When Angel wanted to do his senior session at his family's ranch, my homebody heart skipped a beat, and not out of excitement. Now, I’m not exactly what you’d call an animal person. Let's just say, if I ever had a spirit animal, it’d probably be a house plant. Safe, sedentary, and utterly harmless.
So there I was, standing in a field, surrounded by creatures that could sense my trepidation. Angel’s beloved horse took one look at me, likely thinking, “Ah, fresh meat,” and decided to test my nerves. A little bit of prancing, a tiny neigh, and my own internal monologue went something like, “This is it. This is how I go.”
But Angel, being the calm rancher that he is, assured me that the horse was just playing—or sensing my anxiety. He wasn't worried, so I tried to channel my inner cowboy (sans hat and horse-whispering skills), and calmed myself down.
And wouldn’t you know it? In that moment of zen, Angel gave his horse a gentle pet, and boom—the horse went in for a hug. Yes, a hug. I caught the most magical shot of them, eyes closed, in a moment of pure affection. Cue the swooning and spontaneous outburst of “aww” from my inner animal lover, which I didn’t even know existed.
By the time we wrapped up, my shirt was clinging to me like a wet towel, and I’d probably lost a pound or two in sweat alone. But as they say, the show must go on—and it did, in all its sun-drenched, horse-hugging glory. Thanks to Angel, I learned that fear can lead to the most unexpectedly beautiful moments, and maybe, just maybe, horses aren’t so bad after all.
Here’s to conquering fears, braving the heat, and capturing one heck of a senior session. Cheers to you, Angel, and your incredible four-legged friend for making this adventure one for the books!
