We don’t often see Bashkir Curlies, so I was thrilled when I had a chance to photograph one at an eventing barn, Sandy Hill Farm in West Olive, MI., in it’s own Equine Portrait Session, as well as a Horse & Rider Session with it’s beloved owner, Abigail.
Since this is a rare breed, here are some fun facts about American Bashkir Curly Horses!
Breed standards state that eyelashes should curl upward, ears should have curls inside (as ear hair doesn’t shed out in the summer), a shorter back, heavier boned legs, a mane with extra fine hair that is preferably kinked or wavy, tails that partially or fully shed out at the end of summer, with an even and friendly disposition that creates a versatile horse for any discipline, and a hardiness for winter weather.
The origin of Bashkir Curly horses is unknown. They have been depicted in artwork that dates back as far as 161AD in China, but people today debate about their origins coming from either Russia or South America. The first Bashkir Curly in America was reported in the 1800’s and took nearly 100 years for the American Bashkir Curly Registry to open.
The genetic side of Bashkir Curlies (… This language is a bit over my pay grade, but this is an interesting tid bit from another source.)
“Scientists have identified two dominant genetic mutations that produce a curly coat.
The KRT25 gene mutation affects the structure and function of keratin proteins in hair follicles, leading to the characteristic curly hair pattern seen in these horses.
Horses with either one or two copies of the gene, display curly hair. The SP6 missense mutation is another gene mutation in horses that changes how hair proteins are produced or structured, resulting in curly hair.
Studies show that the KRT25 and SP6 genes have epistatic interactions in Curlies that inherit both mutations. This means that the combined effect of both the KRT25 and SP6 genes on the curly coat phenotype is different from the sum of their individual effects. These effects explain the variations in curly coat types seen in the breed.” (source: https://madbarn.com/american-bashkir-curly-horse-breed-profile/
Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with fun facts about the breed, here is a bit about Abigail and Curly’s photoshoot!
The day of our session was a typical fall day in Michigan, overcast, threatening to rain, with 15mph winds whipping through the pastures and outdoor arenas. We were all freezing, but it didn’t stop us from having fun!
We photographed Curly first in his Equine Portraits against a black background. He was rather perturbed by our toys, and decided to pose by himself, on his own time. It encouraged me to be more creative and faster with capturing desired shots when they appeared naturally!
After his Equine Portraits, we headed out to the stadium jumping arena to focus on the Horse & Rider portion of their session. His surprisingly uphill canter and extended trot caught Abigail off guard, and with a slippery coat from his bath, she was laughing her way through their ride, trying NOT to fall off! She hung on, but this broke the ice for being in front of the camera, and allowed the candid portraits of their bond incredibly easy to photograph.
A quick outfit change to a flowy skirt, a few photos in the dressage arena, and than out to the cross country field to capture more of their relationship through action photos.
Take a peek at my favorite photographs from our session below and read Abigail’s testimony at the end!
“Jesse has taken pictures of both my horse and my dog and both experiences were fantastic! Despite some not so nice weather on the day of my horses shoot Jess managed to get amazing pictures that captured my horses personality beautifully. She is great at getting everyone (horse/dog and human included) to relax and have fun which resulted in beautiful photos and great memories! I cannot recommend Jesse enough!”
J.Klein Photos is based out of Michigan, but available for travel throughout the USA.
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