I got on Redbubble, (the perfect place to go when you could be dying from snakebite, of course!) even though really tired, and played on there for an hour, and quietly monitored my physical signs….. / and as you can tell, it was NOT snake bite and I am still as large as life and shiny side up!! The next day, we called up the owners of the new baby and told them the good news. The little filly was a dear sweet thing, very friendly and strangely bonded to me and the other humans. She was a bit slow drinking from her mother, so I had to milk the mare and syringe it into her mouth to ensure she got the colostrum. This is to give baby as much of the goodness and protection from her mother as she could get. The young girl who owned her, arrived with her family and the look on her face was priceless. The baby was christened “Rosy”, It was an absolutely delightful time, and one that would become even more precious with what was about to unfold. By the following morning, I knew something was very wrong with the mare. She was not eating and alarm bells went off. / Two years prior to this, I had lost my favourite mare I’d had for 18 years, to hyperlipemia, right after foaling, and had to raise an orphan baby. Now Mariah was showing signs of the same. And so it was. We got the vet, we consulted professional breeders who had saved mares with this condition before (I had never known anyone to bring a mare back from this bloody horrible disease yet!!), and I began the process of trying to save her. We took the precious baby off Mother’s milk and started hand feeding her. This was to give the Mother a chance to stop metabolizing her body fat to produce milk and perhaps slow down her disease. I injected her with insulin and syringed sucrose mix down her throat every few hours, and tried so vainly to get her to eat something. What a precious little soul was the filly – she stuck her head in the dish of formula and drank. She followed us around; when my front door opened, she neighed to me in her little raspy voice. She KNEW. She knew her life was going to revolve around humans and not her mother, and she almost accepted it from the very onset. As I recall the day after her birth, she was just as happy to be with humans as with her own Mother. And poor Mariah….. we fought so hard for her, but she simply gave up. After five days of struggling to save her, of hopes raised, and heartbreaking scenes, I told her owners that I believed she was ready to go, and that to keep her alive was not kind. So I had her put down. / These things are never easy. I hate every part of this side of owning animals – no matter how kind the actions are, I cannot hear a gun without freezing to the pit of my soul, and I still shed tears for the grand souls of these noble creatures as they pass over. The hardest part is to not hold onto regret and blame myself for things not done correctly, or time not spent more wisely…. Or whatever….the lessons abound…. Still, around my home, there are so many ghosts of loved ones….that have moved beyond the road I walk…. / I love my horses so much, death always seems so unfair. So, I saw Mariah returned to the Earth and the baby went to the vet hospital to spend some time getting stronger before taking on its new life as one of a human family in a suburban backyard. I know that little life wouldn’t be an easy one, but it will be filled with love, and I will always welcome back young Rosey to stay here on the farm and learn to socialize with real horses. Then, I checked my other two horses, and Wildfire was making milk, it was dripping from her teats. Another birth was imminent. / I brought her into my garden (a large tree filled yard) where I could watch her more easily, and after last check went to my very welcome bed. Half an hour later, I am awoken to a knocking under the house. I had the dog tied up under there (the only place I could put her to keep her away from sick horse and foal and any other not so pleasant items that she might roll in or eat – well you know dogs will be dogs!) I grabbed the torch yet again and outside I went. These night time jaunts in my sleepwear were starting to become monotonous! There was Wildfire running up and down the side of my house looking very upset. I got down on my knees and looked under the house with the torch and sure enough, there was one terrified dog (it wasn’t ME!!!! She was saying) and one very active baby foal. I hate under my house…it is dark and creepy and full of spiders and often even the place where snakes live. But under I crawled in my pjs, and captured the foal and dragged her out. Yes her! A filly, and what a stunner!! So this one, I am sure, had hit the ground running, and once out under the stars, away she went, at a tiny gallop, racing around the yard, with her distressed mother hot on her heels. This went on for four hours! I don’t know what that baby was on, but she was definitely hyperactive. She ran through fences, jumped through cracks in gates, through gardens and shrubs, went back under the house three more times, and eventually, taking pity on the poor mare who needed to calm down, I barricaded the front section of my garden using everything I could find outside in the dark, and took them in there. Straight away the baby leapt into the dog house and went to the back, while the poor mare freaked out completely. / I honestly have never seen such an active baby. I was unable to go back to bed and leave them as I was so worried she would hang herself from somewhere. Or get