Taking good pictures is harder than it looks. The first thing to remember is that we are looking for a simple, clear photo that shows your horse from hoof to ears, nose to tail. He does not need to look fancy or pretty.

With that said, here are some tips:

You can submit photos printed on photo paper or digital files. You can email us your pictures, or mail them to us. We will scan them and print them onto your certificate.

We will not develop your roll of film to get a picture off of it, and please note that all hard copies of photos will not be returned!

You do not need a fancy camera. Even a disposable camera will do fine. Make sure you have good light so the picture is clear and color can be determined.

Stand the horse on flat ground. Get a helper to either hold the horse or take the picture. If you want to get picky, try to make your horse stand square, with the front together and the back legs together.

Conformation is best determined by a photo that shows them without a cocked hip or lifted leg.

Keep the sun at your back, and avoid turning your horse in a direction that places large shadows across his body-such as the shadow of another horse nearby, or a building nearby.

Take photos of a clean horse. Mud can make your horse with four white socks become a horse with no white socks. Even if you don’t have access to water for bathing, a good thorough brushing should allow all the markings to show.

Take photos of your horse without a saddle or blanket, and remove all wraps or boots. They hide markings that are important!

If your horse has a mane that sticks up in a spiky mess all the time, don’t press it down because it looks prettier! Keep your horse looking just like him or her!

Take photos with your horses’ head at least level with his back. Lower than that, it disrupts the overall look of the horse and makes discerning facial features difficult.

"If your horse's brand is hard to see, try taking a photo of the brand while the horse's coat is wet. It sometimes helps the brand stand out more."

To some extent, we are able to crop photos, so if you are concerned about fitting the entire horse in, go a bit wider around his body. We can crop off the extra space around him.