Evie & Maverick

There is something rather special about growing up with a pony.

The early mornings, muddy boots, pony cuddles, little adventures and all the lessons that somehow seem to happen without you even realising you're learning them. And when that pony has a personality as cheeky as Maverick, I imagine there are plenty of stories along the way too.

At just five years old, Evie has already shared so many adventures with Maverick. From hunting and showing to all the little moments in between, he has been a huge part of her childhood and has taught her so much along the way.

Maverick is one of those very special family ponies who becomes far more than a pony. He is part of the family, part of the memories and, I suspect, part of quite a few of the stories that Evie will still be telling years from now.

That relationship was what I really wanted to capture.

Not simply photographs of a little girl with her Shetland pony, but photographs of this particular chapter of their story.

For this shoot, I wanted to explore something a little different and begin a creative series photographing horses and their people in some of the beautiful country estates and historic properties around us.

We were incredibly lucky to be able to use a friend of a friend's beautiful 17th-century farmhouse as our setting. With its historic character, beautiful grounds and wonderfully timeless feel, it was the perfect backdrop for Evie and Maverick.

I loved the contrast between the old farmhouse and this little girl with her tiny pony. The building has been there for centuries, while Evie is right at the very beginning of her story with Maverick.

And that is exactly what I love about photographs like these.

The setting might make them beautiful, but it is the relationship that makes them meaningful.

Years from now, I don't think Evie will look at these photographs and simply remember the pretty farmhouse. She'll remember being five. She'll remember Maverick. She'll remember what it felt like to be little and have this funny, cheeky pony by her side.

Five is such a fleeting age.

There will be a day when Evie is taller, her riding has changed and Maverick has slowed down. The things they do together will evolve, and the little girl who fits so perfectly beside her Shetland will be a distant memory.

That's the wonderful thing about photographs.

They allow us to hold onto the parts of childhood that we know won't stay the same.

The muddy boots and little hands. The cheeky pony faces. The way a child looks at the pony who means the world to them. All those seemingly ordinary details that become incredibly precious once time has passed.

I think that is why I love photographing children and their ponies so much. It isn't really about creating a perfect picture. It's about remembering who they were together.

Because one day, when Evie is grown up and Maverick is no longer the pony she rides everyday, these photographs will take her straight back to this moment.

Five years old.

Her little Shetland.

And a childhood spent with ponies.

If you have a child whose pony is already woven into the fabric of your family life, I'd love to create something that tells their story too. Whether that means photographs at home, around the yard or somewhere completely beautiful and unexpected, we'll create something that feels like them — relaxed, natural and full of the little things you'll want to remember.

Because they really do grow up far too quickly.