stuck, or worse, get out and run away from her mother. Eventually she collapsed on the ground and they both got some rest, and THEN, I too, went back to bed. By this time, the sun was just starting to lighten the horizon. But the next morning, I was greeted with the sight of my best Christmas present. She truly is a stunning little filly and both she and the mare were doing fine. After the traumas of the week however, I was definitely overly watchful and worried about the health of them both, not to mention, extremely sad for my friends and their daughter at the twist of fate that saw me with a healthy baby and mother, and them with a dead horse and an orphan foal. Somehow it seemed unfair. So you see, between the lack of sleep and my concerns for all my creatures, not to mention the many emotions this has all evoked for me, I have barely had time to think about Christmas. I just ponder the sadness of our connections with animals, how there is always sorrow when they are ill or suffering, and death is never easy to deal with (even after all the years of heartbreaks and experiences I have had with my horses). I shudder at the necessity for guns on farms, they chill me to the core, yet know deep down, they can be a kind option for an animal’s peaceful and rapid release. How the fear creeps in when you love something…..at times I know, I have felt I will never own another horse, or get attached to another creature, or have another relationship, because the loss is so hard to bear – yet deep down the simple truth is, nothing lasts forever, but the effects and memories of love do, they are cumulative within our souls and become a part of who we are – love is always its own reward. Therefore any moments shared with another, whether human or animal, are a gift to honour, and never to be shied away from. / I come away from this week, heartened too by the awareness of joy in having them share our lives. These special characters are all a blessing to me, and teach me many things. I only have to witness the miracle of such new births to know that the cycle of life continues, that all is as it should be. Witnessing such moments brings tears in my eyes… an expression of love for life, and an overflowing of the heart. The final word – two days later, a horse float arrives at my front door, and the woman driver unloads a little mare, who has come to visit my stallion. The process begins again…
Yesterday I decided I would go out and look for the wild horses on the Cedar Mountains of Utah. There are about 250 horses free roa…
Yesterday I decided I would go out and look for the wild horses on the Cedar Mountains of Utah. There are about 250 horses free roaming on the mountain. The vegetation on the upper elevation of the Cedar Mountains is comprised of junipers. The foothill and valley regions include mixed desert shrubs. Due to range fires during the past 10 years, the area is dominated by cheatgrass. Wild horses have occupied the Cedar Mountains since the late 1800s. It is suggested that the original stock was controlled by the Standard Horse and Mule Company that provided remounts for the U.S. Army. However, many of the horses on the Cedar Mountains are descendants of horses that were turned loose or escaped from nearby ranches. The dominant colors within the herd area are bay and black. Other colors found are sorrel, red and blue roan, buckskin, gray, palomino, and pinto. The wild horses on the Cedars are classified as average in size. Mares weigh 750 to 800 pounds and stallions weigh 850 to 1000 pounds. These horses would not let you near them but here are some pictures from my day! As you can see, it was very short lived but I will go out again!
I’ve been talking up the trail rides in Upper Plenty for several months now and I thought it was about time I finally got around to organ…
I’ve been talking up the trail rides in Upper Plenty for several months now and I thought it was about time I finally got around to organising the first (as far as I know) Melbourne RedBubble trail ride meet. I’ve been going to Uncle Nev’s for years now. The staff are fantastic and they cater for all experience levels whether you’ve never ridden before or you’ve been riding all your life. DETAILS DATE: Saturday the 28th of June (this is just a proposed date and is flexible, if this doesn’t suit feel free to propose another date, just make sure it’s far enough in advance to make sure we can get a booking) ADDRESS: 1115 Wallan-Whittlesea Road, Upper Plenty, 3756 (50 minutes from Melbourne CBD) TIME: 1:30pm mount up for a 2pm departure (returning around 5pm) COST: $65 for the three hour ride including a stop half-way for coffee, tea and biscuits (though once they had cupcakes so you never know your luck) / NOTE – The website says a discount applies for bookings of over 10 people so the price may work out cheaper depending on numbers, also they don’t have eftpos facilities there so bring cash WHAT TO WEAR: It’ll be cold but like any exercise you’ll warm up once you get going so dress warm but not too warm. I usually wear a jumper or jacket that I can take off and tie around my waist if I need to. Also, comfortable pants (jeans are fine), and boots are best but runners with a bit of grip are fine to. Helmets are provided. I’ve got three spaces in my car for anyone who needs a lift, but if anyone else can offer rides to people in need that would be great too. If you’ve got any other questions or you want a contact number for the day just bubblemail me. =) So who’s in?!
