How to Take the Perfect Horse Photo: Pro Tips from Equestrian Photographer Lillie Ratcliffe07/07/2026 By Aaron EnglanderKey TakeawaysStand your horse square first. A horse resting a leg looks skewed get all four feet planted before you even lift the camera.Get the ears forward with sound. A beaded maraca, a hunt horn played off your phone, or a recording of a strange horse whinnying are Lillie's three go-to tricks.Bathe and groom beforehand. Especially for greys it makes the single biggest difference to the finished image and saves hours of editing.Motion is easier than stillness. A moving horse naturally holds a good shape; a stationary one has time to look bored or drop a leg.The camera helps, but editing wins. A dedicated camera captures light and detail better, but the real difference between photographers lives in post-production.Know your budget tier. A good UK equestrian portrait shoot starts around 500565 always check whether the images are included in that price.Authenticity beats polish. As AI imagery spreads, real horses and real moments are becoming more valuable, not less.Quick Answer: How Do You Take the Perfect Horse Photo?To take a great photo of your horse, first stand them square on all four feet so they don't look skewed, then use a sound a maraca, a hunt horn, or another horse whinnying to prick their ears forward. Bathe and groom them beforehand, shoot in good natural light, and remember that most of the "magic" happens in the editing afterwards.Meet Lillie Ratcliffe: Equestrian Photographer and Viral CreatorOn Episode 39 of the Just Horse Riders Podcast, host Aaron Englander sits down with Lillie Ratcliffe, the 22-year-old founder of Lillie Ratcliffe Photography and one of the UK's fastest-growing equestrian content creators. Lillie has run her equestrian and countryside brand photography business for six years she started it at 16 and now works with names across the horse world while pulling in 300k+ followers across platforms. Her tacking-up ASMR videos have racked up millions of views, including one clip that hit 13 million. In other words, she is exactly the person to answer the question every horse owner has muttered at least once: why does my horse never look good in photos?"How do I get a good photo of my horse? Because I always find I always mess it up," Aaron admits early on which, honestly, is the most relatable opening line we've had on the show. Lillie's answer turned into a genuine masterclass, so we've pulled the whole thing together below.How Do You Take the Perfect Horse Photo?Lillie's method is refreshingly simple, and it starts long before you worry about lenses or presets. It comes down to two things: shape and attention.Start by Standing Your Horse SquareAccording to Lillie Ratcliffe, the first step to a good horse photo is making sure the horse is stood square on all four feet and not resting a leg, because a resting leg makes the horse look skewed. "Make sure that your horse isn't resting a leg at the back because it can make them look really skew especially if they're a warm-blooded horse," she explains. "Make sure they're stood on all four feet like a horse should be. Chances are, if they're on their four feet, they're good for a photo."It sounds obvious, but this one adjustment fixes the majority of amateur shots. A horse propping a hind leg reads as awkward and unbalanced on camera, even if you can't quite say why. Plant all four feet and you're already most of the way there.Getting the Ears Forward: Lillie's Three TricksOnce the horse is square, the whole photo hinges on the ears. According to Lillie Ratcliffe, the most reliable tricks for getting a horse's ears forward are shaking a maraca, playing a hunt horn from your phone, or playing a recording of another horse whinnying. She rattled through them like a magician revealing the act and warned that not every trick works on every horse.The Maraca"Some of them are really they don't. Bugsy doesn't put his ears forward for photos. Maraca doesn't work," Lillie laughs. A little beaded shaker is the gentlest option and often the first thing she reaches for. Younger, curious horses tend to snap their ears straight to it. Seasoned old campaigners like her cob Bugsy? They've seen it all and couldn't care less.The Hunt HornThe second trick comes with a caveat. "If your horse has been hunting, don't do it," she warns you don't want to switch a hunting horse into work mode. But for a chilled horse, a hunt horn played off YouTube through your phone perks the ears up beautifully. Her Thoroughbred Reggie, an ex-racer who hunted at one point, "recognises it enough that he perks up, but he won't go through it, and he'll stay still with his ears forward."The Mystery HorseThe third is the cheekiest: play a recording of a different horse whinnying. "They'll think, who's that horse? I don't recognise that horse," Lillie says. Curiosity does the rest. And the much-mythologised trick of throwing sand in the air? "It's all very, very last resort," she admits a technique reserved for the truly unbothered subject.Preparing Your Horse and Rider Before the Camera Comes OutHalf the battle is won before the shoot even begins. Lillie