Mane N'Tail Madness!                                                 

August 31-September 6, 2015 

Genie Images, Jeanne Harford, equine photographers, event photographers, San Antonio photographers,horses, horse photography, Texas equine photographers
Equine Photographer Genie Images San Antonio     


I don't know if I have mentioned just how much I have enjoyed going back to school.  Attending the Art Institute of San Antonio has been very rewarding and has helped me think in a more creative way.  This is my last quarter and I am taking the last of the 3 Photoshop classes.  Our final project was to create a print advertisement.

I thought about it a few minutes, then the young lady sitting next to me mentioned the fabulous hair product, Mane N'Tail.  Brilliant!  Mane N'Tail was originally a horse care product that somehow made its way to the human retail hair market.  So, I had an idea that I could find a long haired model and beautiful horse and have the model steal the shampoo/conditioner from the horse.

I put out a model call on Facebook and had several people volunteer.  Then I got a message from a client that I had shot at horse shows and she really wanted to take part.  She had done a lot of modeling and had the most beautiful long hair.  Not only was she beautiful, but she had the most beautiful Pony of the America's.  He was truly a gem and the two of the combined would make a dynamite composition.

She invited me to come shoot at her farm in Dripping Springs at sunrise.  I packed my gear and headed up there at o'dark thirty to get a lay of the land and prep myself for a wonderful shoot.  As I pull into the manicured property, I see a darling gazebo with flowers, muffins, and fresh squeezed orange juice on a long Tuscan type table.  This was going to be a great day. 


We shot some sunrise shots in the front pasture and then moved to the back of the barn for the product shots.  She was wonderful, the horse was wonderful, and in the end I got the shots needed for the project plus a few she can enjoy for herself.  Thank you Denise Buschoz and Jagger!

Jeanne Harford


San Antonio Photographer
San Antonio Equine Photographer
San Antonio Event Photographer
Texas Horse Show Photographer
Texas Event Photographer

Texas Revolution Team Roping in Seguin

August 17-23, 2015                             


Genie Images, Jeanne Harford, equine photographers, event photographers, San Antonio photographers,horses, horse photography, Texas equine photographers
Equine Photographer Genie Images San Antonio     
I headed out to Guadalupe County Coliseum in Seguin, Texas this last weekend to shoot Texas Revolution Team Roping event.  This was going to be a great opportunity to practice back button focusing.  These were going to be fast horses and cattle running every which way  . . . what a better time to fine tune my skills. 

Before heading out there, I thought I should brush up on the Rodeo Basics.  It is always a good idea to know where your subject is headed!  I was happy to find out that the routine ran pretty much as the article said.  The header (guy who ropes the head of the steer) and healer (guy who ropes the back legs of the steer) start running after the steer is let loose from the chute.   From there, the header ropes the steer as quickly as possible and pulls him to the left for the healer to swoop in and rope both back legs (or more often . . . one back leg).  If the header misses, it is pretty much game over.  If the healer misses both back legs but does rope one leg, they will at least get a recorded time.


It was all very exciting and by the end of the morning, I was cheering teams on to victory and felt the other's agony of defeat.  I loved the expression of the rider's faces as they throw their ropes in hopes of it falling exactly where it is intended.  I loved capturing all aspects of this sport.  Once you understand the routine, you can track the horses and cattle pretty routinely.  The back button focusing skill was conquered after the first hour and now I don't know how I ever got along without it.   Thank you Tom Turner for taking 15 minutes out of class to explain it to me!

Jeanne Harford


San Antonio Photographer
San Antonio Equine Photographer
San Antonio Event Photographer
Texas Horse Show Photographer

Texas Event Photographer

An Evening at Retama Park Race Track in San Antonio

An Evening at Retama Park Race Track in San Antonio

August 3-9, 2015      

Genie Images, Jeanne Harford, equine photographers, event photographers, San Antonio photographers,horses, horse photography, Texas equine photographers
Equine Photographer Genie Images San Antonio 
Saturday night at the races has been a standard in many cities across the world;  San Antonio is no different.  This Saturday night was the last night of Quarter Horse racing for the summer.  I grabbed my camera and headed out to Retama Park to be there in time to see the horses in the paddock and catch the first race of the evening.

Before heading to the track, I wanted to refresh my betting knowledge and found this site to be helpful: Texas Horse Racing.  This site offers information for all the race tracks in Texas and betting tips.  Personally, I usually just get the dice out of my purse (yes, I always have dice in my purse . . . you just never know when you may need them) and through them.  Whichever two numbers come up is what I bet; one to win and one to place.  It is not much of a system, but has paid off many times to keep it interesting.

