How to Photograph a Vacation on Horseback

When my daughter was about 12, she started to take English riding lessons with my wife at a stable near Montclair, New Jersey. For years, they tried to get me to ride with them and I refused. One year for Father’s Day, they gave me a free trail ride and lesson and I had to acquiesce. I began to realize that my fear of horses was unfounded. They are indeed gentle creatures, and as long as you pay attention and aren’t stupid, you probably aren’t going to die on horseback. After a number of trail rides in Arizona and New Mexico, I felt we were ready for more and I arranged for three nights and two days of riding at a ranch in Tennessee. This article provides some insight and tips on taking photos on your first horseback riding vacation.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Some experience with horses
• A knowledge of your own limitations
• Internet Access

1. Our Guides, Jan and Tip Find the right ranch to visit. I searched for places in Tennessee and found quite a few ranches that offer accommodations and trail rides. There are all sorts of choices. Some ranches are quite large and the excursion groups may number 15 to 20. Some ranches even offer overnight camping and two-day rides. Ranches out West offer cattle drive excursions like in the movie “City Slickers." We found a nice-looking little ranch about 40 miles outside Knoxville, Tennessee. They offered two great suite rooms in the main house where the owners lived and also a little cabin which seemed perfect for a family of three. I talked to one of the owners on the phone and we agreed to three nights and two days of riding, one half-day excursion and one-full day excursion.
2. Do I look Afraid? One of the reasons we chose the Twin Valley Horse Ranch was because the owners and guides had a wealth of experience with horses. When I took my one and only riding lesson my instructor Sam gave me a key piece of advice: "When they ask you if you have any experience in riding, no matter how many rides you have taken, say NO!" That way they will not put you on some horse called Widow Maker. One of the first questions the owner of Twin Valley asked me on the phone was what kind of experience the riders had. I knew enough to say I had none.
3. Free Range Horses Another reason we chose the Twin Valley Horse Ranch is because we wanted an intimate experience and a mountainous environment. It turned out that the horses had free range of the property. We didn’t fully understand the impact of that, but on our first night there the horses came to check us out. They came right up to the porch and hung around the grill while we were cooking steaks. This allowed us to take some unique pictures of the horses. The owners also told us when we got there that the animals seemed to think they owned the people who stayed in the cabin. Their dog came visiting immediately and stayed on the porch guarding us almost the whole time we were there. He also came along riding with us both days on the trail. The beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, a dog on the porch and horses to ride--what more could we ask for?
4. Lunch Break You will see scenery on horseback you cannot see by car. When we returned from a full day of riding, our guide stopped and pointed to a notch in the top of the mountain behind us. That is where we stopped for lunch she said. I had no idea we had climbed the entire mountain; the views were breathtaking. I didn’t take too many pictures from the top of the horse. If I was a better rider I might have taken more. I was busy building a bond with this large animal, and when I take pictures I don’t think about too much else. I found the best photo ops, like this one, took place when we broke for lunch or water on the ride. After all, it is the family members you want pictures of more than the scenery.
5. Horses at Breakfast The first day we took a half-day ride and the second day we took a full-day ride. I was so sore after the second day, I didn’t know if I could bend enough to fit in the car. I am sure my daughter could have spent a week there. She loved grooming the horses and got up at 6 a.m. to help the owners feed the horses. Two days of riding was definitely enough for me, but I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.

Tips & Warnings

• Take pictures when you're not on horseback, unless you are an experienced rider.
• Never use flash photography around animals, especially while on top of a horse.
• Carry the camera in the saddlebag. You may fall off the horse, but it is unlikely the horse will fall.