sends every client a bit of pre-shoot guidance, and it makes a visible difference in the gallery.What Should I Do to Prepare My Horse Before a Photo Shoot?Bathe and groom your horse thoroughly, especially if they are grey. According to Lillie Ratcliffe, bathing and grooming before a shoot makes the biggest difference to the final images and saves significant editing time. She can edit out dirt and grass stains, but a clean horse means a sharper, more polished result with far less work in post.What Should I Wear for an Equestrian Portrait Photo Shoot?Bring three outfits: something smart, something casual, and your everyday yard attire. Lillie recommends variety so you have options on the day, but ultimately advises wearing what feels comfortable a relaxed rider always photographs better than a stiff one. If you're planning a shoot, decent, well-fitting riding jodhpurs and breeches and clean riding boots photograph far better than tired, muddy kit.One quick warning from Lillie: avoid tiny, busy patterns. "Close stripes, really tiny patterns the camera just doesn't look quite right on camera," she says. The lens picks up on fine prints and turns them into a distracting shimmer. A bold, simple pattern is fine; a fussy micro-print will fight the whole image.Is It Harder to Photograph a Horse Standing Still or In Motion?Here's the counter-intuitive one that surprised even Aaron.Is It Harder to Photograph a Horse Standing Still or In Motion?Standing still is harder. According to Lillie Ratcliffe, horses in motion naturally hold a good shape through their gait they can't overthink their ears or plant a leg wonkily, and a jumping horse has to travel in an arc. A stationary horse, by contrast, has all the time in the world to look grumpy, disengaged, or bored, which makes the still shot the trickier of the two to nail."If you know what you're looking for, motion is easier," Lillie explains. "It's the timings of the gait you've got to get just right." She likens it to photographing toddlers far easier to catch one mid-run than to make one sit still and smile on command. Whether it's a dressage extended trot, a show jumping round, or a relaxed hack, movement gives you shape for free.Do I Need a Professional Camera or Is a Phone Good Enough?Phone cameras have come a long way so where's the line?Do I Need a Professional Camera or Is a Phone Good Enough for Horse Photos?A phone can take a good horse photo, but a dedicated camera captures light and detail far better, particularly in tricky conditions like a sunset. The bigger difference, though, is editing: a proper camera file holds enough detail to push colours and presets without falling apart, which is where a professional image really pulls ahead of a phone snap.Why Editing Is Where the Magic HappensThis was one of Lillie's strongest opinions of the whole episode. According to Lillie Ratcliffe, the real skill lies in the editing rather than the moment of capture that's where one photographer's images pull ahead of another's. "Do you think there's more skill in the editing than actually taking the photo?" Aaron asks. "Yeah," Lillie replies, without hesitation.Give the same well-exposed image to two people and the one who understands colour, tone and presets will produce something in a completely different league. It's why "I've got a good camera" and "I take good photos" are two very different sentences.Brand Photography vs Portrait PhotographyLillie splits her work into two worlds, and she loves them for opposite reasons. Brand photography is her bread and butter polished, seasonal content produced across full-day shoots with sourced models and locations, delivered to equestrian businesses on a rolling basis. It's commercial, it's varied, and it keeps the lights on.The Emotional Value of PortraiturePortraiture, on the other hand, is where the heart is. "People just love photos with their horses," Lillie says. "When you give the images back, they're so overwhelmingly pleased with them and they treasure them forever." A portrait captures a bond that won't last forever the horse a rider has now, exactly as they are now. Years down the line, long after that horse is gone, those images are irreplaceable. It's the kind of thing that makes a professional shoot one of the most meaningful gifts a horse owner can give themselves or a loved one.What Does an Equestrian Photo Shoot Actually Cost?Lillie was refreshingly honest about money and about the hidden work behind that headline figure.How Much Does an Equestrian Photo Shoot Cost in the UK?A good UK equestrian portrait shoot typically starts around 500, and Lillie's own portraiture sits at roughly 565. Watch the small print, though: some photographers charge for the session and then charge again for the full gallery of edited images, so you might only receive a handful of photos within the base price. Always confirm exactly what's included before you book.And that day rate isn't pure profit. "When you break down the hours, take off the model fees, the location fees, travel time, the editing time, assistant fees, equipment maintenance it whittles down very quickly," Lillie points out. Aaron, who has run his own business in