A Lusitano Called Ferrari: Pari’s End-of-Summer Horse Portraits

There is something rather special about the bond between a horse and their person. It is found in the quiet moments, the familiar gestures and the simple pleasure of spending time together, whether that is in the yard or heading out into the countryside for a long hack.

For Pari, that horse is Ferrari, her much-loved Lusitano gelding. Their story began on holiday in Portugal, where Pari purchased Ferrari and the partnership they have built since then is a lovely reminder of how horses can become such an important part of our lives.

As summer drew to a close, I met Pari and Ferrari at Pickering Grange near Coalville in Leicestershire for an equine portrait session celebrating their connection.

A special partnership with a Lusitano horse

Pari is a practising GP, caring for people in her local Leicestershire community. She is a compassionate person who clearly loves what she does and that same warmth shines through in the way she interacts with Ferrari.

Away from the demands of work, time spent with her horse offers something rather different. Pari and Ferrari enjoy long hacks through the countryside, making the most of time outdoors together.

Their partnership was evident throughout our session. There was a lovely familiarity between them and I wanted to create photographs that reflected not just Ferrari's presence as a beautiful horse but the relationship that makes him so special to Pari.

After all, our horses are so much more than the animals we ride. They are our companions, our escape from everyday pressures and a huge part of our lives.

Starting with liberty work and a little creative experimentation

We began the session with some loose horse liberty work, allowing Ferrari to move freely while I looked for opportunities to capture his movement and character.

This was also a chance for me to experiment again with slower shutter speeds. I love exploring how a little movement can change the feel of an image, creating something more expressive than a conventional portrait. It is always enjoyable to try different approaches and see where the creative process takes us.

Once we had finished the liberty work, we moved on to the portrait part of the session, making use of different areas around Pickering Grange.

I wanted a mixture of images, from photographs that celebrated Ferrari as an individual to more intimate portraits that brought Pari and Ferrari together. The best sessions are often those where we can combine a little creativity with the quieter moments that happen naturally along the way.

Beautiful surroundings at Pickering Grange

Our session took place at Pickering Grange, near Coalville in Leicestershire. It provided a lovely setting for Ferrari's portraits, with different areas of the livery yard offering opportunities to create variety throughout the shoot.

Pickering Grange is a five-star livery yard offering a service for horse owners, as well as facilities suited to training and competing. Having a setting that works well for both horses and their owners makes it a useful location for an equine portrait session.

For this shoot, Pari wore Holland Cooper clothing with carefully coordinated accessories. The styling complemented the setting beautifully and helped bring a consistent look to the photographs without taking attention away from the most important part of the story: the connection between Pari and Ferrari.

Celebrating the horses who mean so much to us

One of my favourite things about equine photography is that every partnership has its own personality. Some horses are full of mischief, others are quietly affectionate, and some have a presence that is impossible to ignore.

What matters most to me is creating photographs that feel personal to the horse and the person standing beside them.

With Pari and Ferrari, there was a lovely balance of movement, character and connection. From experimenting with liberty work to creating more considered portraits around the yard, the session was all about celebrating a horse who means so much to his person.

Our horses give us countless memories, but photographs allow us to hold on to a little piece of that relationship. They can remind us of a particular time in our lives, the places we explored together and the companionship that made those moments special.

And that is what I want my equine photography to do: create something personal that you will love looking back on for years to come.

Thinking about a photoshoot with your own horse?

Whether you have a much-loved companion, a horse you have dreamed of owning for years or a special partnership you would love to celebrate, an equine portrait session is an opportunity to capture what makes your relationship unique.

Your session can include beautiful individual portraits of your horse, relaxed photographs together and, where suitable, movement or liberty work. We can plan the session around your horse, your ideas and the kind of images you would love to have in your home.

I photograph horses and their people across Derbyshire, Leicestershire the wider Midlands stretching right across the UK, creating personal photographs that celebrate the connections that matter most.

If you would love to create something special with your own horse, I would love to hear about them.

Get in touch with TMS Photography to tell me about your horse and let's start planning your portrait session.