Adventures Of Zephyr and Kairos

Everyday when I need a break I go out and visit my two colts Zephyr and Kairos. We go for short walks together which is giving us time to develop a strong bond and relationship. I have had people ask "Wouldn't I rather be riding?" and while the answer is yes I would love to be riding I have found it very rewarding to bring my own horses along very slowly. Riding is one of the many benefits we share with our equine friends but there are so many other rewarding activities we can do with them. I have been horseless for about seven years now and somehow these two seemed to have found me. I wasn't in the market for one horse and ended up with two!

It is amazing and fun to watch how their personalities develop. Little Zephyr on the left, (he is not so little!), always was very quite and has an amazingly sweet eye. He is more food motivated than Kairos and out runs him to come collect his good-bye treats. He has also become very animated lately and uses his mouth quite a bit to perform. I sat and watched him sticking his tongue out for quite a while and finally had to tear myself away, but not before taking a few photos. I left grinning from ear to ear and as always re-energized. Horses have a way of doing that to us don't they?!

Bye for Now,
Susan
windhorseOne Studios
www.windhorseone.com

Of Horses and Dogs

Meet Foose. I can never remember if he is a border collie or Australian sheep dog mix. Any way I am not too sure it is important. He is absolutely gorgeous! All I know is that with horses there must also be dogs. At least there have been wherever my horses have been. Dogs have come and gone in my life and right now I am sad to admit I am dogless. With a busy art show schedule it is easy when your horses are boarded but it is not as easy to board your dog. Yes it easy in the sense that you can drop them off at a kennel but I have never really had the heart for that.

But on the bright side I get to see Foose and his girl Scout. Scout has had some leg problems lately and I do not have any photos of her but she is equally as spectacular! What I love about Foose is his wonderful vigor for life. When I arrive at the farm (I am from the east where we say farm but now I am in Colorado so I guess I should say ranch!) he comes flying down helter skelter to greet me. He loves to jump up to say hello but if it is muddy he is a gentleman when I tell him down. Foose found his forever home after a former guardian decided it was too much effort to continue to feed him. I guess I can't imagine somebody coming to decide something like that.

If there is one thing I have to say about Foose, it is that besides being an amazing companion, he takes his herding responsibilities quite seriously! And while he is very much the serious fella about this, sometime the horses think he is a pest and will chase him! He is quite the tenacious guy though and often his patience wins out. I have to admit that I love photographing dogs as much as I love photographing horses. Really, the two are inseparable!

As always, thanks for reading!
Susan
windhorseOne Studios
www.windhorseone.com

Black Messenger

Once again it is late in the evening when I find the time to work on one of my photographs. It was just last year when I was exhibiting my work at the Art at the Classic at the Draft Horse Classic in Grass Valley, Ca. that I fell in love with the Friesian horse. As exhibitors, we were given a free ticket to an evening show. My breath was taken away when a team of six Friesians entered the ring. That was all it took and I was immediately hooked. Somehow I was immediately transported back in time to the medieval ages. It was an amazing site to see all six horses moving in sync!

We were busy at the show but I did manage to sneak out for about an hour and go back to the barns to take some photographs. I have read somewhere that the black horse is a metaphor for a messenger of esoteric knowledge. You have to wonder what this fine animal is thinking. There is such wisdom in its eye. The Friesian breed certainly is the horse of kings (and of course queens!).

Susan
windhorseOne Studios
www.windhorseone.com

The Fratsters

If horses could speak what do you think these two would be saying? This photograph is quite comical and during the process of photographing I did not even see it through the lens as it was happening! One of the things that is so special about photographing horses is that they are so animated and full of expression that you can never be sure about what you will have recorded until you get home!

One colt is nine months and the other is ten months. They are not even related, and really look nothing alike, but yet they almost look the same in this image. They were born on the same farm and they while their personalities are at the opposite ends of the spectrum they are connected in a really special way.

I have been busy collecting imagery of these two special boys and hope to put together a children's book or two. For some strange reason I am finding it more challenging to achieve the results I want and I am not sure if it is because I know these two intimately and perhaps have higher expectations from myself. Something to think about :)

Best,
Susan
windhorseOne Studios
www.windhorseone.com

windhorseOne Studios Photo Adventures

Welcome to the blogging journal of the Denver metro area equine fine art photographer Susan Williams and windhorseOne Studios. I decided recently to start journaling about my horse photography and adventures! I have been very busy getting work ready for last weekends show in Denver at the Phipps mansion. I also recently finished my new horse only web site: http://www.windhorseone.com/.

Today I took a bit of a break and drove down to Kiowa to see our two new colts. They will be coming home to the mountains after Thanksgiving. They are so much fun to photograph and it is amazing just to watch them! One is so sweet and gentle and the other is bold and a bit of a terror! Can you tell who is who?

Thank you to Deb and Dave Hart, of Hart Friesians, for selling us these amazing and beautiful boys. It is my wish and dream to document them as they grow up and create a children's book.