- Photos of flowers [like the internet needs more of these] / - Photos of horses [see above] / - Photos of birds / - Overdone HDR photos. Ca…
- Photos of flowers [like the internet needs more of these] / - Photos of horses [see above] / - Photos of birds / - Overdone HDR photos. Can we all just agree that HDR looks shithouse and move on please? / - Photos that are black and white, except for one thing, which remains in colour ala Sin City. This cliche is so five minutes ago that it makes my head turn inside out when I see it. / - Things with wings photoshopped onto them [especially horses] / - Banksy inspired Military symbols mixed with nature, children, barcodes or oil references. YES WE GET IT… WAR BAD!!! I think that covers about 99.999999999% of what’s on Red Bubble.
Hi guys; I don’t usually like to brag about sales, but I have to say, this was a good day. One of my pieces sold from a local gallery …
Hi guys; I don’t usually like to brag about sales, but I have to say, this was a good day. One of my pieces sold from a local gallery at a very handsome price, and I didn’t have to share it with RB. This has been one of my goals this year, to sell my own framed prints from a gallery. I hope this is the start of a new trend. It’s expensive to get these ready for sale, but you can turn a handsome profit when your art sells. I guess the old adage, “It takes money, to make money”, holds true. Well, maybe a little luck too…lol… I mention this for those who may be disappointed about sales. It takes time, and you have to persist, and stay focused on what you want to accomplish with your art. Continue to strive to produce eye pleasing artwork, and you’ll see. It will happen. Anyhow, this is the one that sold, to a total stranger I might add … Always and Forever Cheers. G.
Apart from thoroughly enjoying my visits to the stud farm and taking photographs of those gorgeous horses – the girls who own some of tho…
Apart from thoroughly enjoying my visits to the stud farm and taking photographs of those gorgeous horses – the girls who own some of those horses have placed orders for: 5×2009 Calendars and 3 x Cards- feeling good!!! / / Plus of course a card of ‘Thinking’ (the cover on the calendar) /
OMG I never look at the homepage as when I login it goes straight to My Bubble. What a fantastic surprise when I saw all these comments …
OMG I never look at the homepage as when I login it goes straight to My Bubble. What a fantastic surprise when I saw all these comments on The Sky’s The Limit congratulating being featured on the homepage. WOW what can I say, what an honour for one of my pieces to be featured on the homepage. Thanking REDBUBBLE so very much…... I am dancing!!!
Thanks so much to the person who purchased my image ’ The Brumby Run’ I am so happy and thankful to who ever purchased this print. I wou…
Thanks so much to the person who purchased my image ’ The Brumby Run’ I am so happy and thankful to who ever purchased this print. I would like to know who you are so that I can thank your personally. /
Sold a Calendar Outback Australia Calendar a Card Man…
Sold a Calendar Outback Australia Calendar a Card Man and his Horse / I Like to thank Trudi Trudi for her purchases and all the kind support she has give me very much appreciated my friend ! /
Morning fello bubblers!! I have had two featured images this week!!! (proud as punch too!) Carousel Enchantment...
Morning fello bubblers!! I have had two featured images this week!!! (proud as punch too!) Carousel Enchantment / and Statues and Such“ / Thankyou very much to the hosts of these wonderful groups! Made my day :)))) Very best, SAL XXX
I was going to save up any features I got and put them up weekly, but I’m too excited to do that, because my horse picture Ladies got fea…
I was going to save up any features I got and put them up weekly, but I’m too excited to do that, because my horse picture Ladies got featured in A Beautiful Blur / I’m so happy and honoured. Thank you to the group hosts. And congratulations to the other featured artists. Agnes xxx
I have just been notified that some lovely person has just bought one of my T-shirts ”!http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/clothing/bodycol…
I have just been notified that some lovely person has just bought one of my T-shirts Thanking whoever that person is very very much…........... I hope whoever you bought it for loves it.
