My pup & horse for C&C

burdock87 · May 31, 2011

I was trying to shoot photos of my crazy pup, and the best I could do was shooting him with a bottle on his mouth, or with someone whistling at him.

How is the cropping and angle on this one? I was trying to get my pup's personality (a normal, trouble-making 7 month old heeler/catahoula pup) Does it portray that?

This one, the ranch hand was whistling at Leo, trying to get him to hold still long enough for a quick shot. How's the exposure? The angle? Overall? I should have zoomed in a bit more to get more of Leo, and less of the hay/crap around the yard. Overall?

This is my blue roan mustang gelding. He's got a very sad story, but since I've had him, he has made progress in leaps and bounds. I was hoping to get the sun behind him at just the right angle to make this a very good pic. How did I do with capturing the sun/clouds behind him? How could I improve this type of shot?

Photo Lady · May 31, 2011

Very nice to hear that your gelding is making progress and i am thinking he is in his new happy home.. i have 4 horses and the best way to get a nice pic is to have the sun behind you... yes the clouds look nice .. but i really wanted to see your boy.. your dog is cute too.

burdock87 · May 31, 2011

Here's me and my boy before I could get a bit in his mouth. Now we're up to a training bit. We have ridden out in the cow field a few times, and rode at the Sand Dunes Park once...but he threw me...lol The pic quality isn't great; I handed my camera to my boyfriend and asked him to take a shot so I had proof that I was riding the "unrideable" mustang.

He started out being "too small" for what his first owners wanted him for. (I'm not sure if he was a captured mustang, as he has no brand; or if his mama was pregnant when she was captured). He went to a horse trader next who housed him with a young stallion who beat the hell out of him. He was also a billion pounds underweight when the ranch hand got him. The ranch hand tried to get Blue to like him, and when Blue was tied, he freaked out and busted his mouth.

The ranch hand was going to give Blue back to the horse trader, but then my boyfriend and I rented the house. When the ranch hand found out I like horses, he said if I could get "that damn horse" to like me, I could have him. So I spent a couple hours with him, and Blue let me touch him, and I kept working with him.

It took 3 months to get a halter on him, and from there, we worked on being tied, allowing me to touch him (grooming); eating grain (he wouldn't touch the bucket if he could see my hands); and eventually, taking a saddle. A couple more months of working with Blue, he finally ate grain out of my hands, and will let me touch his face (sometimes). He stands tied, will let me mess wtih his front feet, lets me saddle and bridle him, and we've gone riding. He's only thrown me once, but it wasn't because he was being mean - he was excited. The other horse we were riding with went off at a canter and Blue followed with a buck or three...lol

I am very pleased with how far he's come in such a short time. Considering he was "only good for meat," and "nobody will ever touch him," he's doing good. That's why I disagree with the cowboy method of "breaking" a horse. It takes time, patience, and love.

Smitzel269 · May 31, 2011

Im not going to start on the horse topic here although I'm pretty horse savvy myself, because I would write a novel. But I really like the second picture, it looks like something out of a country magazine.

burdock87 · May 31, 2011

Oh, you and me both! My mom frequently takes in 'rescues' and 'hopeless cases.' Her most recent was a few years ago; a half-blind Percheron named Danny. I love that horse!

But anyway.

Photo Lady · Jun 1, 2011

burdock87 said:
Here's me and my boy before I could get a bit in his mouth. Now we're up to a training bit. We have ridden out in the cow field a few times, and rode at the Sand Dunes Park once...but he threw me...lol The pic quality isn't great; I handed my camera to my boyfriend and asked him to take a shot so I had proof that I was riding the "unrideable" mustang.

He started out being "too small" for what his first owners wanted him for. (I'm not sure if he was a captured mustang, as he has no brand; or if his mama was pregnant when she was captured). He went to a horse trader next who housed him with a young stallion who beat the hell out of him. He was also a billion pounds underweight when the ranch hand got him. The ranch hand tried to get Blue to like him, and when Blue was tied, he freaked out and busted his mouth.

The ranch hand was going to give Blue back to the horse trader, but then my boyfriend and I rented the house. When the ranch hand found out I like horses, he said if I could get "that damn horse" to like me, I could have him. So I spent a couple hours with him, and Blue let me touch him, and I kept working with him.

It took 3 months to get a halter on him, and from there, we worked on being tied, allowing me to touch him (grooming); eating grain (he wouldn't touch the bucket if he could see my hands); and eventually, taking a saddle. A couple more months of working with Blue, he finally ate grain out of my hands, and will let me touch his face (sometimes). He stands tied, will let me mess wtih his front feet, lets me saddle and bridle him, and we've gone riding. He's only thrown me once, but it wasn't because he was being mean - he was excited. The other horse we were riding with went off at a canter and Blue followed with a buck or three...lol

I am very pleased with how far he's come in such a short time. Considering he was "only good for meat," and "nobody will ever touch him," he's doing good. That's why I disagree with the cowboy method of "breaking" a horse. It takes time, patience, and love.

what a beautiful story and i hope you both go on together until the end of time... he is beautiful and you both look like a match made in heaven...

burdock87 · Jun 1, 2011

Thanks! He's my little brat. He can be a real handful sometimes, but he's still young. And being a mustang that was abused (his previous owner was going to ship him for meat, and they aren't gentle with putting the horses on the truck); nevermind the fact that they tried to cowboy him. So he's doing great, and I hope that I can take him out for some real rides this summer without having to worry about getting tossed! He's a real bear to catch once he's loose.