.jpg)
Hello fellow equine photographers!
Today I wanted to put together a few quick tips and tricks on how you can set your portraits up for success with a few quick tips on how you can get a horse’s ears up. Whether you are a seasoned professional struggling with the occasional bombproof horse or in the early stages searching for guidance, these are a few tried and true methods I use when photographing horses.
My first ever photography related job was an “Ear Getter” for a livestock photographer. My job was to get animals attention (primarily cows) and to make sure they were posed perfectly for their portraits. One day I could share an entire post about that life, but today we will stick to horses.
.jpg)
Before we dive into the details I will share my ears progression. First- I use nothing, I just watch and study the horse and how they are reacting to their environment if at all possible I avoid using anything until it Is needed. First- I reach for my squeaky toy, after the toy comes my shiny object, and last is typically horse noises.
Make sure to not over stimulate or overwhelm the horse with too much- take things slow and use your ear getters sparingly.
Horse Noise App
Arguably the most popular of methods, installing a free horse noise app is a quick and effective way to snag the stubborn horse’s ears when they point them any direction but forward.
This is one that I actually avoid- and don’t use until the very end of sessions. When I do use it, I use it very sparingly. It can sometimes cause horses to go a little crazy.
This first tip does come with a caution label, each horse is completely different in their own ways, if you arrive for portraits and notice the horse is high strung or easily excited, it is best you refrain from using this method.
The best way is to get your horse and rider in your preferred pose, have your camera ready and either you or an assistant will play the noise in the direction you would like your horse to look.
Noisy Toys
If you follow me on social media, you have probably seen videos of my dog squeaky toys turned horse ear catchers. My go to noisy toy for equine portraits has been those adorable little pig squeaky toys you can buy on Amazon or in just about any pet store these days.
The perks of using a squeaky toy like this is that you have a variety of noises you can make with one single toy. The slower you squeeze the lower the pitch, that way you have different levels for different horses. Some require a light squeeze while others may need the highest octave available! Curious to see my methods? Check out this quick video here!
Mirrors
Mirrors are another fan favorite when it comes to catching a horse’s attention and getting those ears forward. This is actually one that I do not use. I have to be honest, breakable things around horses freak me out…and the last thing I want is to break a mirror.
Just like the horse noise apps, make sure you gauge the horse’s temperament before bringing the mirror out. You don’t need anything fancy nor will you need anything large, a simple mirror to allow the horse to see themselves is all they will need, it is also perfect for getting that much desired arch in their neck for black and white background portraits!
Shiny Objects
Shiny objects aren’t restricted to mirrors, you can also find objects like a small disco ball or in my case, a tinsel pom pom. I typically bring out the pom pom when my squeaky toys aren’t working, a light shake or simply presenting your pom pom to a horse can be all they need to catch those ears! When it comes to bomb proof horses you may need to take drastic measures like throwing your pom pom to the ground or behind you!
Stick Horse
The last method I am going to talk about today is our favorite childhood toy, the stick horse. This is a very popular option I see photographers using. However- I haven’t used this trick in a long time. I think this one is more for entertainment of the people around that the horse itself.
Having a stick horse with you can come in handy for black background portraits as well as horse and rider portraits! Whether you have an assistant riding around behind you to catch your horse’s attention or getting it close enough to sniff and pulling away, a stick horse will more than likely confuse your horse long enough to get those ears exactly where you want them!
So there you have it, my top 5 favorite methods to get a horse’s ears forward for your portraits. While these methods may work for me, feel free to drop your tried and true methods in the comments section! And as always, when arriving on site, make sure you gauge the temperament and surroundings of the horses you will be photographing, if they are extremely sensitive you more than likely won’t need any aids in snagging their ears.
Did these tips and tricks help you feel better prepared for your upcoming equine portraits? Make sure you head on over to our Facebook page Photography Business Tune-Up with Karinda K. for more freebies and community support!