My most popular image – Freedom…. has just reached 50 favouritings – woo hoo!!!!! !http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:ular…
My most popular image – Freedom…. has just reached 50 favouritings – woo hoo!!!!!
What a wonderful week end end I had with these beautiful animals thought I would share it with you. / 1. / !http://images-3.redbubble.net/i…
What a wonderful week end end I had with these beautiful animals thought I would share it with you. / 1. / / 2. / / 3. / / 4. / / 5. / / 6. / / 7. / / 8. / / 9. / / 10. / / 11. /
Happily I have sold two cards of Magic and Tallo – after managing to get a shot of them together-as each time I have photographed Magic a…
Happily I have sold two cards of Magic and Tallo – after managing to get a shot of them together-as each time I have photographed Magic at the stables Tallo hasn’t been around and they are th best of pals!!! Their owners are really happy with the shots and I am delighted with the order!
What a difference a day makes. One day you go out to the horses and it’s 60 degrees. The next day you get caught in a fast approaching …
What a difference a day makes. One day you go out to the horses and it’s 60 degrees. The next day you get caught in a fast approaching storm….....! When I arrived out in the desert, I located the horses right away. They wasn’t far from where they had been the night before. They were walking in a straight line along the horizon. Anticipating where they were heading I parked the truck and started to hike. / I hiked about 3 miles before I finally caught up with them only to find them running for the trees. / Before I knew it the storm had hit. I debated on heading back to the truck but decided to stay and watch a while. / It really started to come down so I climbed underneath a tree to wait it out for a while. / The horses behave pretty much the same as they do when the weather is good. / After the storm had passed the desert was covered with a fresh coat of snow and the horses moved back down out of the trees. / Then the winds picked up and I had a long hike back to the truck. What a day! / Welcome To Spring in Utah!
Just found out that my new Equine tee has been featured in the great All soft and cuddles group, i am over the moon, thanks so much you g…
Just found out that my new Equine tee has been featured in the great All soft and cuddles group, i am over the moon, thanks so much you guys,dawnxx /
Love Is is Placed in the Top Ten of the ‘Two Of U…
Love Is is Placed in the Top Ten of the ‘Two Of Us’ Challenge with First Things Group- thankyou so much to those who voted for this- really happy with it!!!
Just a quick update for those who have expressed an interest in mustang baby Spring’s progress: Spring got her bandages off, this morn…
Just a quick update for those who have expressed an interest in mustang baby Spring’s progress: Spring got her bandages off, this morning. In addidtion to the deep wounds on her lower forelegs, she had serious swelling in her hind ankles. These were wrapped with a hot compress of Epsom Salts, and remained wrapped until this morning. We had intended to change the dressings, but when the bandages were removed, it was determined that they would be better allowed to dry. When we removed the bandages on the hind legs, the swelling was completely gone! So Spring is barefoot, now … and has moved into her outdoor compound, with the mare, Annie. The foal is doing great – getting a little meat on her bones, and some SPRING in her steps. Her forelegs are still weak, and she needs some help to get up, but if her progress continues as it has so far, she will be fit as a fiddle in a few days. Again, I thank everyone who has sent their kind words of encouragement, and positive vibes for Spring’s recovery! Oh! —I almost forgot - Spring’s adoption is just a matter of paperwork. She will soon be officially Ray’s adoptee, under BLM “supervision” for a period of one year. They will inspect her self and her habitat periodically. Miracle Of Spring Chapter One – Page One: RedBubble Album: Miracle Of Spring
Equine photography can be tricky and requires patience and skill on part of the photographer. To start with you will need a set of tools…
Equine photography can be tricky and requires patience and skill on part of the photographer. To start with you will need a set of tools these should be: a long zoom lens, noise making gadgets, a lunge whip, a mirror, some handlers and patience. The first thing I do when arriving at a ranch where the horse or horses are, is to evaluate the horse I will be photographing. By this I mean walk around the horse, make mental notes about what strikes you about the individual, is it his lovely dish face, or leggy long legs, a great rearend, a gorgeous mane, a big doe eye, its unique coat pattern etc. This clues me into what I try to focus on when shooting. Talk with the owner or handler about what the horse does and what the photos will be used for. Most breeds have standard type poses for the breed and often the owner will want that type of posing. In this case you will definitely need a handler or three ;-) Do