Meet Apollo a 2-year-old Great Pyrenees who is owned and loved by Madison. When I met Madison at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show she requested something special, a portrait of both her Horse & Dog. I have to admit, this wasn’t a first for me, but I was a little unsure of how it would go at the horse show with so much going on around the show. Wouldn’t you know it, that Timmy her pony was so incredibly excited to get to sniff his friend, Apollo. However, I don’t think Apollo was nearly as excited as Timmy was to be in portraits with his brother.
Apollo is a sweet and protective dog over Madison and her family. He loves visiting the barn she trains at. In fact, one of Madison’s favorite memories of Apollo was when she brought him to the barn after a big rainstorm. There was a massive puddle in the round pen and Apollo was in heaven! He spent a whole hour running through it and playing in the mucky water. He was so dirty they had to drive him home in the horse trailer!
Madison met Apollo when he was just a puppy. Her dad’s friend had an accidental litter and asked if they would like a puppy. Her dad brought Apollo to a lesson and surprised her with the little fluff ball. Since he is a Great Pyrenees he is bred as a livestock guardian dog, so each morning, when he’s let out into the yard he walks the full perimeter to ensure his territory is safe.
His favorite treat is any table scraps he can manage to beg his way off of peoples’ plates and if Madison had to describe him in one word it would be “precious.”
Did you know that Great Pyrenees’ were bred to guard livestock? They love being outside and you will often see them with herds of goats, sheep, alpacas, and the like ensuring predators stay away from them.
Karinda K. is a Houston, TX based equine photographer that travels around the United States photographing equestrians and their horses. Karinda specializes in Outdoor Horse & Rider Portrait sessions that bring to life the magical relationship equestrians share with their horses, Senior Portraits, and Fine Art Black & White Background Portraits for those that want a piece of art featuring their very own animals. Karinda accepts a limited number of private clients each year, if you are interested in having her photograph you and your horse or an equestrian in your life, you can reach the studio by sending an email to equine@karinda(.)com or calling (832)598-8715.
Portraits for Charity was an idea Karinda dreamt up to help give back to families impacted by Childhood Cancer in memory of her husband’s sister Jessica. During the 2021 Pin Oak Charity Horse Show Karinda photographed around 140 Horses, Dogs, and even Goats, and was able to donate $10,000 to Candlelighter’s Houston. These are the stories of the Horses, Dogs, and Goats that were photographed at the show, these stories complement a photographic book that Karinda is printing and donating to Texas Children’s Hospital featuring Portraits of each and every animal she photographed.
The Waiting List for Pin Oak 2022 is now open, click here to join: https://equine.karindak.com/pin-oak-2022-wait-list
If you are interested in having Karinda attend your event and host a Portraits for Charity day, send an email to equine@karindak(.)com.
