As a professional equestrian photographer with over a decade’s experience, and as someone who has bought and sold numerous horses of my own, I have learnt over the years what really works when advertising horses.
First impressions matter, and when scrolling through dozens of 'Horses For Sale' adverts, your images are what will make the user stop and read your advert. Using the right photos will not only maximise your potential buyers, but also help rule out time wasters.
Competition photos
When selling an established horse, I believe the main photo should be a recent, high quality image of the horse competing at the level it’s currently at, or out doing the discipline it excels out. So whether that’s fun rides, hunting, or competing at Grand Prix dressage, the first photo the user sees should indicate this.
These photos should be sharp, free of too many distractions, and show off your horse’s best qualities or movements. That could be a side on jumping photo showing his excellent bascule, capturing his party piece extended trot, or showing how relaxed he is standing at a meet surrounded by hounds.
A very important note is that when purchasing photos from an official photographer, make sure you have permission to use the photos in sale adverts. Some photographers allow ‘social media images’ to be used, but personally I think a medium or high resolution image gives a more quality feel to the advert and allows the user to see the image, and therefore horse, clearer. Watermarked images should never be used.
For young horses, horses that don’t compete, or broodmares, you may consider taking your own photos. I also think the images I’ll list below should definitely be included for established horses too.
You may consider hiring a professional to take your sale photos, however my tips below should help you to achieve the results you need on your own. Most mobile phones these days have really good inbuilt cameras which are perfectly adequate for your conformation photos.
The must have shots;
Side on photo
When browsing sale adverts, this is one of the most important shots I want to see. Ideally I like to see both sides.
The best way to take these is with your horse against a plain background and with the sun behind you, shining onto the horse. If the horse is against a hedgerow or fence line, I would suggest stepping it away from the hedge line approximately 10 metres, so it stands out and doesn’t get ‘lost’ in the background.
Another suggestion is to stand back from the horse and zoom in before taking the photo, rather than just standing close to the horse. This helps with perspective and makes sure the horse doesn’t look distorted!
You want the horse looking forward, alert and with his head slightly lowered if possible.
Headshots
This can be done from the same position as the side on photo, but taken a bit closer to the horse and focusing on his head. Again still maintain some distance from him, but zoom in so his head and neck are in shot.
The horse’s expression tells us a lot about him. You want him looking forwards and alert, ears pricked. One of my secret hacks is an app on my phone that plays ‘horse neighs’. Playing a neighing sound in front of the horse is a great way of getting them to prick their ears and look alert. Rustling a crisp packet, or shaking a bucket of pony nuts also works. Be careful not to alarm them though - a panicked expression won’t give a good first impression!
45 degree angle
In addition to the side on photo, a photo half way between side on and front on is a lovely shot to show off his condition and build.
Again the same principles above apply, with the horse looking alert and straight ahead.
Flatwork
For the ridden photos, this could be where it’s beneficial for a professional photographer to step in. However these could also be taken on a digital camera, your phone, or from video stills.
Assuming the horse is just starting out his ridden career, a nice walk, trot and canter shot will suffice. Ideally these would be taken side on, with the horse filling the frame.
Timing is key for your Flatwork shots. Taken too late, your horse could look like he has a downhill movement. Taken too early and he might look tense. Your horse should look relaxed and happy in his work.
Jumping
If your horse has started jumping, then a couple of photos over a decent fence are a must. My preference would be building a square oxer that will really show off his technique, ideally with a filler underneath to back him off slightly and get him in the air.
Something I would suggest is to build a small upright 3 or 4 strides before it. This way you can concentrate on just riding forward to the photo fence in a straight line and allowing him to jump the fence nicely, rather than coming off a turn or overthinking the stride.
Side on or 45 degrees is my preference, but again, you want to capture the horse how he looks best. So if he tucks his knees right up, you want to capture him at this point over the fence. If he has an amazing backend up, a landing shot is a great addition.
Top Tip: Crouch slightly when taking the photo - This way the jump seems more impressive, than if you’re looking down at it.
In Summary
- Do show the horse off at the level it is working at or towards
- Don’t post watermarked photos
- Do seek permission from official photographers when using their photos
- Try and take your photos on a bright, sunny day, ideally a few hours before sunset and with the sun behind you
- Preparation is key: Bathing your horse the morning of your shoot is recommended, and finishing touches like hoof oil and clean tack make a difference to the final images too
- You may consider hiring a smart yard and arena for your shots, however anywhere tidy and free of distractions will work too
- A wide angle will distort the horse, so instead, stand back and zoom in - If you have a zoom lens on your camera, 200mm is ideal
- If using a professional camera, you’ll need a high shutter speed of around 1/800 upwards - This is to keep your images sharp and freeze the motion
- Always be level with the horse when taking photos - For the conformation shot and even ridden shots too, this may mean crouching slightly.
- In terms of editing, keep it natural - Aside from cropping and straightening the image, I normally increase saturation, contrast and lift shadows slightly... but don’t overdo it!
Take a look at my website - Jasmine Punter Photography - for more inspiration, and if you're findng it tough to get these shots yourself, I'd be more than happy to help!
Now you know how to show your horse in the best light, you can use these tips to list a horse for sale on Horsemart > Place an ad
