Jerry will be going up to see Hollis, the baby donkey, at Texas A&M Large Animal Hospital tomorrow morning. The docs were able to do a scope of his throat where they found more upper respiratory complications. They spent today consulting with other equine veterinarian specialists trying to find solutions for Hollis’s serious breathing difficulties. We do know that the little guy is happy as can be with his Mama, unaware of how many people are praying for him. Jerry will give us an update tomorrow after he visits with the doctors and Hollis.

This next article is on how to take great horse pictures. Which reminds me – there is still time to enter your horse in our Habitat for Horses Calendar. Click Here to find out more. ~ HfH

From: HorseChannel.com
By: Daniel Johnson

How to Take Great Sales Photos of Your Horse
Here’s how to present your horse at his very best.

Whether you’re planning to sell your horse locally or long-distance, quality sales photos can be an important part of finding your horse the perfect new home. Between print and online advertising, Facebook, Twitter and other social media, good photography is an essential for selling your horse these days. But crafting a good photograph can be a challenge, and horses can be particularly challenging subjects. Fortunately, with a little bit of planning and a few pointers, you can secure some nice photos of your horse that will present him at his best. Let’s take a look at some ideas.

Get Him Groomed
Before you even think about breaking out the camera, stop and ask yourself if your horse is really ready to be photographed. Chances are, he’s got a few stains on him, or maybe he needs to be clipped and have a new mane job (and has he seen a farrier lately?). Just as you do before a ride, take a few moments to get your horse looking his best. Sure, you have those fun snapshots on your phone that are cute enough to you, but don’t put up sales photos that represent your horse as ungroomed—there’s no reason to have him look anything less than his best.

Choose a Location
Don’t bring him out of the barn just yet! You’ve still got to select a location with a good background for your photos. Fences, sheds, tractors, trucks, jumps, and gates might be a normal part of the barn scene, but they don’t necessarily make the most attractive backgrounds for photos. In the case of a sales photo, you want to highlight one thing and one thing only: the horse. Any other included elements have a tendency to become distracting—even if they aren’t necessarily unattractive in their own right (like a fence). When it comes to footing, keep in mind that level ground is ideal.

Choose a Camera
Your choice of camera and lens is important, too. While there are always exceptions, horse portraits are typically most successful when a somewhat long (telephoto) lens is used. For this, you’ll need a DSLR camera with a lens of about 150mm, or preferably a bit longer. At a minimum, you’ll need a point-and-shoot camera with a lens that extends and allows for optical zooming. The camera on your phone doesn’t have this ability, so smartphones aren’t the best choice for horse portraits.