your research online before showing up to photograph the horses. Find out if there are any standard poses for the breed and study the images of them online or print them out and carry with you for reference. In the case where it is a colored horse, ie an Appaloosa or a Pinto, you have several horses all in one animal. Each side and the rear and front may look like a completely different horse. Colored horses often have coat patterns that can create optical illusions making it difficult to get a pleasing image from a particular point of view, so be careful to try and shoot the most attractive side and angle. You can ask the owner if there is a side that they prefer, often the horses will have blue or partial blue eyes with pink skin and it may not be very photogenic. I have a Black and White paint and he definitely has a better side that I shoot from, no matter how hard I try, I cannot get a good shot of that other side, plus the side with his blue eye is the side that I talk to, because I can see him watching me and that is the side that I relate to, so that is the side that I as the owner prefer in a photograph. Sometimes their markings can create an optical illusion that makes their head/nose look big or the leg look crooked or make them look cow or sickle hocked etc. You may have to change your angle to eliminate the illusion. Sometimes you get lucky and both sides of the horse are just as lovely to photograph, if so then definitely do shoot both sides. Even in the case where one side is more flattering I will try to get a couple photos on the “challenging” side for sure anyway. The other very important thing is light. Black and white horses and Appaloosa’s can be very challenging to shoot in bright sun because the camera does not know which color to balance the light for and the result is that some of the markings don’t show in the photo or it’s over/under exposed either on the black or white part of the horse. I have found that if you shoot on a cloudy or overcast day or primarily in the shade you will get better results than shooting in the sun. Use a fill flash for light if you have to. For most horses you want to shoot in the sun with the sun at your back to get that shiny coat and the light bouncing off of it. If it is important to get good saturation and detail on the markings shoot in the shade or when the sun isn’t out. If you are taking a candid shot (not being held or posed) of a horse in its pasture or turnout, you may have to sit and watch for a couple of hours to get an interesting shot of them vs. the head down grazing position. Sometimes they will stop and raise their head and ears forward and eyes on something in the distance, this is a perfect shot opp, but it comes and goes. You can carry a noise maker or mirror to reflect light or the horses reflection at him and that will get them interested but, be careful sometimes this will spook the you know what out of them, always be on the alert and ready to jump to safety. Shoot from a low angle and either kneel or sit. Make sure you have distance between you and the horse (zoom lens) and if possible get someone to steer the horse away from you if they bolt or run, if you don’t have an extra hand, always carry a long lung whip to make sure they see and hear you and to deter them from coming to close. Pay attention to the background noise, try to get the best angle on the horse with the least distraction in the background watch out for ugly fences, power lines, buckets and junk. Unless, you are composing a photograph where you want certain elements in the photograph like ponds, trees, barns, fences etc then obviously include them ;-) If you are wanting an image of the horse in movement, you will need a small pasture or arena and you may need a couple of extra hands, some lunge whips and noise makers such as an aluminum can with rocks in it, or a squeaky toy etc. when using these kinds of tools be very careful not to spook the horse to the point of it or you getting hurt, you want response and expression, but not fear or destruction. It is best to get low when shooting and use a long zoom lens (at least a 80-200 or 70-300) so you get the right compression and the horse doesn’t look funny. Get your position where you like the background and then settle in. Then signal your handlers so they know that they can get the horse moving. They can do this by either snapping the whip or making some noise rattle the rock can at them or whatever. Then when they run on by start snapping and remember to make sure you are not in the path of the horse and or can get out of the way quickly if necessary. While I am certainly not an authority on the matter, I do have many years of experience not only with horses but photographing them and I have mentored under some of the best talent out there JMHO ;-) That’s about everything I can think of. My hopes are that some of these ideas might help you with your equine photography, if you have any questions just holler ;-)
Sorry to keep being so absent. The art show now has a date, 11 Oct. Will be me & a few others showing & selling. i have over 200 pieces, ...
