Equine Photography Meets Passionate Rider and Horse Lover

Ashok Ramam Sanku started horse riding to fulfill his love for Horses and Equine photography. He is one of the few photographers in India who want to specialize in Equine Photography.  Read his account of how he got hooked to Horses and Equine photography, directly from the horses, I mean the photographers mouth.

Many people think that Equine photography and Polo photography are the same but both are two different streams, Equine photography deals with the horse portraits, activities and sometimes their interaction and intimacy with people. Equine photography is more like portraying the different activities of the horse like walking, trotting, cantering, galloping and other activities like  eating, jumping with joy, bonding with his  jockey and handlers etc.

Though I have always liked horses, it was only I started clicking their pictures I realized I want to ride a horse, as you need to make a bond with a horse to click its picture, and you cannot bond with a horse unless you ride a horse. And boy how wrong was I that Equine Photography is same as Polo Photography.

I gone to Hyderabad Polo and Riding club to taking photos of horses, but later it dawned to me that I must learn horse riding  to take good photos of the horse. Once I bonded with my horses, I could take them to where I wanted to click them and they patiently waited for me to click, sometimes even smiling. Slowly I learned there is more to a horse than just riding, as the horses started recognizing me and greeted me every time I entered the stables.

While Equine photography is a profession adopted by many photographers all over the world, in India it is not considered a separate style of photography based on a unique subject. For past 6 months every week I have been  visiting the Hyderabad Polo and Riding club to click pictures and hone my riding skills. But now my aim is not to just click pictures but also to meet the horses that I know and ride.  For some reason I find that when I click a horse that knows me and likes me, the pictures come much better. What do you say do you think the bonding between a photographer and his muse makes the picture come lively? Only in my case my muse is my horse.

Today riding a horse for me is not just hobby and clicking pictures of horses is not a profession, every time I ride my horse it is like being in meditation and trance together. I guess this is what heaven must look like  – a happy rider on his horse galloping together in horizon on milky white clouds.

 

Now if you are wondering that how I can afford such an expensive hobby, let me tell you a secret. You don’t need to own the horses to ride them and thanks to the Hyderabad Equestrian Group and Hyderabad Polo and Riding club you need not own a horse or be member of the club, I simply  can simply pay per visit and ride my favorite horse, the pictures I get to click is the icing on the cake. You can also do the same, kids just love horses and would never ask you to take them to the mall once they get hooked to riding their favorite stallion or mare.

Timings of Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club:  For members 6 am to 10 am in morning and 5 pm to 8 pm in evening, for non members 8 am to 10 am. The club is open from Tuesday to Sunday with Monday being Holiday to give rest to the Horses.

How to reach Hyderabad Polo and Riding club:

Please take exit 18 on Outer Ring Road towards Vikarabad and Ananthagiri hills, (The same route you take for Chilkur Balaji Temple and Gandipet) and just opposite the Mrugavani National Park you will find the lane that takes you literally for a ride at the Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club. Or simply follow the route map above to reach there.

About  Photographer: Ashok Ramam Sanku is  passionate about technology and works for an IT company. But he finds his true calling in Photography and Horse riding. He also moonlights for English travel magazine “Hello Taxi” for cover shot and featured articles, some of the top models in India (Including Miss India Contestants), have posed for him. Check  Flickr and Facebook for more beautiful pictures clicked by him.

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