Latest / The Touch of a Mustang / What Horses Reveal When We Stop Asking Them to Perform with Katja Jensen | Episode 62

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What Horses Reveal When We Stop Asking Them to Perform with Katja Jensen | Episode 62 · The Touch of a Mustang

0:00
They're very symbolic animals, which is also why you can find
0:04
them in art from any time period.
0:06
They've inspired a lot of artwork and I think that's
0:09
because they bring us in touch with a with a lot of different
0:12
feelings and emotions and memories.
0:15
So I had this specific print called Facing the Unknown, which
0:18
was of a Palomino gelding just standing facing towards the sea.
0:23
That print didn't sell because it was a pretty horse looking
0:25
out into the sea. It's sold because people
0:28
connected with that feeling of facing the unknown, of facing
0:33
something that they weren't quite sure of, you know, how it
0:36
was going to go. Or I also had one of the
0:39
collectors mail me that she had purchased this piece and she was
0:43
going through a very tough separation.
0:45
And this piece was one of the things that kept her going
0:48
because it served as a reminder that everything was going to be
0:51
OK, even though she was also facing the young.
0:55
There are healers on this planet with the power to soften the
0:57
suffering of mankind if they have remained in the recesses of
1:01
the world, abused, discarded and labeled as trash.
1:05
This is the touch of a Mustang. I am your host, Shalise Clough,
1:10
and I'm here to tell the story of wild horses, Mustangs, and
1:14
the humans who are discovering and sharing their gifts while
1:17
working to protect their well-being and preserve their
1:20
spirit so this divine power won't be lost.
1:24
Join us on this quest with the Wild Mustang.
1:33
Kat, thank you so much for being here on the Touch of a Mustang
1:36
podcast. Thank you for having me.
1:39
I am super excited to talk to you.
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I have followed you for a while. You have just the most gorgeous
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Instagram account I think I've ever seen, full of these
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beautiful images of horses. So for anyone who doesn't know
1:51
you, can you give us a brief introduction of who you are and
1:54
what you do? Yeah, absolutely.
1:56
My name is Kat. As you've already said, I am an
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fine photographer. I am 28 years old and I've been
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doing this since I was 10, starting in the very, very like
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I would just take the train around to horse owners and
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photograph them and their horses.
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And so since 2017, I've been traveling as well and that's a
2:16
big part of my job. I love traveling to different
2:18
countries and seeing different horse cultures and photographing
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that as well. For quite a few years I would
2:25
mainly focus on like paid client work, but nowadays I most of my
2:30
income come from print sales. So I've just shifted my focus
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and mainly I just, I photograph what I like and then I hope
2:40
other people like it as well as much that they want to put it on
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their walls. Now the images you capture,
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absolutely beautiful, definitely worth checking it out.
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Tell us how like why horses? How did you end up becoming an
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involved or we're drawn to horses and how has that journey
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unfolded to you to where now you do it full time and you get to
3:00
travel between countries and do it, which is beautiful.
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Like what a dream. So I grew up on on a farm and we
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mainly had cattle, but I shared a passion with horses with my
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mom. So horses have always I tend to
3:13
say that horses have been one of the main constants of my life.
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So, you know, no matter what age I would have been around horses
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when I was a teenager, I thought that I would go on to become a
3:26
horse trainer. I also did a whole education.
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But then with my photography evolving, I discovered that was
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not the road I wanted to take. I was not supposed to be a horse
3:37
trainer, but I really enjoyed just observing and watching and
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getting to photograph them. And yeah, so that's kind of what
3:44
led me. So they've always been a part of
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my life and quite a big part of my life as well.
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What role have they kind of played in your life?
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You said you grew up with them. Did you grow up writing them?
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I know something I see often on your account is kind of the
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lessons that you get from the horses, which is something I've
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also experienced. So can you talk to us a little
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bit more about that, your journey with horses with that
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spend like for you to build a life with them?
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So I am a very, I, I were a very introverted child and I didn't
4:17
have the easiest time in school, which I think a lot of people
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who are drawn to horses can relate to because you know,
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they, they don't pass any judgment.
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You can just spend time with them without any expectations.
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And I think that was the like that was that really drew me to
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them. And I haven't, I've never been
4:34
that much of A rider. I don't really do any riding
4:38
these days either. I do have a horse which I've had
4:41
for 10 years and I can ride him, but he's more.
4:45
I sometimes joke that he's my emotional support animal.
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Yeah. He's just there and he's just,
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you know, his job is mainly just to make me happy and, yeah,
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provide that space that I've always experience since I was a
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child. Yeah, be able to spend time with
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them. Yeah, exactly.
