How to prepare for an equestrian portrait session!

Prepping for an equestrian portrait session can be VERY overwhelming!

If you’re anything like me, you like to be prepared. If I have to be honest, I like to be overly prepared to the extent that I overthink any and every little detail. Because of that, I have a preparation guide for my clients, so that the entire thing is stress free. They know what to expect, and they know how to prepare for it. I want to give you a little glimpse as to what’s in it, and tell you some of the most important things to do to prepare!

Scrub a dub!

Yep, you guessed it! A bath for your horse (and for you!) is one of those important things to do to prepare. While it is not necessary it most cases, if you feel it would be best to do to make sure your horse shines, do it! The Mississippi weather is so unpredictable, and the day before your session it may rain and you and I both know that horses love to find how covered in mud they can get. If this is your horse, a bath is needed!

Clean your horse’s nose!

This may sound silly, but it’s the thing I see forgotten the absolute most with horses! You will not want to see snot, food, or dirt just hanging out on your horse’s nose and mouth, so grab a baby wipe and go to town!

Plan your outfits ahead of time

This goes for both you and your horse! It will help you so much to know what you want to wear during your session, that way you can iron, clean, shine, and dust off anything you want to use. It never hurts to pull out that leather oil on the shelf and make sure your tack is shiny!

If you have a hot or excitable horse-

Please take a second to do at least 10 minutes of exercise for your horse! Not enough to sweat, just enough to get out their energy. This will ensure they are calm and able to *safely* and happily participate during your session. If you think your horse might need more, or it’s cold and they act feral, it can be dangerous. One client session a horse got hurt because it was tied up and restless, and I don’t want that to happen with yours. So please, please, please, take the time to get the jitters out!

Take a moment for you too

Make sure to take some time to do things that are important to you to prepare for your session. Want to get your hair cut or colored? Go for it. Want to spend some time doing your makeup? Do it! Your session is about you too, so don’t forget yourself in the preparation process.

Lastly, I want to leave you with this:

This list may not contain all of the things you want to do to prepare, but it is a fantastic starting point for any session! Your session is your own, and ultimately you’re going to need to customize this list to you. These are just tips and tricks that will make it easier for you to think through what you will need to do, and maybe give you some more ideas too!

If you’re interested in booking your own session, it’s time to reach out! Let’s get you on the books!