Black Dog Friesians is one of the many amazing farms here in the Chattanooga area. Located in the Ider, Alabama area, it is approximately a 30-minute drive from downtown Chattanooga. Black Dog Friesians is a small farm that raises beautiful Friesan horses out of Ster Mares.
The Mares of Black Dog Friesians
The horse who started it all is Antsje Fan’e Welle (Abby).
Born in Holland, Abby is a 17-year-old Friesian sweetheart.
She loves to be groomed and has a pretty pathetic work ethic according to her owner. I personally can attest to her preferring the relaxed life.
Isabella Fan’e Welle (Izzy) is a 7-year-old Friesian mare and was Abby’s first foal.
She loves the water, loves to be groomed and luckily has a better work ethic than her mom.
Willow Fan’e Welle (Willow) is Izzy’s first foal and is currently in the equivalent of the rebellious teenage years.
The Other Horses of Black Dog Friesians
There is always a foal or two in the field in addition to the mares.
Photographing the foals is so much fun. I love their little ears, whiskers, milk covered noses, and wobbily legs!
There are also several other horses.
One of my favorites is Breehy-hinny-brinny-hoohy-hah. With a name like that, how can you not fall in love with him? Thankfully, he is called Bree for short!
Bree is a 20-year-old Paint gelding. He has an Eeyore personality, somewhat glum until he knows he’s going to get attention.
Bree will do anything for food. And, occasionally, he can be found sitting on hay bales.
Able to be ridden bridleless on trail rides, Bree also bows and does a fair Spanish Walk.
He’s also a pretty great camera subject.
Ana and her husband, Vince, also provide a safe and loving home for a variety of animals wander up after being dropped off in the country by uncaring individuals.
Ana has a kind heart and never turns away an animal in need.
One such animal is Cubby. He is an 11-year-old mini who was dumped on the road near their house. And he’s a handful to put it nicely.
After searching for an owner, Ana decided it was inevitable that Cubby was going to be theirs permanently.
He’s adorable but he rules over the Friesians and other horses with an iron hoof.
The Other Animals of Black Dog Friesians
In addition to horses, Ana and Vince breed and sell Nubian Goats. If you are interested in learning more about their goats, you can check out their website here.
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 celebrating the stories of the amazing horses in her clients’ lives, she invests time and energy into perfecting her equine photography skills and growing her business, hanging with her favorite rescue dog, Nitro, and planning her next big adventure. She also tries to spend some time educating and entertaining her fans and potential clients by blogging and posting on social media about whatever catches her fancy at the moment.
Betsy is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) with the organization Professional Photographers of America (PPA). The CPP designation is held by fewer than 2,000 photographers nationwide and is a hallmark of consistency, technical skill, artistry, and professionalism. Ride the Sky specializes in on-location photography for equines. Ride the Sky also has the option of bringing the studio to the stable. Based in Chattanooga, TN, Ride the Sky Equine Photography works on location in Tennessee, North Georgia, and beyond.