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I would spend hours out on the pasture just sitting and, you
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know, being with them and watching them and.
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So share with us some more about your work and kind of the things
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that you try to capture when you go out with horses.
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What are some of your goals or hopes when you go out to try and
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capture some of their beauty which you do so well?
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I think one of the main factors for me is that a big part of my
5:28
work is trying to include the horses.
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So in a way that, you know, sometimes when we photograph
5:34
them, I can get the feeling that we're using them a bit as, you
5:38
know, props. So they become like a prop to
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whatever wish we have, whatever photo we have in our head.
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And I always try to include the horses as much as possible and I
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always try to be very aware of them.
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I don't it's like a 5050. If I photograph the horses like
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free in big pastures or if I photograph them where we have
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this photo halter on that I later edit out.
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And especially when we photograph them in halters and
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we make them do stuff, I try to be very, very aware that we're
6:10
not. We're not pushing them over
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their boundaries, which is also why I can sometimes get a little
6:19
bit self aware that I don't. I don't have any.
6:22
Most of my photos are not spectacular in the way that, you
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know, there's not a lot of action going on in a lot of
6:29
them. If you take a look through my
6:30
work, most of the images are actually just horses standing
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still. Yeah.
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This is also because when you go out and watch a herd of horses
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95% of the time, but there's not a whole lot of action.
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And it's kind are and they move around and yeah, it's not.
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That's what I really try to be respectful of the horses while
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also while taking these. Photos, yeah, which is very
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honorable. I think that's a lot of times
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horses kind of like people come in and then we do what we want
6:59
with them and then we put them back and they can do what they
7:02
want in that time. But I found that if you can kind
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of go in there in that headspace where you're just sharing time
7:10
together, that a lot of times they're really happy, active
7:14
participants with us. Like they, for some reason,
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which is a little bit of a mystery to me, like they like to
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be around us and interact with us and kind of see what's going
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on. I definitely saw some of that.
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And the horses were pretty curious about you and what you
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were doing and kind of nuzzling up as you're looking at your
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camera. So that's fun to see, yeah.
7:30
And that's, it's funny because that's, it's what happens most
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of the time. So in the, you know, when I
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first arrived, most horses can be a little bit standoffish,
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especially in herds, because they're like, oh, as you said,
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many horses have an expectation. Like there's a human, it's got
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to come in and do something to me.
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But after that first while has passed and they get to see that
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I just kind of move around and I'm just there.
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I'm not trying to do anything. I'm not trying to pet them.
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They become very curious of me and they're like, oh, I, you
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know, I have to go and see what's what's up with this one
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that's just sitting in the glass and doing nothing.
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Yeah. And that's kind of neat because
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when you do that, I think it's almost like they'll let you be a
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part of their herd. You can just enter their world
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for a little bit. Yeah.
8:13
Absolutely. Talk to us about horses as
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memories as like what happens when we see these pictures of
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horses or what have you found? So most of the times I find that
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my prints doesn't sell because it's just, you know, a photo of
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a horse. A print sells because it
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connects people with either memories.
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Some people, you know, some of my collectors are horse owners
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or people who have been close to horses all their life.
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But there can also be collectors who maybe have never spent time
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with horses, but they just, they're very symbolic animals,
8:51
which is also why, you know, you can find them in art from any
8:55
time period. They're very, they've inspired a
8:58
lot of artwork. And I think that's because they
9:00
bring us in touch with, with a lot of different feelings and
9:04
emotions and memories. So I had this specific print
9:07
called Facing the Unknown, which was of a Palomino gelding just
9:11
standing facing towards the sea. That print didn't sell because
9:14
it was a pretty horse looking out into the sea.
9:17
It's sold because people connected with that feeling of
9:22
facing the unknown, facing something that they weren't
9:25
quite sure of, you know how it was going to go.
9:28
Or I also had one of the collectors mail me that she had
9:32
purchased this piece and she was going through a very tough
9:35
separation. And this piece was just, you
9:38
know, one of the things that kept her going because it served
9:41
as a reminder that, you know, everything was going to be OK
9:44
even though she was also facing the unknown.
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Yeah, yeah, that is really neat to hear because I've definitely
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heard people who have had that experience when they're with a
9:52
horse. I've had people share
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experiences where they've been able to relate to the horse in
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that way. They can kind of see through the
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horse. Some of their experiences play
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out. That's really cool to think that
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even just through a picture, horses can do that same thing
10:06
where they kind of teach just lessons maybe we need or give us
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courage in whatever our situation is, help us to not
10:13
feel alone or to feel like, you know, whatever challenges we're
10:16
facing are doable. So that's really neat to hear
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those stories and how it impacts people that are just looking at
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a picture of a beautiful horse. Yeah, exactly.