Sorry to keep being so absent. The art show now has a date, 11 Oct. Will be me & a few others showing & selling. i have over 200 pieces, some are the framed paintings (well, most are colored pencil drawings) with the buttons for frames, a lot are just mounted on firmer paper, also out of my art i made a ton of greeting cards, i glued my art down to greeting card paper stock, complete with envelopes, & i also used the old fashioned cassette tape plastic cases into frames. i reduced several of my art & glued these inside, & on the back put a string to hang on the wall. All my art is ready to go. Still might have to make the food (Vegan sausages & Vegan crackers), but a group called “Food Not Bombs” may cater. They are an activist group that generally feeds the homeless and hungry. One of the woman showing with me works with Food Not Bombs & is going to ask if they will cater. They do catering to big events, like Animal Rights conferences, etc. Also will have sparkling cider & hoping to get plastic champagne glasses for these, hee hee, like they do in upscale art galleries. Also hoping to have a friend play his guitar, & Arnie’s son may join him. He also sells musical instruments & will have those at the show, too. And since last week i have been going to & from Oakland, Ca (about 70 miles from where i live) to protest at ringling brothers circus, regarding the abuse the Animals endure. Mostly for the Elephants, but the Tigers, Horses, Etc. You can check out here: https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2359 This week, starting today, i’ll be going back & forth to San Jose (a little farther than Oakland), from Thursday til Sunday. The great part is i found a friend who lives near me, has a mini van, & we go together. i don’t drive, the busses are killer expensive, plus it would take 50 times longer to get there & back. Then next Tuesday i’ll take the greyhound bus to Sacramento where ringling brothers will be again, i’ll be there from Tuesday til late Sunday. / Another activist has a room reserved from Wed til Sunday. i have to leave on Tuesday in order to be there in time for the events on Wed. my first real trip in a loooong time. Can’t afford it, but i’m going anyway, for the Elephants, Tigers, Horses Love & Huggggs to you all pinkyjain, :O))))))))))
I just found out today my beloved wild horse herd was rounded up without my knowledge. I went out last weekend and could not find one ho…
I just found out today my beloved wild horse herd was rounded up without my knowledge. I went out last weekend and could not find one horse. I thought that they may have went through the fence at Dugway Proving Grounds and they were on the Army Base. They frequently did this and sometimes you were unable to find them. According to the BLM the horses don’t have enough food or water to sustain themselves. If you have seen my pictures of the horses you can see just how much land these animals have. The Onaqui Herd Management Area (HMA) is located 40 air miles southwest of Salt Lake City. The HMA extends from Johnson’s Pass south to Lookout Pass. Wild horses can be seen on the bench and flat areas along the east and west side of the mountain range. The HMA contains 43,880 acres of Federal, State, and privately owned land. You tell me how can this not be enough land to sustain these horses? They are planning on only putting 30 horses back!!! My question is if the BLM does not have enough money to sustain these horses in the wild how can they have enough money to corral them and feed them for however long it takes to find them a home or EUTHANIZE them? I really did not think this was going to affect me this way but I am very hurt. I will not be going out for a very long time to photograph the horses.
Teacher, want you dinner with me? _Ah, thanks, but school policy advises us not to …..um….date our students. Maybe we could hav…
Teacher, want you dinner with me? Ah, thanks, but school policy advises us not to …..um….date our students. Maybe we could have a class excursion to a restaurant? I not interested with class. I just want you…...you, and your phenomenon. The torture of wonderful lines like that is that you splutter, and turn to raise your eyebrows at someone in mischievous solidarity – and are met only by the confused gaze of a shy young Korean man, totally perplexed as to why his teacher is turning purple. I love my job. Linguistics keeps me alive, and being able to teach about the Germanic language family, Chaucerian couplets and non-defining relative clauses to a sea of eager Russian, Japanese, Brazilian and Turkish students makes me shine. And their deliciously inept grasp of my troublesome language keeps me entertained for hours. On a resume – In my three months in Australia, I have been working as a vacuum cleaner. / In a diary – I ran for the train and jumped on the last part of it. How say that – train’s tail? Train’s arse? / On a job application – For the last three summers, I have done a lifeguard in Pusan. Without a doubt, the most notorious part of English for most students is prepositions. These irksome little grammar particles are so hard to get right, and have resulted in some of my favourite mistakes. I don’t have my dictionary today – I left it in my housemate. So