In studying anatomy , you need to understand directional terms. A phrase “the longissimus cervicis muscle is located posteriorly and ventral to the splenius muscle” simply means the longissimus cervicis is below the splenius muscle. These terms do not need to be memorized, but it’s a good idea to keep them handy.
Directional Terms Distal – farther from trunk or center of body Proximal – closer to trunk Lateral – away from midline Medial – closer to midline Anterior – front side in/towards the front (caudal) Posterior – back side in anatomical position anatomical position (ventral) (dorsal) Superior – closer to head Inferior – farther from head (cranial) (caudal) Superficial – closer to surface Deep – farther from surface Palmar- palm/bottom of forefeet Plantar – bottom of foot Dorsal – top of foot /back
Body Planes Sagittal — vertical plane that divides the body into RIGHT and LEFT parts Frontal — vertical plane that divides the body into ANTERIOR and POSTERIOR parts Transverse — horizontal planes that divides the body into CRANIAL and CAUDAL parts
Body Planes & Axes Sagittal plane rotations occur about a medial-lateral (ML) axis Frontal Plane rotations occur about an anterior-posterior (AP) axis Transverse lane rotations occur about a longitudinal axis
Movement of joints
Sagittal Plane Joint Movements Flexion = decrease angle between 2 segments Extension = increase angle between 2 segments Dorsiflexion = point toes up (towards shin) Plantar flexion = point toes down
Transverse Plane Joint Movements Abduction = move away from midline in transverse plane (also called horizontal extension) horizontal Adduction = move towards midline in transverse plane (also called horizontal flexion) Medial rotation = anterior surface rotates medially (also called inward or internal rotation) Lateral rotation = anterior surface rotates laterally (also called outward or external rotation) Supination = rotate palm up Pronation = rotate palm down horizontal
Muscles, tendons, ligaments
Muscles attach to bones either directly or through tendinous attachments. Ligaments attach bone to bone Tendons attach muscle to bone or other structures such as the eyeball.
An easy way to remember this- The Achilles tendon attaches the gastrocnemius (calf muscle) to the calcaneus (heel bone). Ligaments hold bone to bone and provide stabilization.
medically accurate illustration of the gastrocnemius medial head
Origin & Insertion
Origin: the place a muscle begins- it is usually located proximal or closer to the body, and functions as an anchor when the muscle contracts.
Insertion– the opposite end of the muscle and attaches to the movable part of the joint- usually more distal to the body. When the muscle contracts (shortens), the joint moves.
Action– the movement a muscle produces. For instance, the muscle in the diagram to the left is the ulnaris lateralis This is the equine foreleg (human equivalent of the elbow) and the ulnaris lateralis flexes the lower leg. It originates on the lateral side of the humerus, and it inserts into the carpal bone and on the proximal side of the lateral splint bone (two lower arrows). This muscle flexes the carpus and extends the elbow.
HANDS ON: If you run your hand down a horse’s foreleg, the bony prominence felt just behind the knee is the accessory carpal bone.
Here is a typical day on the range- we do this for weeks several times during the year…
5am: Wake & Breakfast
Dawn at Sand Wash Basin
Cream of Wheat and coffee (lots of coffee)
6am: Leave camp to find horses
7am-1pm: Shoot at locations all over the management areas
Sand Wash Basin, Colorado
1pm-2:30pm: Lunch, upload memory cards charge batteries, and clean gear. This is when the sun is at the zenith. It creates very harsh lighting and the horses are most quiescent during this time. We go into town during this time if we need gas or to restock supplies. We are always busy doing something when we are not out shooting- working with images, cleaning & dusting equipment, prepping for the next shoot, and talking about our goals for the Walkabout. Each year we try to have a goal or emphasis for our photography. Last year was Low Light and the year before was Perspective. This year our concentration is “Interactions” of wild horses with each other, other wildlife, and the environment.
We also perform more mundane task such as washing hair and showering during the warmest part of the day. We usually have little cellular phone service so we are on our own for days at a time.