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Have you found that same thing for you at times where you've
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been with the horses and they kind of give you that
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inspiration or encouragement or connection that may be something
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that you're experiencing? Absolutely.
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And I think for me, what is really neat about what I do is I
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get to keep these memories so they, you know, it's not just
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something I experienced once and then I forget about it.
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I get to take the photographs. And then one of the best parts
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of it is when I get home and I get, you know, I have to sort
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through the photos, I have to edit them.
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But then I get to relive that all over again.
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And oftentimes I may not notice it as much in the moment as I do
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afterwards when I'm looking at the photo.
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So that's one of the really cool things about this job is that I
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get to keep, you know, those lessons, I get to keep those
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experiences that's. Very interesting.
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I've heard that same thing with people just spending time with
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horses, that a lot of times it's in the moments after when you're
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kind of reflecting back on that experience that you have these
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things pop in your head or you're relating to them or
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seeing something that you didn't notice maybe in that moment.
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Yeah, exactly. How do you go about choosing
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what horses you're going to take pictures of, where you're going
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to do it? How does that all play out from
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maybe you're headed to take some pictures to the final product?
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This is always quite a difficult question to answer for me and I
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get asked about it a lot, especially in interviews, like
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what is your vision and how do you get there?
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And I think I might go about it a little bit differently than
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most photographers, but I because I don't necessarily have
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like a clear vision, but most of the time I just, I show up and I
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kind of let actually the horses decide what is going to happen
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and what kind of photos will come out of it.
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Then of course, I get, you know, we have to do a little bit of
12:11
preparation and I get a lot of inspiration from, again, looking
12:15
at the different horse cultures. Depending on the country I'm
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visiting, I can reach out to larger horse farms or I can via
12:23
Instagram, get in touch with single horse owners who'd want
12:27
to do something with me. And then I try to keep the frame
12:31
as flexible as possible depending on the horses and what
12:35
we're able to do. And so it's difficult to answer
12:38
because I don't really like, I don't get a vision in my head
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about, OK, I want this photo and then we need to take these steps
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to get there. Oftentimes it's not.
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I wouldn't say it's accidental, but still it just, it very much
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depends on what the horses are willing to participate in.
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Do you feel like that flexibility has given you
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options you wouldn't have had otherwise?
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Yeah, absolutely. Also because you don't, you
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don't get locked in on anything specific.
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And I find that with horses, it's just it's a very, very
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valuable trait to be flexible because we have to remember that
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they don't have any. They don't have any desire to
13:18
have any photos taken of them. They don't have necessarily any
13:22
agenda or they're just here, you know, in, in the here and now
13:26
and they respond to what is happening around.
13:29
Them tell us more about the different places where you've
13:31
taken pictures and how kind of what you alluded to, how the
13:35
culture and the landscape changes the feeling of the
13:38
picture, the things that you capture.
13:39
Yeah, so I one of my very big inspirations is Scotland.
13:45
I've been there four Times Now and I'm very lucky that they
13:49
have these very, very cool little Highland ponies.
13:52
And if you find the right places, they're usually allowed
13:55
to go out in the Highlands on large, large pastures, which are
13:59
kind of like nature reserves is not really a posture, but
14:02
they're LED out there to grace. I really like Scotland, but
14:05
that's because it it has such an ancient feeling to it, like the
14:10
Highlands and the Poles and there's just so much history
14:13
there, which definitely has inspired me a lot.
14:16
And then you go to, I've been to Canada as well, which I really,
14:21
really like the mountains and you know, this quite wild
14:25
landscape. And then you pair it with, I
14:28
mostly photograph quarter horses over there, which also, you
14:31
know, there's a different kind of deep history running,
14:34
especially with the ranches and the work that these horses have
14:38
been doing in cooperation with their humans.
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Then you have Portugal, which is a whole different thing all
14:44
together because Portugal is Portugal and Spain are probably
14:48
quite different, you know, in the way they keep horses
14:52
compared to the rest of Europe, maybe a little bit more old
14:56
school. So I visited the national start
15:00
in Portugal where they keep the stallions and staples for the
15:03
entire day. And they get, you know, taken
15:05
out and written, which when you say just that sentence it, you
15:10
know, people can think, oh, that's horrible.
15:13
Those horses must live, you know, a very unfulfilled life.
15:16
And in some aspects, they do. But then again, I also saw some
15:20
of the finest horsemanship that I've ever seen.