the equestrian trade for 15+ years, agreed instantly: "A lot of people think you just turn up with a camera and shoot." The editing alone can swallow days.The Cup of Tea That Got 13 Million ViewsNo episode with Lillie would be complete without the story behind her viral moment and it's a lovely reminder that great content often comes from tiny, human details. Her page blew up on the back of tacking-up ASMR: no talking, just the sounds of buckles, brushes and the odd snort from Bugsy. Then, on a whim, she added a mug of tea."I remember just before thinking, what would happen if I just added a mug in with a cup of tea?" she says. "It's the most impractical thing in the world, having a cup of tea in your hand. It stops the scroll. So I did that. It blew up 13 million views." That single video earned her around 40,000 followers in a week, and the tea has been part of the brand ever since. Proof that authenticity, not production budget, is what people actually connect with.AI Imagery vs Authentic Equestrian ContentAaron steered the conversation toward the elephant in every creative industry right now: AI. Lillie is clear-eyed about it. Some of her clients have already switched product shots from photography to AI, and "it kind of shocks you into that reality that maybe at some point photography isn't going to exist in the space it does at the moment."But she isn't panicking and she makes a compelling case for real work. Both she and Aaron believe there's a growing bias toward the authentic. Social platforms are said to favour genuine content over AI "slop," audiences increasingly value things done the harder way, and there's something a viewer can feel in a real horse, a real yard, a real cup of tea. As Lillie puts it, AI "is always too polished. It's not real. It's never going to be a person." The tools are useful for editing and planning; they're not a replacement for the connection that makes equestrian content land.Turning a Hobby Into a Business at 16Beyond the photography tips, Lillie's story is a genuinely inspiring one for any rider dreaming of going self-employed. She started with 25 portfolio-building shoots, worked long hours for little money for years, and slowly built the contacts, experience and confidence to charge what she's worth. Her advice to her 16-year-old self? "Worry less. It will work out."Her one hard-won warning for anyone juggling multiple ventures: don't spread yourself too thin. Scaling back to focus on brand photography, she says, is precisely what "opened doors." It's the kind of practical wisdom that applies whether you're building a photography business or just trying to fit riding around a full-time job and whether that means keeping your horse comfortable through winter with the right turnout rugs or keeping your own routine sustainable, the theme is the same: protect your energy and do a few things well.Watch and Listen to the Full EpisodeThere's far more in the full conversation from the trick pony that lay flat in an arena with its nose in a treat bag for a supplement brand shoot, to Lillie's dad dressing up as Santa (and a dinosaur) for her Christmas content, to the reality of dealing with online hate. It's warm, funny and genuinely useful whether you want a better photo of your own horse or you're thinking about turning your own equestrian passion into a living.Watch now on YouTube below, or listen on Spotify here: Just Horse Riders Podcast, Episode 39.Frequently Asked QuestionsHow do you get a horse's ears forward for a photo?Use sound to grab their attention: shake a beaded maraca, play a hunt horn from your phone, or play a recording of another horse whinnying. Different horses respond to different noises, so it's often trial and error and throwing a little sand is a genuine last resort.Should you bathe your horse before a photo shoot?Yes. Bathing and grooming beforehand makes the biggest difference to the final images, especially for grey horses, and it saves the photographer hours of editing out dirt and grass stains.Is a phone camera good enough for horse photos?A phone can take good horse photos, but a dedicated camera captures light and detail better and gives far more room in editing. The real difference between amateur and professional images usually shows up in post-production, not in the camera itself.How much does an equestrian photo shoot cost in the UK?A good equestrian portrait shoot typically starts around 500, with many photographers charging roughly 500565 for the session. Some charge extra for the full edited gallery, so always check what's included before booking.What's the difference between brand and portrait horse photography?Brand photography is polished, seasonal content produced for equestrian businesses, often across full days with sourced models and locations. Portraiture is more personal and emotional treasured images of an owner and their horse to keep for years.About the AuthorAaron Englander is the Founder of Just Horse Riders, with 15+ years in the equestrian industry and the creator of the Englander Equestrian product line. He hosts the Just Horse Riders Podcast, sitting down with riders, experts and creators from across the horse world.