2:30pm to dusk (8p): resume shooting until we run out of light
8pm-9pm: Dinner
Sometimes we eat reconstituted food like fettuccine Alfredo and beef stew, but when Ben is along, he likes to cook so we eat steak. Some management areas have fire restrictions so we’re very careful about any open fires. S’mores are always fun!
9pm-10pm: Astrophotography
I’ll upload some of our astrophotography photos later…
10pm: Bed
It’s a lot of work trying to make the most of our time on the range. It is worth every flat tire, every drop of sweat, every heartbeat to capture the essence of the mustangs. It is quite arduous with a lot hiking, especially when the horses are a distance away. Living on the range with the horses allows us to be there at first light and stay until past dusk. We share their environment and everything we see and feel is expressed in our photography and Karen’s paintings. She paints the mustangs live, ‘en plein air’, on the range effortlessly blending the entire sensory experience of being in the moment with each deft stroke of her brush.
Painting Picasso, Sand Wash Basin 2018
Some photos…
Endlessly backing up photographs.Our Mustang Walkabout Meet & Shoot 2018Leaving the Basin at dawn
THE LIST All the Horse Management Areas (HMA) we have visited…
The McCullough Peaks HMA, Wyoming The Seesdskadee Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming The Rock Springs/Pilot Butte HMA Wyoming The Salt Wells Creek HMA, Wyoming The Adobe Town HMA, Wyoming The Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Wyoming The Pryor Mountain Range in Wyoming/Montana The Great Desert Basin HMA in Utah -The Onaqui Management Area, Utah -The Cedar Mountain Management Area, Utah The Sand Wash Basin HMA in Colorado The Little Book Cliffs HMA, Colorado The Spring Creek Basin HMA, Colorado The Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary in South Dakota The Salt River/Tonto National Forest, Arizona The Heber Wild Horse Territory/Apache Sitgreaves National Forest, Arizona The Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia
We had an amazing time in 2018, and we are so excited for 2019. We will finish the Genetic Series with The Dun Modifier, The Inheritance of Markings, as well a short segment on Sabino & Appoloosa traits. We began our Anatomy for Equine Artists in which we will present the anatomical landmarks and underlying architecture essential for any equine artist. It will also be a fascinating look at the anatomy of horses for the non-artists. The eventual goal will be to put it all together in a book, the proceeds of which will be given to mustang advocacy.
We have the tentative date for the Summer Mustang Walkabout- around the beginning of August for two-three weeks. We plan to go to Sand Wash Basin, Great Desert Basin, McCullough, Pryor, and we have a few surprises in store. Ben Lowder will once again join us on our photography adventures and we look forward to his wonderful ‘on the range’ dinners.We were awarded the privilege of presenting the art & photography workshop at Assateague Island National Seashore TWICE in 2019, so look for us in early May and again in October. A heartfelt thank-you to the Assateague Island Alliance for giving us this opportunity.
Once again we are tremendously grateful for our fans. We will continue to give free gifts and to post photos of the majestic wild horses and ponies of North America. We wish the best for you and your families in 2019: health, happiness, joy, and peace.
