Hmmm... well I guess you coudl say the same of ANY photos... done by ANYONE. Equally - how often do we read - "these photos do not do him justice"... see? It works both ways.
Of course it does but besides the fact that the flip side of the coin is NOT in question I have never been disappointed by fact that a horse is better than it's photos.
:
This post has answered it's own question.
People keep breeding mediocre horses because they have convinced themselves that it is not the quality of the horse that makes the difference. It is either politics, publicity, show tricks, deceiving photography etc ... Instead we should just try improving our horses, strive to be succesfull without all that. It can be done. If you just take the easy way out you are doing you and your horses an injustice.
Flame away
(preparing to get on a "high" horse here)
There IS politics in shows.
If publicity doesn't help why are the magazines filled with ads?
If there are no show tricks why doesn't my 2X AMHA Top Ten Stud look the same as he did when he came off the circuit?
If some photos are not meant to deceive why are they slanted so much?
I suppose I must be using these things as a "crutch".
Even though I still show and urge everyone else to do so.......
I do not begrudge the people who advertise in either magazine, actually think it's smart business sense......
I don't consider them "tricks" as much as knowledge amassed over the years to know how to do what to each horse to get them to look the best...........
Trick photography? No. Touched up photography? No. The knowledge to look at a horse see his/her best attribute and the skill to conceal it's weakest? Yes.
These things are not the boogie man they do exist and the more people try to say otherwise the more it looks like a "cover up". I feel these things wouldn't be "blamed" near as much as if people would admit to them.
I love the Liz photos, I buy into the whole fantasy and at 30 (well 30 something), married, three kids and bank note much of my fantasy life is dead. Horses do look different sweated, conditioned, clipped and set up, that should be an encouragement for someone to try those things not a detriment. Politics...well the best philosophy I have on that is $%!^ happens deal with it and move on.
My father forgot more things than I'll likely ever know but he did teach me a few things about the "inside" of horse business. Part of that was some horses win but are not worthy of the ribbon but the other
99% win because they are superior and are presented better.
I strive for a horse that is competitive in the ring, no matter the competition but I don't begrudge the person who doesn't have the same aspirations because at the end of the day my horses really don't care about my dreams but rather how well they are fed.
