Texas Equine Photographer | Farm Animal Chronicles

Oh the strange farm pets I get to meet…

Ok, so not all of them are strange. But some of them are, just a little. After all, don’t all animals who live in a horse barn think they are actually horses? They have to put up with the biggest animals around, and most of the time go about their day with no fear at all of the big guys that “think” they rule the barn. After traveling around the state of Texas and all over the country photographing horses I have discovered that these barn pets deserve just as much of the spotlight as the horses. This all started when I was at a barn in Waller,TX and Amy, the owner, looked at me and said just wait, as she pointed to the end of the barn..and there appeared Miss Quacker the Duck. In that very moment, I knew that 2017 would not only be the year of photographing 365 horses, but it would be the year of photographing the barn pets too. I can not wait to see what other interesting barn pets I come across in 2017 as I travel across the world. This was the beginning of the farm animal chronicles.

I have already started creating my bucket list so if you know someone with a barn pet that fits into this list please send them my way! I would have to say that the #1 thing on my list is a Zebra, closely followed by just about every other animal I can think of. Just to name a few a pig, longhorn, rabbit, hairless cat (someone has to have a hairless barn cat right?!), zorse, giraffe (anyone?!)…Ok so my bucket list may be a little extravagant but if I know anything about visiting barns, I know to expect the unexpected!

NACHO THE DONKEY

I am quickly learning that Donkeys are a barn staple. Most of the donkeys I have encountered are more like dogs, they follow people around eagerly waiting for attention and this little guy was no exception. Deanna shares a little more about this sweet guy, “His name is Nacho, he is 1 as of April 11th. He was born next door, my neighbors have his mom and dad. He is an ornery little guy and I love him more for it. He knows when breakfast and dinner time is and if I am late getting out there he lets the entire neighborhood know. He thinks he is the boss of the herd, he actually bosses my 2000+lb, 18 hand Belgian gelding around the pasture! He hates to be brushed and fly sprayed but he loves hugs and kisses. He is charismatic and loving, we couldn’t imaging life without him.”

BRUCE THE GOAT

Meet Bruce. He lives with his brothers Ritz and Spot in Corpus Christi,TX. Oh Bruce. The minute your Mom started talking about family pictures with you and the horses I knew you were special. I didn’t quite know how special though until I started hearing the stories of you and your former life. I hear that you were a surfing goat, that you may have even eaten some goodies you weren’t supposed to a time or two.

DONKEY

This little mischievous lady, doesn’t actually think she is so little. She tried to sneak her way into the barn the entire time we were taking pictures of Ritz and Spot. She actually lives next door to Ritz, Spot, and Bruce the Goat. I would like to say she was an Angel, but the truth is that this sweet face really loves to torment horses, she can squeeze her way between the fence boards and go just about anywhere she pleases. She was so interested in all of the action, until she realized it was her turn to be the star.

Zebra

A Zebra was one of the first animals on my bucket list when I started thinking and dreaming about the different animals I would love to photograph while traveling around for my 365 Days of Horses project. When I was visiting a farm in Dripping Springs,TX I got to meet this sweet little girl. We decided to take her into the arena to photograph her as I hear that some of the horses who haven’t seen a Zebra before don’t know what to think the first time they meet her. I can imagine it is about like the first time some horses see and hear a donkey, but probably about 10x worse.

Dogs

You would think that traveling to so many barns I would encounter a whole lot of barn cats… well I have found that the the cats tend to stay out of the way, while the dogs tend to photo bomb pictures as often as possible. I think quite frankly most of the time they are offended we aren’t taking their pictures. When Amy asked about doing pictures of all of her dogs I couldn’t say no, after all they are a part of the family as well.

Karinda K Equine Photography is a Texas equine photographer located in Montgomery, TX. Karinda creates timeless portraits of you with your beloved horses, and other farm animals. Serving locally Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin, Texas communities. KEP also serves Wellington and Ocala, Florida, Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky, Aiken, South Carolina, Tryon, North Carolina, and Norco and Woodside, California and their surrounding communities.