Disturbing or Interesting Image?
Ready or Not Here I Come
The photo currently at the top of Northernhorse.com (March 1, 2010) was the winner (by quite a bit) of the photo contest. Lots of folks really like it as it won by popular vote. Now we have received 2 comments that it feels disturbing like there is something wrong with the horse as in this comment:
I want to comment on the “winner” of the snow photo contest. (”Ready or not…”) I find the image disturbing. The horse looks unnaturally contorted, which makes me assume it’s either is either digitally enhanced or dead.
Now I don’t really think the photo is digitally enhanced nor dead. I do agree it is a very uncommon position for a horse to be in but I don’t even think it is distressed or particularly uncomfortable. I think it is probably about to lay down and roll.
But I find it really interesting that the same photo can bring out a wide range of emotions in people from funny to disturbing. Feel free to share your comments.
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Interesting – I know this horse, and this is exactly something she would do. She is very much a charactor, and rubbing her head in the snow is very much Carmen. Did I mention she’s not really sure she’s a horse?
HI Lynn,
Now I do not want to stir up the pot, but I personally think it’s ridiculous that people are accusing the winner of the photo contest with the “Ready or not photo” of having a digitally altered photograph, or that the horse ‘is dead’. It’s obvious this person who took this photograph just so happened to catch one of the many wierd and wonderful things horses do. With them now losing their heavy winter coats, they are trying at all costs to shed the heavy, itchy hair, and it appears to me, this is what this horse is doing (my personal opinion)
I think the photo is great, and no matter what the horse is doing, I don’t think it’s in a very ‘friendly’ nature to throw accusations at the lady who submitted this picture. Let’s remember this photo contest is for fun, and if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all…..!
I actually am really interested in hearing comments either way. I maybe should have been more clear. I think the image just feels disturbing to a few people. It gives them a negative feeling instead of making them laugh which is what it did for me. If I thought the horse was in distress I wouldn’t have left the image on the contest page. I, too, have seen horses do similar things to this. Particularly when they are feeling really healthy and energetic and I’ll bet that getting a bit warmed up with heavy, itchy hair probably really makes them feel like getting down and getting the snow to give them a good rub and cool them down. But it is seldom that a photo elicits both positive and negative emotions. It is the fact that it does make different people feel differently that makes it even more interesting to me. I am delighted to have a winning photo that produces some real emotion in people and once again want to thank the photographer who sent it to us. I look forward to hearing how others feel about it.
Guess who ever made the comments that this photo is disturbing, hasnt been around horses very much i have seen many a horses do the same kinda stuff.!!!! in snow, water and mud..straw piles grass
I agree with Karen. I think that because the picture was taken and posted, it is safe to assume that the owner was laughing at the time and wanted to share that with us. If it had been a dangerous or tragic scene there would not have been a photo. The last thing an owner would do if they thought their horse was hurt or dead is think “oh, I better get a picture of this first”.
Wow! Not only did my picture win a photo contest, it’s now on debate as being disturbing or abusive!!! Maybe I should explain my horse and my photography? Karmen is a Registered American Saddlebred mare that was raised in a high end show barn. From a baby they are exposed to everything and when you add her temperament to the mix, you end up with a clown in a horse suit!! This horse would be a great candidate for a trick horse.
I love photography and with owning a farm with many animals I can take up to a thousand photo’s a month! This particular day, I had let the girls out to run in the big field so they could burn off all the good feed they so deserve. As you can see in the picture Karmen is dirty and was rubbing her face in the snow bank…..I just happen to be there with my camera and started clicking away. It has not been photo cropped as I can show EVERY picture from before and after. If anyone wants to see this they can contact me for personal photo’s……Louise@Larsens.ca
This saddens me as this is the first time I have ever won anything in my fifty years of life to be accused of something disturbing or digitally enhance or that my mare is dead???? All I wanted to do was maybe put a smile on someone’s face with a very unusual picture I happened to capture…
Thank you to everyone that voted on my picture, as I am a HUGE Timmies addict and this helped my motivation to apply for the contest!