Meredith, Karen, Ben, Abby, and Bruce
The Lowders & Picasso (Bruce, Meredith, Abby & Ben)
Karen painting Picasso 2018
Abby photographing at Sand Wash Basin
Meredith photographing at Sand Wash Basin
Abby & Ben & Picasso
Ben at Sand Wash Basin
Ben at Great Desert Basin
Bruce navigates thru Sand Wash Basin
Karen & Ben pack the car for Sand Wash Basin, Colorado
The Grey Modifier The grey modifier isn’t an actual colour; it is the loss of color. Grey horses begin life normally coloured and progressively lose pigment throughout their lifetimes, retaining dark skin colour. The base colour of a grey horse can be any coat colour or pattern. In general, foals are usually born a few shades lighter than their adult colour, but grey horses are born dark. Percheron breeders often say, “a black horse is born grey, and a grey horse is born black” (Sponenberg, 2017). Because of this dark coat, it may not be possible to determine the foal’s base colour (chestnut, bay, brown or black). In addition to a darker foal coat, an indication a foal will turn grey as an adult are rings of white around the eyes often referred to as “grey goggles”. (Click on the photo and you will see a larger gallery)
Charming pattern on a dun greying out
Grey goggles on a dun/sorrel
Grey goggles on a dun/sorrel
The grey coat colour is due to the presence of a dominant gene (G) at the grey locus on the twenty-fifth chromosome. Grey is epistatic to all coat colour genes except white, which means the grey gene overrides normal coat colour. A grey horse must have at least one grey parent. In a horse of more than one colour: paint, tobiano, overo, pinto etc), the grey colouration will act upon the solid colour and leave the white areas alone. Eventually, the horse will look white all over, except when it rains or in good lighting. These “ghost paint” horses are hard to spot, but once you have seen a few, you’ll begin to recognize them.
Ghost Paints/Pintos
Tobiano grey
Splash white possible grullo &dun
Frame overo “ghost paint”
As each coat sheds out, a grey horse will become lighter and lighter. The speed with which a horse attains a fully white coat is extremely variable, but it is inherited. Because greying time is hereditary, some horse breeds were selectively bred to turn white swiftly such as the Lippizaner horses and Kladruber (Danish Royal Horses), while the Percheron draft horses take much longer to whiten. The underlying coat colour also plays a role in the length of time required to lighten simply because a lighter horse such as a palomino will appear lighter faster than a dark bay horse.
On an individual horse, the areas that lighten first
are also variable but there is a general pattern that most grey horses follow.
There are always exceptions to this generalization.
BEGINS: Face (except forehead, nasal bones & lower edges of the cheek) Tail -usually begins in the lower half of the tail Coronet- some grey horses have a pale ring around the coronet Throat- jugular notch (the distinct groove where the throat meets the head) Chest Elbows- behind the elbow -At this point dapples will appear if a horse is prone to dappling along the shoulders, sides, and neck. The dapples spread and eventually all that remains dark are the knees, hocks and hindquarters which lighten last (Kathman, 2012).
Some horses remain partially coloured all their lives, and some never achieve white. Horses with facial markings, such as a star or blaze, will start to grey outwardly from the marking. The blaze will spread as the face lightens.
Two greys- the front stallion with a browner/warmer tone
Cypress- note the blaze starting to expand in the center
The foals’s blaze is beginning to expand laterally
Not all horses dapple, many simply lighten progressively and more uniformly over time. Some horses have areas of white amidst darker grey colour. A Thoroughbred named Tetrarch was known for these white spots and for reviving the dwindling number of grey Thoroughbreds (Gower, 2016). A discussion of grey horses in racing history can be found here:
The Tetrarch
I proudly own & ride a rescued grey Off-the-track-Thoroughbred (OTTB) named Ashe.
Ashe & Jess jumping
Ashe and I jumping
“Grey horses progressively acquire white hairs throughout the coat as they age, and the greying process (rate and location) varies from horse to horse. Some horses will grey first in the mane and tail hairs while others will lose pigment last in the mane and tail (Sponenberg 2009). Additionally, some horses will retain small flecks of pigmented hairs to display a ‘flea‐bitten’ appearance , while others will retain pigmented hairs that outline areas of depigmented hairs to display a ‘dappled’ appearance. Furthermore, some grey horses will develop skin depigmentation (similar to vitiligo in humans) in addition to hair depigmentation (Sutton & Coleman 1997). It is speculated that some of the horse to horse variation in the greying process is likely due to modifier genes that have not yet been investigated. ‘Grey’ is said to be epistatic to all other coat colours and patterns, as horses that inherit the grey duplication will eventually lose pigment as they age, and any underlying coat colour or pattern will be masked by ‘grey’ ” (Thiruvenkadan, Kandasamy, & Panneerselvam, 2008).