15:23
So these, you know, the Portuguese riders are very in
15:26
control of their own emotions, wherein, you know, a lot of
15:30
Europe, you can see people when they get frustrated with horses,
15:33
they tend to take it out on them.
15:35
And that was never something I saw in Portugal, right?
15:38
Or also, you know, they were always very fair and it was
15:41
always the same answer. So it didn't, you know, change
15:44
depending on whether or not they had a bad day, which is I think
15:49
that was kind of the reason why this these Stellians were super,
15:52
super well behaved, of course, but they also seemed quite
15:56
content giving that, you know, the frame that they had been put
16:00
in. And I think that was because
16:02
they they knew what to expect. No, they had a daily routine and
16:07
it didn't change and the riders were the same.
16:10
So these horses, just the fact that they knew what to expect
16:13
actually maybe made their lives easier compared to other places.
16:18
So it's, it's always different kind of topics or experiences
16:23
and things that I noticed, which is why I think it's so cool to
16:27
be visiting these different countries.
16:28
And of course I draw that into the photography as well.
16:31
Yeah. How has that brought in your
16:33
perspective to see those different philosophies that are
16:35
used? I know a lot of people maybe
16:37
think like this is the way to do it, this is the best way for
16:39
horses. And then you're able to go and
16:41
see different ways where horses are living happily.
16:44
What How has that influenced you and your art?
16:46
I think one of the cool things, things about being a
16:49
photographer is that you can kind of be an observer.
16:52
So you're not actively a part of what is going on at the places
16:56
that you're visiting. You get to just step back and
17:00
observe and notice all these little things.
17:02
And I think it's a fine line because it's also, there's also
17:06
ethics involved that you have to, in my opinion, you have to
17:11
be aware of and you have to decide where you want to stand.
17:15
But I think being a photographer gives me that opportunity to
17:18
maybe see it from a lot of different sides and getting to
17:22
observe horses in different settings.
17:24
I definitely think it's brought in my view and made me, I, I
17:29
want to say more tolerant. But then again, I that's not
17:32
quite. The right word.
17:33
It's just standing maybe. Yeah, yeah, like you, you can
17:38
see it from several different sides.
17:40
Yeah, yeah. Varied perspectives of of how it
17:45
works Well. Talk a little bit more about
17:47
some of the ethics you found that work well for you when
17:50
you're approaching a horse, when you're having them as part of
17:52
your art. So I because I took this whole
17:55
horse trainer education, which was quite alternative at the
17:58
time, so it was quite progressive.
18:02
I think that benefited me in a way that helps me read the
18:06
horses. So I'm very, very strong on the
18:09
opinion that you need to know the animal that you're working
18:12
with and you need to understand them.
18:14
Especially when we're working with them in confined settings
18:17
like giving them halters on and stuff.
18:19
You really need to be sharp. I come across a lot of different
18:22
horse photos and unfortunately a lot of them in the past has
18:27
shown horses in quite a lot of discomfort.
18:31
It may not be quite, you know, no, it may not be 100% obvious
18:35
to everyone, but if you know a little bit about horses, you
18:38
know, you can see the eyes that they're tense or they're just,
18:41
you know, not very happy. And that's why I'm quite strong
18:44
on the fact that you need to, you need to really respect the
18:47
animal that you're working with and, you know, need to know how
18:50
they work, know how they think. I also, so last year was the
18:55
first time I created this kind of photography retreat.
18:59
I have a very, very skilled friend here in Denmark who does
19:02
a lot of horse behavior observations.
19:05
We have quite a few they're not wild ponies, but they're like
19:09
feral, which are great thing and part of like conservation
19:13
projects and stuff. And she is hired to go and just
19:18
observe these ponies and write down her observations.
19:21
And she's super, super competent in horse language and horse
19:26
behavior, especially horses in between.
19:29
So I made this retreat in collaboration with her because I
19:33
wanted to to provide a space where people who wants to
19:36
photograph horses can come and actually not just learn how to
19:40
photograph, but also learn about the animal that they're working
19:43
with. That is really neat because I
19:44
think that is one thing that is sometimes missing is that piece
19:48
of taking a step back, looking at the horse and seeing, you
19:51
know, what are they experienced, what are they feeling and how
19:54
can we work with within that together with the two parties
19:58
that are there with all their different emotions and
20:01
expectations, How has that developed?
20:03
For you, over time, was that more difficult at first?
20:06
Is it something that came pretty natural?
20:08
Did you have experiences that gave you particular insights you
20:11
didn't have before? I was very big on alternative
20:14
horse training in my teens as well.
20:17
As I said, I've never been that much of A rider.
20:20
I preferred training. I did a lot of groundwork.
