What To Wear?

This is one of the most common questions I am asked in the lead up to the day of a shoot, so I thought it was time to write some suggestions! I'm by no means a fashion expert but I love casual outfits that will still look great in years to come.

Bay horse facing away from camera, owner turned towards the camera in long brown boots, a blouse and tweed jacket. View over looks Goring.

Owner in a long pastel pink floral dress, stood at the shoulder of a grey horse at dusk, with soft skies looking into the distance.

Tweed Jackets - look particularly great with a pair of long brown boots against a bay horse!

Jackets can also be taken on and off throughout the shoot.

Scarves - can easily be swapped and changed throughout the shoot. A great accessory to ensure you don't look the same in each image!

Winter scene, owner stood at the shoulder of her black horse, both dressed in navy. With the Tommy Hilfiger on the branding of the rug.

Soft light colours work well with light coloured horses, and more earthy colours really suit bay and rich coat colours.

Bold colours compliment a black horse well!

Lady with white hair, wearing jeans and a floral blouse scratching the nose of her dark bay horse in front of a copse of green tree canopys.

Teenager nestled in the neck of her bay pony as he bends back towards the camera. The owner wears a light blue shirt.

Headbands and scarves are great and practical, especially during the colder months. Pair them up with some matching mittens too!

Colourful shirts are a must, especially during spring and summer!

A black Shetland pony, with his owner crouched to the side. She has a green winter coat on with a fluffy white hood, paired with green wellington boots.

An owner and her horse stand infront of a red shrub bush, next to a dark brick and flint wall. The horse is chestnut with a white blaze. The wner wears a short lilac casual dress.

Jeans and jackets always look great together, accompanied by long or short boots!

A dark chestnut horse in a headcollar and black leadrope. The owner with short blonde hair holds the lead rope. She wears dark jeans, a white t-shirt, and an open blue jacket over the top.

A view down a drive way, with a stone wall and gateway. The owner in whie jeans, long brown boots, and a tweed jacket leans against the wall. Her tall bay horse stands by her side.

Taken in a field with plenty of greenery, the owner stands hugging her horse from the side. The horse is a black and white piebald with long white stockings. The owner wears Fairfax & Favor boots.

A young girl stands by her grey roan pony. They both appear to smile at the camera. The girl wears a black dress with purple flowers.

The image depicts Lewis Carrier and his Grand Prix horse, Diego. Diego is bay and looks out of his stable window at Lewis who leans against the wall. The man wears a blue navy polo shirt with black johdpur breeches.

Something timeless and classic, but also meaningful! This lovely lady wore the same boots on her first shoot with a previous horse, so she wanted to wear them again for her next shoot!

A cloudy but bright sky overhead, and a lush green tall grassy field. A young lady sits on her coloured horse with a very long mane. She wears a satin green prom dress.

Casual dresses look so pretty. Longer dresses and evening gowns are more suited to well turned out yards and may not look so fitting in other locations such as the woods or the fields.

Planning on some group or family shots? Try and think of a running trend throughout your outfits - be it all wearing white shirts or all wearing blue jeans.

A family portrait in the paddock. A mother and her son pair a blue shirt each with jeans. Their red labrador lokos up them, whilst a black Shetland pony stands to the side.

A lady with long brown hair, wears a long white dress whilst sat on her Chesnut horse that glows in the sun. She leans forwards and strokes the mares' face from where she is sat.

Smart jods and a top - fit in with the equestrian surroundings. You can always change in to jeans or something else later on during your shoot!

