Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of photographing Hayley and her flashy mare, Ruthie, at their home near Oklahoma City. A huge thunderstorm had just swept across the land leaving us with some fresh, green grass for this sunrise shoot.

After tragically losing her horse not too long ago, Hayley had the courage to open up her heart to another special horse. Ruthie, an off-track Thoroughbred, is learning her way around the barrels and continues to impress Hayley with her progress at local jackpots. Throughout our time together, we walked up and down a beautiful country road capturing timeless portraits of them. Ruthie was quite a natural in front of the camera and perked her ears while her beautiful eyes shimmered – a horse photographer’s dream! Lastly (and this is always my favorite part of sessions) I let them go about their routine. They worked circles in the arena and then walked around the pasture – which was truly stunning at sunrise.

As an equine photographer, I have the honor of meeting the most amazing horsemen and women. I always love getting to step into their stories and capture moments they share with their beloved horses. What a job!