Horse portraits of 21-year-old Malibu | Equine Photography
“He’s the one,” Rebecca told her mum, Paula. The pair had been looking for the perfect horse for months... [continued]
September 2019 Update: The above portrait has been awarded a Highly Commended Rosette from the Master Photographers Association (MPA). MPA Chairman Ray Lowe commented, “This is a gorgeous horse portrait. I love the angle of this; I think it’s absolutely superb.
“We’ve been seeing recently a lot more horse pictures, which is wonderful, but now what we’re seeing now is some of the good horse photographers putting in different types of pictures, which is excellent. It’s the angle you’ve shot this from that [makes it] exquisite. I’d love to see [horse pictures like this one] displayed big on office and reception walls.”
[continued]… Mares and stallions with exotic names – Eclipse, Nutmeg, Springtime Frost – had applied for the role but not made it past the first interview. Others – Rosie, Poppy – had spent trial months with Rebecca and Paula but something was still missing.
Eventually, Paula had given up.
“You do the searching,” she told Rebecca, “I quit.”
So Rebecca started browsing the online listings. Malibu’s name and picture came up and she clicked through.
“He was beautiful,” she told me, “with a perfect brown coat all over and a single white star on his forehead. I knew when I saw him on-screen that he would be the perfect match.”
They met up and Rebecca settled into Malibu’s saddle. They hadn’t moved from the spot – almost no time at all passed – but already Rebecca knew her initial reaction was correct. She started to fall in love.
He was ten years’ old, a lightweight cob with a cheeky personality and a passion for mints. They rode together, snuggled together and shared many, many packs of Polos. They became best friends, and Malibu was everything the family had hoped for.
Even his previous owner – someone with extensive experience with horses – knew Malibu was different. He seemed to understand what his rider wanted. If a toddler or an older person was on board, he’d plod steadily, making them feel safe and secure. If it was Paula or Rebecca in the saddle, he could pick up on whether they wanted a quick gallop or a more relaxed hack.
“If you ever want to sell him,” the previous owner told Rebecca, “Let us know. We’ll have him back.”
Sadly, Malibu’s health has declined recently, and Rebecca and Paula had to make the very tough decision to put him to sleep. Before that difficult day, they wanted an equine photography session to capture just how stunning he is, and how much they love him.
So we headed out one beautiful summer evening to capture Malibu with his friends and family. He made us all proud of him, gallantly taking part in everything we asked him to do, and enjoying a mint or two along the way!
Afterwards, we said some sad goodbyes. Rest in peace, Malibu, you will be missed muchly.
Immediately after our shoot, Rebecca said:
“Had a photo shoot done of my pony Malibu with Sarah last week and I cannot thank her enough for all the time and effort she has put in to make it happen for me. I haven’t yet received my pictures but I can already tell that I’m going to very pleased with them! Sarah knew exactly what I wanted and was so professional and friendly! I would 100% recommend her. Thankyou Sarah! xx”
Rebecca, Equine (horse) photography client from Woodstock, Oxfordshire
If you’re looking for beautiful horse portraits or equine photography in and around Bicester, Oxfordshire, get in touch:
Sarah Plater LMPA is an award-winning qualified, certified professional newborn and family portrait photographer based in Bicester, Oxfordshire. She is the Master Photographers Association Newborn Photographer of the Year 2019 for the Central Region (covering Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire).