Flea-bitten greys are horses with small flecks of a darker colour intermixed in the coats. The mechanism for this trait is unknown although most flea-bitten speckled horses are heterozygous (Gg). A flea-bitten horse bred to a non grey horse may result in offspring that are flea-bitten indicating the trait may be separate but linked to the grey color (Bailey & Brooks, 2013).
Of note, grey horses are prone to a type of melanoma which is not cancerous and does not results from exposure to sun. These tumours grow all over the body and are common in mucosa (mouth, rectum/anus, sheath), but can be found anywhere in the body. They normal pose no threat unless the tumours block major blood vessels, grow on vital organs, or interfere with quality of life for the animal.
Grey horses with black manes & tails
Black mane and tail- already starting to lighten
Note the blase expanding as well
Dun Grey- note the primitive markings (zebra striping & dorsal stripe)
Grey horses with white manes & tails
White mane & tail
White mane & tail
White mane & tail
Grey horses with black manes & white tails
Black mane & white tail
Black mane & white tail
Black mane & white tail
Pure grey or white
White
White & Flea-bitten
White & Flea-bitten
All white- sometimes referred to as ‘porcelain’
White left & Rose Grey right
Old timer & friend
Note the dark horse’s blaze is expanding slightly- this is likely due to age, not grey- both these stallions are well into their twenties
Grey Mare & foal greying
Grey- liver chestnut base
Very uniform in grey coloring
Two greys- the front stallion with a browner/warmer tone
Two greys
Uniform grey- note the expaning star-stripe
Foals & Yearlings transitioning to grey
Charming pattern on a dun greying out
Splash white possible grullo &dun
Grey goggles on a dun/sorrel
Grey goggles on a dun/sorrel
Grey Mare & foal greying
Grey goggles on a dark foal
Flea-bitten mom & foal starting to grey
Cream, grey & rose grey
Note the creamy colour of the larger horse in back as well as the pink muzzle
Bay grey- note the blaze expanding
Grey Pintos
Frame overo “ghost paint”
Grey head- note the faint blaze outline
Splash white & Rose Grey (possible dun)
Ghost paint
Faint outline- Frame Overo
Half tails
It is not uncommon for the tails of grey horses to whiten unevenly forming a “half tail”
Black mane & white tail
Light Dun Grey
Dappled Greys
Interesting transitions
Horses such as duns, or light chestnuts often grey in an amazing variety of shades. Rose greys are chestnuts that go through a light pale red phase- hence the term rose grey
Light Dun Grey
Brownish-rose grey
Note the expanding blaze
Splash white possible grullo &dun
Dun Grey- note the primitive markings (zebra striping & dorsal stripe)
Note the primitive wither, zebra stripes, and neck marking
Pale dun grey
Pale dun grey
Buckskin/dun grey
Cream, grey & rose grey
Note the creamy colour of the larger horse in back as well as the pink muzzle
Greys in groups
Freeze brands
Mustangs are identified by a freeze- brand on the neck. It normall leaves hair white. They are visible in grays, just more challenging to see.
Freeze brand
Normal color (buckskin) with freeze brand
Not Greys
Many coat colours such as roan, grullos, and cremello/perlino may be mistaken for grey. Roans and grullos retain dark heads throughout their lives. Cremello and perlinos have pink skin- especially noticeable around the muzzle.
Cream & Grey
Cream, grey & rose grey
Note the creamy colour of the larger horse in back as well as the pink muzzle
Liver Chestnut Roan
Muddy dark bay
Flea-bitten Greys
References Bailey, E., & Brooks, S. (2013). Horse Genetics (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: CABI.
Gower, J. (2016). Horse Color Explained. Brattleboro, VT: Echo Point Books & Media.
Kathman, L. (2012). The Equine Tapestry (Vol. Volume 1- Draft and Coaching Breeds). Charolette, NC: Blackberry Lane Publishing.
