A common question that comes up in preparation for a horse photography session with Ride the Sky Equine Photography is, “Should I braid or band my horse for his photoshoot?”
The History of Braiding Horse Manes
What is Horse Mane Banding?
Horse mane banding is something common in the western show world.
The goal of banding is to make the mane lay flat against the horse’s neck.
When banding a mane, you want to make sure that the bands fall in a precise straight line. The line of the bands runs parallel to the line of the end of the mane, therefore, making the horse’s neck appear longer.
Should I braid or band my horse for his portrait session with Ride the Sky Equine Photography?
This is completely up to you. Braiding and/or banding gives a very formal and polished feel to your images.
I always suggest that you think about how you want to dress for your horse photography session and match your horse to your vibe. For example, are you going to be wearing your complete show attire? Then perhaps your horse would look best braided or banded.
Are you going to be dressing in jeans or a dress? Maybe your horse would look better in his more natural state.
Of course, this only works if you are planning on being in the images with your horse. If you are not, then you should consider what you love best about your horse. Do you love taking him into the show ring? Do you love it when he’s out grazing in the field? Do you love watching his mane fly around in the breeze? What are your favorite things to do with your horse? What do you most want to remember about your horse? Those are the things you should consider when planning how you want your horse to look for during his photography session.
Got more Questions?
If you have more questions about horse photoshoots, make sure to check out our other blog posts including:
How long does a horse photoshoot take?
What if my horse doesn’t behave during his photoshoot?
Questions to Ask a Horse Photographer BEFORE Booking
Can we Have a Horse Photoshoot in the Rain?
Ready to Schedule your Horse's Portrait Session?
Interested in scheduling your horse’s portrait session with Ride the Sky Equine Photography?
Betsy Bird of Ride the Sky Equine Photography spends her days doing insane things to make horses look at her. Clearly, she’s desperate for attention. When she’s not acting like a total goofball, she’s mentoring photographers, wrangling teenagers, or hanging with Derby, hanging out with Derby, the new puppy who is currently training to be office assistant (jury’s still out on whether “chewing cords” counts as professional development).
Betsy is an award-winning equine and pet photographer based in Chattanooga, TN, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Professional Photographers of East Tennessee (PPETN) and is the current President-Elect of the Tennessee Professional Photographers Association (TNPPA). Her work has been published nationally and is found in barns and homes across the U.S. Ride the Sky is creates heirloom artwork for horses and their humans.