Amidst the Wild Ones: Day One

Morning

We woke up before the sun which rose before five in the morning. It was a twenty minute drive to where the ponies lived, so we got an early start. Thankfully it didn’t take long to find one of the bands of horses. They were gathered close to the fence line which made it easy to get to them. We stayed with that band while the sun rose and made them and their (misty) surroundings glow. During this time I captured the reference photos for “Morning Glow,” “Brief Encounter,” and “Curious Gaze.” 

We walked around the fen once we spotted another band of horses. We went to the opposite side of them to get some backlit photos. After a while, all of us just sat there, watching as the ponies moved into the lightly forested area in the distance. We were all content just observing and taking in the beauty and peaceful aura they exuded. It was a magical morning. 

Evening

After breakfast, a nap, lunch, and a lesson in horse behavior, we went back out to see the ponies. We split into two groups and my group went to a band along the edge of the woods. We observed some foals scratching themselves on some shrubs, other foals napping near their mothers, the band leader retrieving a mare who had wandered to another band, and several yearlings playing together. During this session I took the reference photos for “Exmoor Foal Sketch,” “Youthful Gaze,” and “Young Friends.” 

We rejoined the rest of the group and watched a different band of ponies while the sun started to set. The light from the sunset made the yellow blooming flowers really glow. The sun set after nine PM that day.