20:23
I did a lot of educating myself on the mental part of working
20:28
with horses, which I definitely think helped me in this work
20:32
because I already have quite a lot of experience working and
20:35
watching horses and determining where they're at.
20:38
And I think maybe sometimes I get a little bit too careful.
20:43
I prefer having to ask only, you know, the most necessary of the
20:49
horses when we're photographing them.
20:52
And sometimes I could probably, you know, ask a bit more, but I
20:56
think in, I think it's needed in the photography space, equine
21:01
photography space, it is needed that that we become aware of
21:07
giving more space and not being as pushy as we sometimes can be.
21:11
And so in that aspect, I think it's, I think it's good and I
21:15
think it's, it's important that we put more focus on knowing the
21:21
animal that you're working with and learning how to work with
21:25
them so you're not going over their boundaries.
21:27
And I think that a lot of that's really reflected in your
21:30
photography because if you like, if I were to say one word that
21:34
encompasses the images that I've seen of yours so that they're
21:37
all very peaceful. They really capture that calm,
21:40
gentle spirit, that peaceful spirit of the horse when, like
21:44
you say, a lot of times they're not.
21:46
Most of the time horses aren't running around and fighting or
21:49
rearing or any of those things that maybe some of those more
21:51
dramatic pictures are. It is a very calm, peaceful,
21:55
quiet experience to spend time with horses overtime, so I think
22:00
that your photography really captures their presence in that
22:03
way, which is really beautiful. I'm very happy you think that.
22:06
I was just looking at some this morning and I was just talking
22:09
about the horses and their souls and stuff.
22:11
And I really feel like some of the videos you had, like that's
22:13
exactly what it captures, is just that peaceful, gentle
22:17
feeling that that a lot of people feel when they join up
22:20
with horses in the various ways that they do.
22:23
So very beautiful work. I think it's important to
22:26
remember that horses are animals who very much want to avoid
22:31
conflict. They're not, you know, they
22:33
don't go see from a. Yeah, exactly.
22:37
And especially we observed these wild pony hurts last year during
22:42
the retreat and it's so obvious how much trouble they go to to
22:47
not get in trouble with all the other horses.
22:50
Yeah, that is a very keen observation of horses and how
22:54
they interact with one another. I agree.
22:57
Talk to us a little bit about some of the things that the
22:59
horses have taught you as you've worked with them and as you've
23:02
been with them. A lot of the things you share on
23:03
Instagram are kind of lessons that it feels to me like the
23:07
horses give to you as you're in their presence.
23:09
What are some of the things that you've learned from them who
23:11
have? Learned.
23:11
I mean, so I'm self-taught. I didn't go to school to become
23:15
a photographer, and I firmly believe that most of you know
23:21
many of the most important lessons that I've learned has
23:23
come from horses. Yeah.
23:26
And I think it's not as much, you know, they, it's a bit hard
23:29
to put into words because they're not, you know, it's not
23:31
because a horse come up, comes up to me and I, you know, it
23:36
says to me, you have to let this go or.
23:40
Right. Yeah.
23:40
Or. But they kind of become vessels
23:43
for, for these lessons. So, yeah, they've taught me to
23:49
let go. They've taught me the Highland
23:52
ponies in Scotland, really cemented for me that I am
23:58
supposed to do this work for me and not for others.
24:01
So the first time I went there, I was still doing a lot of paid
24:04
kind work and sitting there on the hillside with them, it just
24:07
became very, very clear to me that this is, you know, I was
24:11
supposed to do this because I wanted to do it.
24:13
Not because it had to become no, no, not because it was a
24:17
business that needed to generate X amount of income and I needed
24:21
to pursue, but I, you know, the photos I wanted to take and that
24:25
became, you know, obvious that that was the right way because
24:29
it just took off from there. They teach me to be present,
24:34
which is also, like I said before, I don't necessarily
24:38
realize these lessons before I get back home and get to look at
24:42
the photos. Because in the in the moment
24:44
you're just, I try to be as present as possible and try to
24:47
notice all the little things happening.
24:50
Because when you don't, that's the other thing.
24:52
When you don't photograph a whole lot of action, when you
24:55
don't generate the movement or control what is happening,
24:59
you're also kind of forced to start looking for the little
25:03
things you know you have. You're kind of forced to start
25:05
noticing, start observing like what is happening in order to to
25:12
get these photos that are not just photos.
25:14
Yeah, I love that. That makes me think of one of
25:16
your pictures where I think it's the horse's mane and they have
25:18
like a leaf in their hair, which I just love it.
25:21
So beautiful just to like see their like in tune with nature
25:25
in that way, where they're a piece of each other in that way.
