The Oldest Horse I've Photographed
One of my favorite things about photographing local horse shows is the people I get to meet along the way.
That's how I met Morgan.
Since January I have been photographing the Southern Equine Show series where Morgan and her horse Tucker have competed. When I made the post looking for horses to photograph for a portfolio project, she generously offered to let me photograph two of hers.
What I didn't realize at the time was that one of those horses would be a new title holder in my portfolio.
At 30 years old, Midnight is officially the oldest horse I have photographed, but after hearing his story, that wasn't what stood out to me most.
Morgan shared how her parents bought Midnight when she was just seven years old. He was her very first horse and I think all horse people know that your first horse is not meant to be easy, they are meant to be a teacher. Together they learned through horse shows, trail rides, adventures, and all the experiences that come with growing up horse crazy.
There’s something about horses like that… the ones who have been there through all the messy beginnings and somehow come out the other side still steady, still willing.
Midnight carries that history in the quietest ways. The grey hairs speckling through his coat, the softness in his expression, and even the small details like the boots he wears for support on days when his feet feel a little more tender than they used to. I made sure to include those in his portraits because they’re part of his story too.
Hearing his background through the things Morgan shared with me added even more depth to what I saw in front of my camera. Horses like Midnight aren’t just shaped by their accomplishments, but by the years of showing up for the challenging days because those will be some of the most rewarding.
Today, Midnight is enjoying retirement and plenty of well-earned spoiling. After 30 years and a lifetime of memories, I'd say he's earned every bit of it.
One of the reasons I love black background portraits is that they remove all the distractions and allow the horse to be the focus. For a horse with a story like Midnight's, that feels especially fitting.