I digress . . . it was a beautiful night and the setting sun  illuminated the horses perfectly.  I hung out at the paddock during saddle time and then followed the ponies to the track for their short but fast run.  Fast is an understatement!  These horses are the fastest horse in the world at a quarter of a mile.  The race lasts approximately 18 seconds and most of the horses are in the pack the entire time.  It is truly a horse race!  I got some wonderful shots, but my favorite is the one above. It is not extremely sharp, but there is just something about it that shows the intensity of the moment.


The Thoroughbred meet starts up in a few weeks and will run through October.  Texas Thoroughbred Association is a good source of keeping up to date with their news.

Jeanne Harford


San Antonio Photographer
San Antonio Equine Photographer
San Antonio Event Photographer
Texas Horse Show Photographer
Texas Event Photographer

The Saddlebred Saturday Night Series is Special

 July 27- August 2, 2015                       


Genie Images, Jeanne Harford, equine photographers, event photographers, San Antonio photographers,horses, horse photography, Texas equine photographers
Equine Photographer Genie Images San Antonio 
Every summer, around the first weekend of  August, Paul Cates Stables organizes a wonderful American Saddlebred show.  We all know how hot it is in August, so this show only runs in the evening.  These guys are a class act! 

American Saddlebred Association is the governing body for the breed.  Texas does not have a lot of Saddlebred horses, but the ones we do have are really good quality.  San Antonio has a wonderful club, the San Antonio Saddle Horse Association  and many of its' members were here to support the Saturday Night Series.

The evening sun gave a warm glow to these stunning horses.  Their coats were groomed to perfection and their long luxurious tails glimmered with shiny reflections.  These tall magnificent horses have quite a presences.  Some were saddled in western gear, while most were wearing their classic saddleseat attire. 


The warm up arena was buzzing with big trotting horses, trainers shouting out commands, and riders focused on their prize.  As they called for each class, the warm up arena stopped, the riders formed an effortless line, and picked up the trot to make their grand entrance.  Each class takes approximately 10 minutes and then the riders exit the arena.  This is a wonderful time to see the riders faces; the winners and the losers.  The horses seem to know what has happened too as some come walking out with their heads hanging while others come out bursting exuberance.  If you watch close enough you will notice four types of winners and losers: (1)the angry loser who could care less about their horse, (2) the happy loser how is just happy to able to show a horse, (3)the winner who has won so many times that they could care less, (4)the winner who is thrilled whether it is the first blue ribbon or the 100th.   Enjoy the moment . . . win or lose.

Jeanne Haroford

San Antonio Photographer
San Antonio Equine Photographer
San Antonio Event Photographer
Texas Horse Show Photographer

Texas Event Photographer

A Morning with Danny Moore, Moore Quarter Horses

July 20-26, 2015               


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Equine Photographer Genie Images San Antonio     

