I agree: the first shot was a bit, well, stodgy, or boring. What I am super-stoked about though is how much more exciting the image is with that little bit of out of focus foreground in it in the bottom image! That little strip of OOF stuff at the forefront really make a BIG difference in how much physical distance, and in how much dimensionality, the shot conveys. Really, a significantly different feel. I totally,totally am in favor of leaving in the OOF grass at the bottom of the frame as a depth clue. This is a very interesting example. Good post dude.
Horses 101! Horse is actually gray, not white. There are no "white" horses, unless they are dominant white or maximum sabino. That horse started off a dark base color, and over time has grayed out to the color he is now.