For some photographers, the landscape is the beauty of the subject but for photographer Ruth Chamberlain, the picture is always enhanced with an animal in shot.

“They just make it more interesting,” says Ruth, who grew up in the Lake District in Scotland. “I picked up photography as a hobby and my pets were my first muses. We always had native Fell ponies.”

In fact, the ponies were so part of her life that when she started to post photos of them during the pandemic – to share the stunning scenery with people who couldn’t visit the area – she was surprised that many had never heard of them. “That was it, that was my inspiration,” she says. “From there, I began my project ‘Ruth On The Hoof’ to document native breeds in their natural landscape.”

Ruth believes that native breeds are hugely important to our collective history, heritage, and culture.

“Our society was built on their backs and many areas could not have been settled without them. They have formed the very landscapes in which we live, and are uniquely adapted to their own region.

"There is a famous saying by Fr Calum MacLellan about the Eriskay Pony. He said, ‘Without the people of Eriskay there would be no pony, but without the pony there would have been no people on Eriskay.’ I find this saying holds true for many native breeds and we owe them so much. They also have an important role in our future, in biodiversity and finding greener ways to do jobs in the rural landscape – their story has not ended.”

The Irish native breeds are equally captivating to Ruth and on a recent visit, she was beguiled by their character and beauty.

“The Kerry Bog Ponies are stunning, and by no means to be underestimated due to their size. They are plucky little ponies, but definitely have the sort of iron constitution and resilience needed to survive in the depths of winter. They have such character and what they lack in stature, they make up in personality.

“The Connemara Ponies are like watching unicorns – it is unusual to see so many ponies that have greyed out completely to white gathered in one place. When I saw them galloping by the sea, I just thought, ‘wow, they are simply magical’. Aside from their beauty, I was told they were the “original tractor” for the region and it’s easy to see how versatile and necessary they were.

"They’re a large breed that is well-suited to all sorts of work and are perfectly adapted to the Connemara region (which is so different to Kerry). The Irish breeds all combine beauty and elegance with a strong working pony that is still well suited to work today.”

Ruth’s love of natives hasn’t remained simply professional, she currently has two Highland Ponies and a donkey at home.

“I grew up with a Palomino pony and a Welsh Section A cross in my younger years, as well as two other Highlands and three donkeys. In short, lots of ponies and donkeys who taught me a lot about how their minds work. I enjoy watching them interact as a herd. The ponies are always wonderful to ride out on the fells, they’re so surefooted and you always feel secure on them.”

Best moments

For anyone who has aspirations to become an equine photographer, Ruth has some sound advice, “Get to know your camera, it doesn’t have to be the best camera in the world – it’s all about knowing how to use it. Aim towards taking a certain type of photo (such as a portrait) and learn the best settings to achieve that. Practice makes perfect so keep taking photos and look at how you can improve. Most of all, get to know your subject and their behaviour.

"Knowing when a horse or pony is uncomfortable is very important – you want to capture their best moments and not stress them. Always be respectful of horses and their owners and never feed or chase them without asking an owner or carer first. Personally, I don’t tend to do “staged” photoshoots as I prefer natural free roaming ponies and I like to spend time with them first, to let them get used to me.”

Travel is another important part of Ruth’s quest for the perfect photograph, “You learn so much from experiencing the animals first-hand. In my case, there are many minor details I learn about each breed that simply cannot be obtained from reading a book.

"Speaking to the people who live and breathe their ponies makes each trip unique and gives a whole new perspective on that breed. I travelled to the Faroe Islands last year and learned so much in just a few days there.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Iceland to see the Icelandic horses – I met their close relatives the Faroese Horse last year so now I’m intrigued. There are a few other breeds in Europe I would love to see in person too, and of course the Mustangs and Chincoteague ponies in the USA.

“A friend once said to me, ‘never turn down an opportunity to travel if you can’ and I’m glad I listened to his words, it has taken me on some wonderful adventures.”