             Up Hwy 281, just north of San Antonio past Highway 46, you’ll notice a very large round pen made of poles on the west side of the highway.  You have probably driven by it a million times and wondered, what exactly happens there?  If you look real close, you will notice a cowboy (or two . . . or three) working horses on cattle. Since 1975, this has been the home of Moore Quarter Horses and Danny Moore.
            A morning at Moore Quarter Horses is well worth your time.  I knew the minute I walked up to this cowboy and introduced myself, it was going to be a good day.  He stopped watering, hung the hose up properly, closed the gate, and looked up from under the brim of his hat, stretched out his hand, and said, “Welcome”.  And welcome is how I felt the remainder of the day as he talked about cutting, groomed horses, brought cattle in, gave a lesson to a newcomer, and worked some fantastic horses.  Every move he made was smooth and unhurried.  Even his dogs waited patiently within earshot to respond to his simple and clear commands.  Respect was in the air.  All of the animals and people surrounding this man gave him the respect he was due.  They did not pin their ears nor cower away at his presence; instead they looked to him with eager willingness.  Danny’s mannerisms have created champions in the barn, loyalty in his dogs, and lasting friendships in his life.
I asked a few folks to share some stories about Danny and they were more than willing to chime in.  Claire and Kerianne Robertson were some of the first to respond and say, “Danny is a rare individual; any cowboy who can tolerate the antics of a teenage girl on a young horse working cattle while maintaining his pragmatic composure is okay in our book.” They go on to tell stories of Danny and how generous he is with his time.  He happily let kids and adults alike, “camp” at his place in order to spend the hours in the saddle that are needed to really get a good feel for your horse.
            The Robertson’s also mentioned Danny's trait that is most appreciated by both horses and people; his calm perseverance in the face of anything ranging from uncooperative critters or humans, to calamity, to downright ignorance. If the Second Coming happened while you or he was working with cattle or a horse, he would calmly give instructions to finish your work.  Danny has an unhurried pace while getting things ready… a plus for horses and cattle.  His lessons are not a quick mount up, go around a few times, and get off.  Oh no, the whole process will take time - lots of it.
            Lee Allen (well respected Realtor of Horse Properties by Lee Allen), says she has known Danny for over 30 years.  Lee has a multi champion Arabian mare, Phantom Gayle, which Danny has tuned up many times.  She loves his methods of “reward and repetition” instead of the common “jerk and spur”.  The Arabian mare is definitely not Danny’s normal client; he is a Quarter Horse man through and through, but never shies from a good horse.
            Danny grew up showing champion halter and performance horses here in Texas. It did not take him long to make the switch to where the action was; cutting.  When I asked Danny who impacted his cutting career, he thought for a minute and then quickly rattled off Claude Stamper, Joe Blaylock, Olan Hightower, Bobby Lewis, and Teddy Johnson to mention just a few.  He said each of these folks represents values and training methods that he has molded into his own style.
            Danny’s life has been horses; his 45 year membership with the American Quarter HorseAssociation is part of that proof.  He has also been an active member of, and participates in National Cutting HorseAssociation, American Cutting Horse Association, World Cutting HorseAssociation, and Hill Country Cutting Horse Association events and activities.  He has done a little bit of it all; competitor, trainer, instructor, and has even held an APHA judges card for 40 years, He figures that on any given year, he happily hauls to approximately 35 cutting events for one reason or another. 
            Recently Danny traveled to Abilene for the 4-H state horse show to help two of his youth clients in the cutting.  He was chosen to settle the cattle and turned back for many of the youth competitors. Andra Wisian, long-time friend and client of Danny’s was there and said, “One youth participant was younger than most, about 11 years old.  He didn't have a lot of horsepower underneath him, but was able to make fairly good cuts.  Danny coached him in the first go and the kid made it back to the finals.  In the final round, Danny's coaching of the boy was so intense that the two could have been in the practice pen all by themselves and not in front of a few hundred people in the Taylor Expo Coliseum. Danny hollered loudly instructions to the youth every step of the way: step up, slow down, ride, get across, sit, quit.  The youth did better than he ever imagined and it was easy to see that if he rode regularly with Danny, he would have a far better chance of ending up in the money.  It didn't matter to Danny that the youth was not his client.  He saw a way to coach a kid who was grateful for the help and that was all that mattered”.
            Danny Moore and the Quarter Horses he breeds and trains, are the gold standard in the cutting business.  Danny has bred many champions over the years, but there is one favorite horse that stands out-Wild Conversion, also known as Boon.  This horse was on the cutting horse honor roll 2010-2013 and holds a special place in his heart.  Owned by Andra Wisian, Boon still continues his winning ways placing 1st and 3rd at the State 4H Championships this year.  This horse, and other established champions, mix well in the barn with the young talent that are coming up.  Danny says he has some great stock by Bet Hesa Cat and Metallic Cat that are going to be superstars in the very near future.

 Moore Quarter Horses has stood the test of time; breeding, training, and showing winning cutting horses for over 40 years. Danny, his sons Dewayne of MooreCattle.net and Clay, wife Vicky, work tirelessly on the farm to make it the success it is today.  I asked Danny for some parting words and he said, “I still have lots of goals I’ve yet to achieve, and I am looking forward to the future of this business”. Thank you Danny Moore for being the professional you are, and taking the time to educate me and countless other on the incredible world of cutting.

Jeanne Harford

San Antonio Photographer
San Antonio Equine Photographer
San Antonio Event Photographer
Texas Horse Show Photographer
Texas Event Photographer

Michael Vermaas Benefit Horse Show

July 13-19, 2015                                         


Genie Images, Jeanne Harford, equine photographers, event photographers, San Antonio photographers,horses, horse photography, Texas equine photographe
Equine Photographer Genie Images San Antonio    


I have been working for the Horse Gazette  magazine since the beginning of the year and loving it.  When my editor, Marilyn Hazen, called needing some images of a benefit horse show at Retama Equestrian Center for Michael Vermaas, I said yes in a New York minute.

I met Michael earlier in the year when he asked me to shoot his schooling show for the Working Equitation Texas  club.  He was a vibrant man that was enthusiastic about his horses and teaching others about horsemanship.  Shortly after our meeting, Michael had an unusual accident.  As he explains it, "I was just riding a rambunctious horse and then felt a pop".  He had not fallen off nor had he collided into anything . . . just a "pop".  He got off his horse and things did not feel quite right.  He went home and started to feel worse and then decided to see a doctor.  It turns out he had fractured his pelvis (and open book fracture).  If that was not enough, he had significant internal bleeding and was put in ICU.  He was hospitalized for a lengthy period to surgically repair the bleeding, the break, and then rehab.  As a horse trainer, this is devastating.   Not only would he not be able to work the horses in the barn, but self employment usually does not have very good insurance.  The medical bills were mounting and the income was dwindling; not a good time in his life.