25:29
I'm so sad because sometimes, you know, especially in this day
25:32
and age, everything can be criticized or judged for being
25:36
AI. And I really tried to do my best
25:39
to say to people like this, I didn't know.
25:41
I didn't even put the Fern there.
25:43
It was, it was there. It was, you know, it was and it
25:47
was I. Believe that my horses get stuff
25:49
in their mane all the time. I'm like, I don't even know
25:51
where that came from, but yeah, that was just such a beautiful
25:54
capture. I thought to see the Fern and
25:57
the mane in that way. Has that been a challenge with
26:00
AI coming up? Not in my like, not in the work
26:04
that I do, not in the whole process of acquiring the photos,
26:08
but definitely the whole social media game.
26:11
And yeah, no deciding on what to put out there and how to put it
26:15
out there. And you just you're competing
26:18
with a lot more now like that because and people are getting
26:22
very suspicious, which I understand because it's very
26:27
it's a tiring trying to figure out constantly what.
26:30
Your question what's real and what's not?
26:32
It is a tricky world, but I do think that the people who have
26:37
seen and experienced the realness of horses, you can
26:39
almost tell the difference just by the way it's captured.
26:42
And yours definitely have a spirit and a feeling of realism
26:46
and of coming from from the horses and from those beans that
26:50
are actually alive and living their lives in the various
26:53
places. Yeah.
26:55
Do you remember any of the specific instances when you
26:58
learn things? Like you said, letting go?
27:00
That's like a huge thing that my mayor taught me, like it, like
27:03
right the time that I needed it. So I'm always curious how those
27:07
lessons unfolded. Do you remember any of the
27:09
specific instances besides the one with the Highland Ponies?
27:12
I. Think it's more of like an like
27:14
letting go is more of like an overall being.
27:16
I can't really pinpoint an exact experience.
27:20
But then again, that's, you know, that's the whole thing
27:22
that's so great about having these photos is you can go can
27:25
get to go back and look at them and and relive those different
27:29
moments. It's difficult for me because I
27:32
that's why I say I feel like they're vessels holding these
27:37
lessons is because I don't necessarily pinpoint exact
27:41
moments, but those lessons kind of get to live in the photos
27:46
afterwards. I don't know if that makes
27:47
sense. Yeah, yeah, for sure.
27:49
It is so interesting to talk to different people because it's a
27:53
lot of the same things. And ironically, I think a lot of
27:56
the things that we fight against in our world today, you know,
27:59
being in the present moment is one that is really tricky with
28:02
everything coming at us. That's a huge one that so many
28:05
people talk about. They found a way to do that with
28:07
horses. And it's cool to think that, you
28:10
know, you don't have to be out in a field with horses.
28:12
You can take that picture into your home and be able to have
28:15
that moment where you can just be present for a moment and just
28:18
enjoy that beauty for a moment instead of, you know, scrolling
28:21
or running or doing to to be present.
28:25
The calm and the chaos is definitely from especially my
28:28
time as a child. So whenever the outside world
28:31
would get too much, I would go out and spend time with them.
28:34
And it's kind of the same thing I'm doing now when I go travel
28:37
around the world and I get to spend time with horse herds,
28:42
especially because when I am not traveling, I spend a lot of, you
28:46
know, my working hours at my desk, look at a screen, I edit
28:50
photos, I edit reels and, you know, all that sort of stuff.
28:54
And I'm quite a lot in my head, which is why these travels and
28:58
getting to go out with these horses really brings me back.
29:02
Yeah. It's also whenever I'm feeling
29:04
stuck, I know that I probably need to book the next plane
29:07
ticket soon because my biggest inspiration comes from getting
29:11
to go out in the world and preferably at least once during
29:15
the trip, getting to go out and sit with a herd of horses
29:18
because there you can't. You can look at your phone, but
29:22
I, I try not to because I'm, I'm busy trying to notice what to
29:25
photograph. And that just brings me back
29:28
into the present moment and maybe gives a space for all
29:32
those thoughts that you maybe push away a little bit in your
29:35
daily day. So when you get to just sit
29:37
there in the grass and just observe the horses, the thoughts
29:40
can also just yeah. When you're talking about that,
29:44
to me, it's almost like you're able to release those thoughts
29:46
where it's like you can maybe be with your phone and you scroll
29:49
through and your thoughts are gone.
29:51
But like as soon as you get off and it kind of comes back.
29:54
But I feel like when I got out with the horses, and maybe
29:56
you've experienced the same thing, like it's almost like you
29:58
can work through those thoughts and release them.
