Horse Illustrated Magazine

There’s no sight quite as majestic as horses on the beach in front of the mighty ocean. That goes double when the horse is an impressive draft horse, like the equines of Express Clydesdales.

During a pre-Christmas photo shoot last year, Express Clydesdales hit the beach for a breathtaking setting befitting their gorgeous black-and-white Clydesdale horses. One of the horses got a little excited in the crashing waves, and it appears he may have briefly forgotten about his human handler. When a 2,000-pound horse decides he’s going to take off into the ocean and you’re on the other end of the lead rope, you’re going to take a swim. There’s just no way around it.

Fortunately, this handler held on and managed to keep his equine charge from swimming off to the islands while also managing not to inhale a lung or two full of saltwater. Note the, “Hey, bud. You okay?” look the horse gives his human friend around the 1:25 mark in the video.

Props to the crew involved in this day at the beach for doing what it takes to get the shot. We’re glad everyone made it through relatively unharmed.

Click here to read more about the Express Clydesdales.

Leslie Potter is a writer and photographer based in Lexington, Kentucky. www.lesliepotterphoto.com