Sponenberg, D. P. B., Rebecca. (2017). Equine Color Genetics (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc- Blackwell.
Thiruvenkadan, A. K., Kandasamy, N., & Panneerselvam, S. (2008). Coat colour inheritance in horses. Livestock Science, 117(2), 109-129. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2008.05.008
Today we had the privilege of seeing Corona and his band. He had lost some of his mares last year, but it was heartening to see some of his mares with him today.
We saw smoke over the ridge on the southwest border of The Basin. We reported it, and was reassured it was being handled by local fire crews. By the time we got to the camper- and gathered our important belonging together (wallets, medication, passports and camera equipment) – the blaze was controlled. We were later told the fire was approximately 12 acres, but not in Sand Wash Basin.
Tomorrow we pack up and head to Utah for the wild horses at Great Desert Basin. A very different environment, but we will miss our friends at Sand Wash -bipedal and quadrupedal. We also saw several horned lizards and a Gopher Snake. All in all, a wonderful Meet & Shoot, tons of mustangs, good friends, Picasso and Corona.
We had a great start with several bands of horses. We were able to photograph some great action and herd dynamics. All in all, a great day! Tomorrow we have the Mustang Meet & Shoot. We are very excited.
We left New York four hours late but managed to make it to Denver by 12:30 am and Karen met us at the airport. Rather than risk the five hour trip to Sand Wash Basin in the dark, we decided to spend the night in Silverthorne, CO. We woke early (too early!) and grabbed breakfast. We were treated an morning rainbow; I’ll consider it an auspicious start to the Mustang Walkabout 2018. We are on our way listening to the score of ‘Hamilton’!
An Introduction to the Mustangs of Sand Wash Basin Each year we (Meredith & Karen) spend one day of our Annual Mustang Walkabout taking a group of wild horse enthusiasts all over Sand Wash Basin in search of wild horses. We spend an entire day driving all over the Basin looking for mustangs. If you want, we will help you set up your shots, choose the best lighting, teach you how to use your camera, and we provide information on horse behaviour, management on the range, genetics of coat color, and any other topics that might arise. We have spent the past thirteen summers living with wild horses on the range. Cindy from the Wild Horse Warriors of Sand Wash Basin comes along and she knows every hiding place, and where to best locate horses.
This is a FREE event, but space is limited!
What do I need to attend?
Please remember- you don’t need everything on this list Please message us and we will guide you through selecting the best camera & supplies…
Camera: I bring a Canon 7D Mark ii and a backup Canon Rebel T3ii. The lenses fit both. I usually have them professionally cleaned over the winter, so they are ready for the spring, summer, and autumn photography trips. A professional camera is not necessary- people often use a simple point and shoot or even a cell phone camera.
Lenses: I use a 100-400mm image stabilised Canon lens most of the time. The Rebel has an 18-135 mm for panoramic vistas. I carry both in the field to make sure my lenses overlap. I also have an 18-55 mm, but that won’t cover the area from 55-100 mm, so I bring the 18-135 mm. This way I have a full range of lens choice that overlap. A lot of camera stores sell refurbished used lenses, and this is a great way to get a lens for a reduced price. You must have a lens with a minimum distance of 300 mm because you cannot approach the horses closer than 100 feet in most management areas, so a long lens is crucial.
Memory Cards: I buy new cards every year. The most important thing is the speed and the size. Get a size that you won’t have to swap cards out frequently, but make sure to have extras. I find the highest speeds to be the best for mustang photography. For the SD Cards, go for the minimum of 90-95 MB/sec read/write and Class 3. Compact Flash Cards come in 120mb/s for the high-speed setting. You want to be able to use the camera’s rapid-fire capability, so you’ll want the card to match the speed of the camera. I also recommend many smaller sized cards versus one huge card. I usually carry 64MB, 32MB and few 16MB.