Things To Consider:

What's the weather up to? It's not going to be much fun if you arrive in a polo shirt on the coldest day of the year! A smart jacket accompanied by a scarf or even a knitted headband looks great too!
Too much to choose from? Don't forget you can change your outfit 3 times during a 2 hour shoot!
Short dresses - don't wear anything too short as this may limit the poses we can try!
Wear something you'll still appreciate in years to come. A shoot is an investment that will bring you joy for years to come - think about what you're wearing. Something timeless such as jeans and a lovely top will still look great in the future - perhaps avoiding that loud shirt if you're not sure you'll still like it would be a good idea!
Neutral colours and minmal patterns - try not to distract from the horse too much. Patterns and wacky colours don't always look that well against the horses coat. Instead, find a colour that will compliment your horses colouring.
Safety - shoes! Open toed shoes are not great around horses, reduce the stress on the day worrying about your little toes being crushed and wear something sturdy and practical. Boots are often a popular choice or even pumps.
Accesories - bracelets, earrings, scarves, belts, hair clips and
Scarves and jackets - can easily be put on, altered, used a props or taken off, helping to add some variety to the images.
White - whilst I can remove stains (as inevitable when being around horses, mud and grass!) from clothing - white tops may not necessarily be a wise choice.
Find something that compliments your skin tone - if you're of a paler complection, it may be best to avoid colours that will wash you out such as pastel colours.
Consider your surroundings - make sure you don't blend in!

Wear something you're comfortable in! I want to make sure you feel GREAT when you see your images.

If you're thinking of sitting on your horse, make sure your outfit allows for that! And think about safety, especially when it comes to your footwear!

With a background of trees, a teenager sits bareback on her chestnut coloured horse and scratches the mares' neck. The girl wears riding boots, blue jeans, and a blue cable knit jumper.

Wearing white johdpurs and a show shirt, the lady stands between two tall black sport horses. The setting is in a beautiful woodland, with green trees and bright purple bluebells. Taken in Berkshire.

Wearing something you're comfortable in is key! Something casual that you feel at home in!

And if your personality and style is a bit more adventurous - embrace it!

A black mare stands side on in a field. A lady stands at the horses' shoulder wearing knee high red leather boots, and a thigh-length black dress with tassels. The red boots compliment the lady's red hair.

Horse and owner stand infront of a brick building with a flower border. The lady wears cropped white trousers, light brown deck shoes, and a floaty pastel blouse. The horse stands square on and is bright bay, he shines in the sun.

A skewbald horse is side on, facing to the right. The image is cropped at the horses' chest. An owner stands at the horses head, with short blonde hair and smiles at the camera. The owner has one hand on the reins, and the other stoking the horses' nose.

A brown and white horse looks over a brown wooden stable door. He nuzzles towards his smiling owner who faces the camera. She wears blue jeans, a pink and black plaid shirt and has shoulder length brown hair.

A young lady in a mint green dress stands beside her black Welsh pony. Theyare in a forest full of tall trees, and the bottom of the photo is a bokeh of purple heather.

The photo was taken in a horse field. An owner in a white shirt and blue flaired jeans leans into the horse and wraps her arm around his body. The horse is black in colour.

Wearing a white shirt tucked into blue jeans, an owner stands by her black and white horse. They both face to the left, almost side on. They stand in a wildflower meadow of large white flowers.

Simple is sometimes best - jeans are so versatile, style them how you wish!

They are pretty practical too!

A smiling lady with long blonde hair stands next to her tall dappled grey horse. They re in a forest of tall trees. The owner wears a lilac top which matches the purple heather flowers in the forest.

Sometimes people book a shoot to coincide with their favourite season. These ladies booked a shoot (In Germany!) to embrace the purple flowering heather.

And these two wanted a shoot in the bluebells.

Their outfits were lovely pastel colours to really compliment the natural surroundings!

A young lady stands beside her black stallion horse. They both wear burgandy outfits. The horse wears a fleece rug, and the lady wears a hoody, with a bobble hat which matches the outfit.

Irish dressage rider Abi Lyle gazes up at her black horse. The lady wears an over sized fleece jumper, as well as a headband. It is a cold winter morning, and the image is in black and white.

A girl sits bareback on her small chestnut pony. The pony looks alertly into the distance. The girl smiles at the camera, she has long wavy brow hair and wears a bright blue bridesmaid style dress. The dress has several large flowers along the base of the skirt. The scene is set in a British woodland. The foreground of the image is taken up with purple bluebells, and the background is the green of the trees.

Embrace the seasons! There's ALWAYS a perfect time of year for a photoshoot - winter lends itself for so many reasons, no more so than for cosy knits and matching accessories!