30:00
Yeah, absolutely. Giving it a space speed because
30:03
we as humans, especially with our phones and computers and
30:07
televisions, we are very good at filling the silence feeling, you
30:12
know, whenever they got. Comfortable not having the face.
30:15
Exactly. And this is, you know, one of
30:17
the only places where I'm forced.
30:20
I say forced, but I kind of enjoy it.
30:22
Just getting to sit down without any distractions and just simply
30:27
being there and enjoying what is in front of me.
30:29
Yeah, yeah, definitely not a bad job, right?
30:32
The best job? Are there any particular travels
30:36
you took or shoots that you had that are especially memorable
30:40
for you? Either what you captured or what
30:42
you experience. So definitely the one with the
30:45
Palomino on the beach, He was quite a young horse at the time.
30:49
I think he was four or five. And this one stands out to me
30:54
because he had never seen the beach before.
30:57
So when he arrived, he was, you know, wide eyed and looking at
31:01
them being like what you know. Is he worried about it?
31:05
Yeah. What are you doing here?
31:07
So this was in Portugal and I the both the owners and the
31:14
horse trainer was there and the Portuguese people are so sweet
31:18
like they will do anything to get you the photos that you
31:22
want. But that also means maybe
31:26
pushing the horses quite a lot of times.
31:28
And they tried to get him into the water at 1st and he was like
31:32
going back and forth and being quite unsure.
31:35
And then I said, okay, can we just all, you don't have to get
31:39
him into the water. You can just let him be and let
31:41
him calm down in this environment.
31:43
And he was still unsure about the water.
31:46
But when then we moved up into the dunes at some point, and I
31:49
still just told them. And I think they might have
31:52
thought that I was a little bit crazy to have traveled all the
31:55
way to Portugal to tell them to drift, let a horse stand there.
31:59
But then at some point up in the dunes when they were just doing
32:01
nothing, he was just allowed to be there and watch.
32:04
His eyes softened. And that's the thing about, you
32:08
know, I can take photos of horses being, you know, in
32:10
situations that made them uncomfortable, that might look
32:14
spectacular, but I wouldn't want to do anything with those photos
32:18
because I know what the experience was for the horse in
32:21
the moment. So that is, I think that's also
32:25
why I'm so careful and so observant because I wouldn't
32:28
want to have photos where I can look back and think, oh, but
32:32
that was when they pushed the horse into the sea or he was
32:35
very, very uncomfortable. So that is quite a big memory
32:39
for me because I, I remember specifically noticing that, you
32:43
know, the moment when his eyes soften and he let out a big
32:46
sigh. And the photos after that was
32:49
just so much better than if we would have kept pushing him.
32:52
Yeah, and such an interesting lesson, I think, for life.
32:55
That kind of goes along with letting go, you know, because
32:58
you were willing to capture and see where it went.
33:01
You got this incredible photo that has now gone on and touched
33:03
other people's lives and been there for them and it's times in
33:07
need. And not the photo that maybe
33:09
they thought you wanted or that you even expected to get, but
33:12
because you're willing to to be open to that experience, which,
33:15
you know, I think life's like that a lot.
33:17
Sometimes we really want to hang on tight and we want to force
33:20
things and it's not working out. But that's how we feel like it's
33:22
supposed to be and it just becomes a really big struggle,
33:26
really uncomfortable. And then we step back and kind
33:29
of all right, all right, life, do your thing, do what you have
33:32
to do, maybe have a little bit more flexibility.
33:35
And a lot of times that's when really beautiful things happen
33:38
in life also. So I love that story.
33:39
That's really beautiful. What are some ways that horses
33:42
have personally affected you and your life and just being able to
33:46
build a life with them in the way that you have I.
33:48
Think because of having such a hard time in school, feeling
33:53
very wrong, feeling like I should be something other than
33:57
what I was. Of course, it's one of the big
34:01
things they've given me is that it's OK that I am the way that I
34:06
am. They held space for me, like all
34:09
of me, 100% of me. And they never passed judgment,
34:13
which is also one of the things that I really want to with my
34:16
social media and, you know, reaching people.
34:20
I really want to pass on that feeling that you're never alone
34:24
in how you feel. Whether you share that feeling
34:27
with a horse or you share that feeling with other people,
34:30
you're never alone. And you're allowed not to fit
34:33
into boxes that society or other people might expect you to fit
34:38
into. And they continue to do that
34:40
today. So I have the horse that I've
34:42
had for 10 years, and I've just recently gotten another horse.
34:45
And I think that's one of the biggest factors is I can just go
34:48
out with them and I can be myself both with my own horses,
34:51
but then again also with the horses that I'm photographing on
34:54
my trips. Yeah, Yeah.