Michael never gave up nor lost hope.  He stayed focused on healing and his community rallied around him to give him a leg up.  This benefit show was only one of the many ideas generated to create some income for Michael.  The show was a success and they also held an silent auction to make the numbers even better.  Michael continues to heal and we hope that this show can at lease ease some of his financial pain.
Jeanne Harford


San Antonio Photographer
San Antonio Equine Photographer
San Antonio Event Photographer
Texas Horse Show Photographer

Texas Event Photographer

Birthday Party Deluxe 

May 11-17,2015

Genie Images, Jeanne Harford, equine photographers, event photographers, San Antonio photographers,horses, horse photography, Texas equine photographers
Birthday Event Photographer Genie Images San Antonio Texas
I got a phone call back in February from a wonderful lady who used to take horseback riding lessons from me. Today she was not calling about horses, instead she needed an event photographer for her granddaughter's 4th birthday party.  She told me the party would be in May and at her son's house with a few activities.  "Sounds like fun", I said and booked her for a 4 hour shoot.

Over the next few months I would get a periodic email regarding the party and some ideas she had for props and set ups.  I could tell she was really into this, and I would reply as quick as possible to confirm or deny the plausible uses of the fun ideas.  I loved that she wanted this party to be everything that her granddaughter wanted.  To be honest . . . I could not tell you what happened at my 4th b'day party.  The pictures I have are of a small group of kids crammed at a paper covered dining table wearing paper hats, complete with color coordinated blow horn/rolly things. I had a feeling that this party was going to be waaaaay different.

I arrived at the home an hour early as requested to get the lay of the land.  The family was busily getting everything ready as my client showed me around.  First stop was the back deck with a covered wagon "chuck" full of sweets and savories for all tastes.  To the right was the adult beverage Margarita Man machine (mental note made to sample upon my departure!). As I turned the corner I could then see that the "activities" had morphed into a birthday extravaganza!  There was a swimming pool, hay bale circle, face painting chair, photo area with saddle & funny hats, pony ride & petting zoo section, and jungle gym for all to enjoy.

Genie Images, Jeanne Harford, equine photographers, event photographers, San Antonio photographers,horses, horse photography, Texas equine photographers
Birthday Event Photographer Genie Images San Antonio Texas
I settled into my vantage point so I could capture the happy faces in every corner.  As the guests arrived they immediately gravitated to the jungle gym (Pony Parties by Dawn had not arrived yet).  Once the back gates opened and the first miniature cow was led through . . . they all moooo'ved to the petting zoo pen.  There was the mini horse,a mini cow, a goat, a sheep, some ducks, and handful of baby chicks.  What surprised me most was, that of all of the critters, the baby chicks drew the most attention. The coordinator gathered all the children around and explained that you must hold the baby chicks with 2 hands and you must be sitting on the little stools supplied.  All nodded in agreement as they grabbed a stool and thrust their two hands cupped together eagerly in front of them.

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Birthday Event Photographer Genie Images San Antonio Texas
Pony rides commenced.  Face painting went on at a fevered pace.  Critters were petted.  And then, as if there could not be any more delirium . . . the back gates opened again!  The Kona Ice Truck drove thru and everyone stopped what they were doing and headed out for a treat.  The brightly colored truck playing tropical tunes put it in park and welcomed the herd of children running to get some frozen fun.  I could hear the animals in the background take a long breath as they got a momentary break from the abundance of "love" they had been given.


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Birthday Event Photographer Genie Images San Antonio Texas
As the children enjoyed their treats on the deck, the pony and petting zoo got packed up to make room for the grand finale.  The prized white pony with red flaming mane/tail pinata was presented and hung from the lone Mesquite tree in back corner of the yard.  The children were ushered to the area and mandated to form a line to take a swing at the prize.  The boys were clambering at their try to "kill" the pony with the big stick.  "Whack his head off ","take a leg off", and "make his guts fall out" were the screams heard from the yard.  If you were passing by you would wonder if this was some illegal fight ring or just good fun . . . Texas style!

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Birthday Event Photographer Genie Images San Antonio Texas
The pony was destroyed, his guts (loads of candy) fell out, and villagers rejoiced!  Everyone went to grab as much as they could, as fast as they could, and it was a good ending to a fantastic day.  The kids bagged up their booty and headed towards the porch for final goodbyes to each other.  It was over.  At first glance, all you could see was the remaining litter of animal excrement, pinata parts, shredded hay bales, soccer balls floating in the pool, and Kona Ice cups crumpled on the lawn.  But hopefully, the images I took will remind them that it was all worth it!  This was no birthday party seated at a dining table . . . this was one fun filled afternoon!

Jeanne Harford


San Antonio Photographer
San Antonio Equine Photographer
San Antonio Event Photographer
Texas Horse Show Photographer
Texas Event Photographer