If something spectacular happens (and it often does), those photos may turn out to be some of your best work, take the card out of the camera and put it in a safe place when the action is over. The precious photos will be safe, and you won’t have to deal with a card failure (rare, but it happens). I kept my first photos of Picasso on a CF Card and carried all the way home after backing it up multiple times. Another trick- I keep empty cards in my right pocket, and used cards in my left. They are numbered 1,2,3 etc. and this way I instantly know what cards are used and which are empty.
Batteries: I carry four. Two are in the battery-grip for the camera all the time, and so far, I haven’t had to replace the double battery even after 12 hours of shooting. But I always carry four freshly charged batteries in the field. The backup camera has a single battery, and I carry a spare. We charge them using car charger adaptors, or we also use a PowerVerter or Power Inverter which offers plugs and uses the car lighter for the power source. We charge batteries while we drive to save time.
Monopod/Tripod: There are wonderful to stabilise your camera. At places like the waterhole, there is a lot of action going on all the time. Karen usually has one leg of her tripod extended, and she will drop the other two if it looks like we will be stationary for a while. I usually carry the tripod with all three legs extended.
External Hard Drives: I carry a 2TB hard drive, and I upload every night. I don’t even look at the photos until they are backed-up on two external hard drives and then, sparingly. Once I am home, they get backed up via the Cloud, and the hard drive goes into the safe. Only then do I go through all the photos.
Computer/ Laptop: I bring my MacBook into the field. It is very light and has a nice sized screen. I opted for the Macbook over the MacBook-Air because the Macbook run Photoshop- always useful to have to examine photos if necessary or after they are backed-up.
Binoculars:As an avid bird watcher, I have a good sturdy pair. You’ll need them for the bands in the distance. I have a simple pair of 8×42 Bushnell
Storm covers- some of the best photos are just before a storm, but protect your camera at all times.
Food/water/cell phone with a car charger
Snacks- jerky, chips, fruit…
Snakebite kit, yes there are snakes out on the range. So far, no one has been bitten, just watch where you put your feet at all times. The Prairie Rattlesnake is generally docile, but even the shyest snake will bite if it is stepped on. Some people wear snake-gaiters, and I carry a pair. We carry a snake hook which allows us to move a snake off the road or away from habitation safely for both snake and snake wrangler. Please remember, my husband is a herpetologist, and I have a lot of experience handling snakes (so don’t try this at home).
*Always let some know where you are, how long you plan to be there, and when you expect to return.
The air is beginning to cool after 95°F (35°C); dusk is settling over the Basin. Karen and I saw horses heading to the waterhole just below the Pony Express Cabin at Great Desert Basin, HMA in Utah. We had just finished photographing another herd way out on the plains and returned to the campsite. The Pony Express Cabin is very close to our campsite, so we immediately hopped back in the truck and arrived ahead of the horses. Observing most of the horses heading to the far side of the pond, we parked the truck on the north side of the pond and walked up the hill to get an unobstructed view. We did not see the horses arriving over the hill behind us until they startled us with their proximity. We were surrounded, and the truck was parked a distance away…
Why we do what we do…
There’s the thrill of photographing horses living free. There are no retakes, there are no ‘do-overs’ out on the range. We must be swift, precise, and always alert. Rarely, such as that evening at Great Desert Basin when we are tired from a long day of shooting under a hot August sun, we become less attentive, but those instances are rare. There are rattlesnakes out there and help is far away.
The horses do not pose, there is no handler guiding an impeccably groomed horse towards the photographers. We don’t mean to disparage our colleagues who do photograph domestic horses. They take extraordinary photographs but I have done those (horse shows, outdoor photo shoots, on location photo shoots etc) and I feel something vital is missing.