I went to the pub last night, and this guy came on me at the bar. / – He did what?! / – Flirted with me…why, is wrong? / – Ah, I think you mean he came onto you. There’s a world of difference, be careful! – So let’s talk about your daily routines, practise some adverbs of frequency. / – Well, every Sunday evening I eat out my wife. / – Excuse me?! / – Yes, sometimes we have Italian food, sometimes Thai…..are you ok? / – Ah, you need another preposition; eat out with my wife…..please. The cultural differences trigger dischord also, and give some memorable moments; like the man who thought it was socially acceptable to pick his nose while I was talking to him, and wipe his findings across his cheek. Shudder. Tattooed women come in for speculation also; for many of my Japanese students, that’s a sign of the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia, while for others it’s the sign of ahem ‘a woman of easy virtue’. Although my tattoos are covered in my ritzy private language college, many of my students know about them, and react in different ways. My feminist feistiness also gets challenged, like with the Korean student who wrote a job application stating ‘although I am just a woman, I think I could still do this job’. One student walked into a colleague’s class, took one look at her and went straight to the office to demand a male teacher because ‘a woman has not enough knowledge’. Oh my lord, where do I begin? Pronunciation gives me joy too, like the Vietnamese student who told his host mother ‘I want fuck you in my room’. It took quite a few perplexed questions and a spot of miming before she realised he was actually saying ‘vacuum’. Each language has its own particular problem area, such as Spanish students going to St Kilda Bitch each weekend, instead of beach, or Japanese students talking about the national erection instead of election….....how I keep a straight face, I don’t know. Actually, I have to say I often don’t! And I really don’t think they mind. Given that I’m a flame haired tattooed pagan wench whose teaching style derives from her dominatrix days and who bases her image half on a librarian, half on Van Halen’s ‘hot for the teacher’ video, who plays Pantera for her class to analyse the lyrics and takes them to quiz nights at the Cherry Bar….what’s a little laughter at the end of the day? My favourite story, which some of you may be familiar with, involves a shy young Colombian man who beckoned me over and whispered ‘what’s the word for animals, and sex?’ I wasn’t sure why he needed to know, but I told him ‘Ah, that’s bestiality’. The other students overheard and I ended up writing it on the board, drilling them in pronunciation and syllable stress, and they all wrote it in their little notebooks. And then the student said, almost to himself, ‘Ok, so that’s when animals have sex’. And I froze. ‘Hang on, no…..that’s mating. When animals have sex, they mate.’ ‘Oh, I see. So what’s bestiality then?’ I don’t think my class ever looked at me quite the same way again. Just a little musing….but you’ll have to excuse me, class is about to begin. And I have my little red notebook open and ready….who knows what gems will be delivered today?
Today I went to the BLM wild horse and burro center to see the Onaqui herd. I saw a lot of horses I recognized in the wild, they rounded…
Today I went to the BLM wild horse and burro center to see the Onaqui herd. I saw a lot of horses I recognized in the wild, they rounded up a total of about 200 horses. This includes the General, the paints, the roans, Praire Roses greys, and my favorite Marv. The BLM has informed me out of the 200 horses only 25 will be returned. All the females will have a two year contaceptive shot and the BLM assured me that in three years there will be 200 horses out there again. The BLM informed me that the horses that they could not capture during the roundup have been scattered approximately within 100 square miles and it will take them 3 months for them to band together again. They also informed me that the amount of horses in this horse management area which consists of 48,000 acres is only 200 horses. I talked with three different BLM officials and could not a consistent answer of why they were rounded up. They told me the horses that don’t get adopted will be shipped to Oklahoma to live their lives in a beautiful green pasture with flowing rivers. He told me with conviction that a healthy horse in never euthanized. He told me that this is totally against there policy. A policy I am still looking to find! I have taken the time to sign many petitions, contact the local news and sent a letter to the white house and governers. Please take the time to do the same! On a lighter note as my wife and I were leaving one of the wild horses actually walked up to the fence and let me pet him. It tore my heart out! This is a picture of one of the numerous corrals the horses are corraled in. / The General in the wild and now corraled. Scrutiny in the wild and corraled. Standing Tall in the wild and corraled. The Proud One! My favorite of all! Here is a link to a couple of petition sites! It only takes a moment! / The American Wild Horse Preservation / IDA
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