34:55
That piece of acceptance really is huge because I think a lot of
34:58
us struggle with feeling like we're supposed to be something
35:01
specific, we're supposed to fit a certain way and we don't or we
35:05
change to fit that and feel that piece of loss.
35:09
But horses, I think really what they value most is just you
35:12
going in there honestly with who you are.
35:14
And they're kind of like, we'll take you who you are, but just
35:17
tell us that in advance and. Exactly, because you're told a
35:23
lot of experience with humans, you're often taught to be
35:28
something that you're not. And that is often rewarded if
35:32
you are sure managed to put on this mask.
35:35
And then you go out with the horses and you experience the
35:38
complete opposite, that if you try to be something you're not,
35:41
they're going to be like, you know, hell no, I don't want
35:44
anything to do with you until you can be, you know, true to
35:47
who you are. Yeah, yeah.
35:48
I found that same thing as a really beautiful thing about
35:51
about horses. Well, to close up, can you tell
35:54
everybody where they can find you if they are interested in
35:57
seeing your art, where they can purchase it?
35:59
And we'll definitely include this also in the show notes so
36:01
people can just click on easy links and be able to find you.
36:04
But where's the best places to find your work and see the
36:07
pictures and the videos? The best?
36:09
Place is definitely either go to my website
36:13
whichiscatch@yinson.com or just go to my Instagram, which is
36:18
catches, captures. Yeah, those are the 2 like main
36:21
if you go there, you can't go wrong.
36:22
You're kind of in the in the middle of it all.
36:25
And they're absolutely gorgeous pictures.
36:27
Anybody who loves horses should definitely check them out.
36:30
And they really do bring the soul of the horse to life and
36:34
kind of show what the horse is. So I just really appreciate your
36:38
work. It's some that I've discovered a
36:40
while ago. And you have a lot of times you
36:42
even have these beautiful thoughts that go along with the
36:45
beautiful imagery that are very touching.
36:47
A lot of times the messages can like we kind of talked about
36:50
that are so powerful to hear because they're not necessarily
36:54
the big loud mess messages that you're getting everywhere, but
36:57
the ones that speak more to your soul, to inside of you and what
37:01
you might be feeling. The things that maybe sometimes
37:04
we don't talk about or we don't explore because you know, it
37:06
doesn't it doesn't fit in our nice, tidy societies and
37:10
cultures so well. So thank you for the work you do
37:13
and for definitely sharing your talent and also just the spirit
37:17
that horses can share with us in our life.
37:20
And I think it's beautiful that people can take that spirit of
37:23
the horse and bring it into their home in such a beautiful
37:25
way. And I think your commitment to
37:27
the ethics of how you want to do it have really, they really show
37:31
in your art and how it's presented.
37:33
Really appreciate it and thank you for having me on my first
37:36
podcast. Yeah, absolutely.
37:38
I'm so glad that we got to take advantage of that.
37:41
And yeah, I hope that horse lovers everywhere will
37:43
definitely, if they haven't already found you, that they
37:46
will. They will see your work because
37:48
it's absolutely or just anything's planned in the
37:50
future, Trips planned in the future, yes.
37:52
I'm going to Spain this April, which is actually with the
37:57
retreat group that we hosted last year.
37:59
So they get the opportunity to go out.
38:01
There's a very, very cool lady called Lucy Reese, which lives
38:05
in Spain and has like truly wild horses out in the mountains.
38:09
So they got the opportunity to go with me and my friend on a
38:14
different kind of retreat, so I'm really looking forward to
38:17
that and then hopefully I'll be going back to Scotland as well
38:20
this year. I'll be looking forward to
38:23
seeing what you captured there. Are there going to be other
38:25
opportunities for people if they want to join you on the retreats
38:28
and see the horses in person? That will be I'm hosting 2 this
38:32
year but they are both sold out but we are planning on hosting
38:37
another 2 next year so one in summer and one in fall.
38:40
And people can find all the information on my website as
38:42
well and they can sign up for a wait list so they're the 1st to
38:46
know. Awesome.
38:47
Yeah, that's neat. And I bet incredible experiences
38:49
to be out there and to be with the horses and and to learn from
38:52
both of you and and to be able to see them.
38:54
So that is a great opportunity to thank you so much for being
38:58
here and for joining us and talking about horses with me.
39:01
I really enjoyed it, it's always nice to talk with like minded
39:04
people. Thank you for joining us and
39:07
learning about Horses that Heal and the humans who help them.
39:10
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We want to hear your story. As we say goodbye, always
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remember that the horse is always there to help you heal.