There are no amenities on the range, we eat reconstituted food, we bathe out of basins, there is no WIFI, no cell service, and no air conditioning except in the truck as we travel from herd to herd. We spend weeks on the range living with the horses. The temperatures can range from 40°F (4.4°C)on Pryor Mountain to over 100°F(38°C) at Sand Wash Basin in Colorado. We miss refrigeration; cold drinks are a luxury we don’t have very often. There is no electricity, so we charge our devices via the cigarette lighter in the truck as we travel. We carefully gauge our gas consumption, often travelling nearly an hour to refuel.
There’s a freedom out there on the range, an unpredictability, and a heightened sense of anticipation. We never know what we will see each day, sometimes we witness stallions sparring, or perhaps a new foal on shaky legs. We watch the sky and wonder whether the storm clouds will bring thunderstorms or pass by harmlessly. We must always be ready and vigilant. Once, my daughter Abby was nearly trampled out on the range. A stallion was chasing another away from his mares. He had a huge open plain and he chose to head directly towards us. We had nowhere to hide because safety is a car and horses seldom stop near the road. We had to do our best to predict which way they would turn… we were lucky, a few feet to the left and they might have run over her. My son Ben captured the entire incident while I was in the process of a small nervous breakdown…
Ben’s chase
McCullough Peaks, Wyoming 2013
Abby was ten years old, and Ben was eight.
Click on the image and it will open a larger version-simply click each image and it will scroll to the next…
Peacefully grazing in the distance
The Chase begins
Closer
A bit closer, we can tell they are probably cutting between myself & Ben and Abby
Even closer
They pass in front of Ben and I
Abby appears, on the right
Shes dashing out of the way…
Abby disappears…
You can just make out Abby’s leg just behind the second horse’s foreleg
She appears, we all breathe a sigh of relief
They continue the chase
Abby, ever the professional, continues shooting…
These are my photographs of the same scenario.
You can see how close Abby’s purple boos are to the hooves of the stallion
It’s intense out there and it is challenging. The horses don’t pay much attention to us, so our photos are raw and natural. For myself, I want the viewer to feel as though they were standing next to me when I took the photograph, so I do not use artificial filters. Because of the unpredictability of the photographing, they are not always perfectly focused, but the power and energy are undeniable. For Karen, she has learned to paint with astonishing speed and accuracy. She can paint without interacting with the horses, effectively capturing their natural essence.
We give up creature comforts for the privilege of photographing wild horses. There is a vitality and unrestrained passion that flows through the horses; we try our humble best to bring that life to you.
“In photography, there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.’ -Alfred Stieglitz
“Painting is the representation of visible forms. The essence of realism is its negation of the ideal.” -Gustave Courbet
As 2017 ends, I can’t help but feel incredibly grateful. Gratitude for our fans first; we celebrated one million fans this past October. Without you all, we would be just another photography studio instead of the largest exclusively wild horse photographers on social media. We are grateful for the wild horse advocates who work tirelessly to keep these magnificent animals living free on the range.
We are especially grateful for the opportunities to see wild horses, and we share that every year at Sand Wash Basin in Colorado.
We have an informal ‘Meet & Shoot’ where we take people out to see horses and help them compose the best shot whether they have a top of the line camera or a simple smartphone. This is completely free- and last year we had a dozen people who had the privilege of seeing over two hundred wild horses.
Trying to get all of us to pose
The Lowders & Picasso
This year was also very special when my whole family joined Karen and me at Sand Wash Basin. The Lowder clan got to meet Picasso and spend two days shooting photographs.
Next year we have two trips planned out west. In early summer we will visit McCullough Peaks and Pryor Mountain- with a possible side trip to Spring Creek Basin (get ready TJ!). At the end of the summer, we will be in Sand Wash Basin, Great Desert Basin, and Cedar Mountain. Following that, in October, we will be at Assateague Island teaching photography & painting en plein air…
Karen paints at Great Desert Basin
Meredith plays her harp
We have no New Year’s resolutions for 2018 except to continue to bring wild horses to you regardless of where you call ‘home’. Please keep sharing our photos so people can appreciate the beauty of these splendid horses. We wish the best for all of you in 2018, healthy, happy, and filled with joy.
