I get asked quite often what the best dresses for a horse & rider Photo Shoot are and so I thought I would share some of my top tips with you to make your Photo Shoot the very best experience it can be!

First of all, the biggest consideration when choosing a dress for your Photo Shoot is whether you’re going to be sitting on your Horse or Pony or staying on the ground in hand.

IN HAND IMAGES

If you’re planning on keeping everything on the ground, in hand then you can wear anything you can think of! There are still a few considerations to bear in mind. Firstly, what are you going to wear on your feet? Are they going to be visible or hidden and how do you best keep your toes safe?! I love a boots and dress look so by all means raid your wardrobe for the best combination you have or luckily trainers and dresses seem to be a hit combo at the moment so that can certainly work too. For those who want to brave things in sandals, bare feet or even heels please make sure your horse is likely to be reasonably well-behaved and have a backup option just in case they’re not the biggest fan of standing still on the day! While some shots will be full length, don’t forget many will be from the waist up so it won’t matter in the slightest what you’re wearing on your feet for these!

Another consideration is the length of your dress. While a floor-length gown or Wedding Dress will look absolutely stunning for some shots it can be a bit of a faff to do a full shoot in one. The logistics of getting your horse in the right place, keeping them still and not tripping over your hem or wrapping yourself up in circles is something that can get a little tiring… Definitely bring it but my advice is to have a more straightforward outfit to change into halfway through so you can relax and not have to worry about tripping over yourself for the entire session. The images we can create will be worth any amount of faff though I promise!

RIDDEN IMAGES

For those planning on sitting on your horse, whether bareback or with a saddle, the first piece of advice I have for you is to wear a pair of shorts under your dress! Believe me you’ll thank me for that tip!! Secondly, have a think about how flowy your dress is. The best dresses for a horse & rider photo shoot will keep your dignity intact and fan out beautifully behind you over your horse’s bum. Most horses don’t seem to bat an eyelid at this as they’re used to rugs etc but it is definitely worth a practice before the Photo Shoot, especially if you think your horse could think it’s all a bit strange!!

Some shorter dresses work well too, just make sure there’s enough material to cover yourself and dresses with a split down the side also work a treat and we can adjust them to suit whichever side I’m shooting from.

A Photo Shoot can be an excellent time to get that Wedding Dress or Prom Dress back out and in action for part of the shoot. It doesn’t matter as much as on the day of your Wedding or Prom whether it gets a bit slobbered on or stood on and these can make for some really special memories. 🥰 As for little kiddies, I don’t think you can go wrong with a cute dress and wellies or jodhpur boots, it really is a winning combo!

I do also have a few dresses and skirts which can be borrowed for Photo Shoots and there are some companies who rent dresses specifically for Photo Shoots. So, if you’re not feeling inspired by your current wardrobe and don’t fancy a trip to the shops let me know and I will be happy to share the dresses I have available or show you the ones I can rent for your session. After all, this can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience with your Horse of a lifetime so it’s worth getting it right!

IN CONCLUSION

And of course, if you want to stick to jeans or less dressy outfits throughout your session, that is not a problem at all. The most important thing is to feel comfortable throughout your session, you’re far more likely to feel confident if that’s the case! ☺️

Another of my top tips is partly thanks to a recent obsession with the app Vinted… It can be a great place to find an absolute bargain whilst not contributing first-hand to the problem of fast fashion. Especially useful if you’re not necessarily planning on using the dress again. You can also find some good options in local second-hand shops, on Ebay or Depop.

I hope you enjoy the selection of some of my favourite dresses from over the years on Horse & Rider Photo Shoots and if you have any questions or this has inspired you to think about organising your own Photo Shoot then I would absolutely love to hear from you. 🤗

Until next time,

Ciara

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