Photo by Tatyana Zadorin Photography

Samantha Dawn Ebeling is the owner of Heart Of A Cowgirl Photography located
in Louisburg, Kansas, USA.
Spirit Farm (SF): ​The essence of your photography, as stated on your beautiful
website, is “reminding people why they fell in love with the horse”. Can you tell us
how and when you first fell in love with horses?
Samantha Dawn (SD): I don’t think I can quite pinpoint the exact time when I fell
in love with horses. I think it is one of my earliest memories though….loving
horses. I was that “weird” kid in school that was obsessed with horses. Maybe it
was just in my DNA and that’s why I can’t remember…
I can, however, remember being very young and even running around on all fours
like a horse (like I’ve found out soooo many horse girls did too, so thankfully I
don’t feel TOO weird… lol). I remember literally driving my whole family INSANE
with it. I even got my friends to run around on all fours like horses with me.
Thinking back… their parents sure must have loved me… lol. It didn’t help much
that my Dad and my grandparents enabled that horse love…. anytime they would
go somewhere they would pick up anything horse related and bring it home to
me.
My first horse “on paper” was a 4 or 5 year old Haflinger mare who’s Dam was
imported from Austria. I don’t think I’ll ever forget her name – it was “Lil Bi ‘O
Honey” a.k.a Honey. My life growing was kind of hectic so my real Mom sold her
and I don’t know who to. Sad, but I had such a wonderful bond with that little
mare. That’s probably the strongest bond I’ve ever had with a horse. We
definitely loved each other so much.
That being said…I do know many people who CAN pinpoint exactly where they
were when they saw a horse and that “love” just flooded their system. I love
hearing my client’s backstories with horses, it fills my heart and helps me create
art of their horses for them.
SF: ​Do you have a favourite breed to photograph? If so, what makes this breed
stand out to you?

SD: Had I been asked this question five or 10 years ago…I would have told you
either a Quarter Horse or a Friesian. Now, without a doubt, it is the Gypsy Vanner
(or Gypsy Cob). The first Gypsy I ever met was back in the early 2000s but my first
REAL introduction was in 2017 when I met SD Hercules (Hank).
These horses have a rich history, are stunningly beautiful and their temperament
and disposition is second to none. They are still such a new breed, in comparison
to many others, so I really love to be able to promote these horses through my
eyes and camera lens – especially to people who don’t even KNOW this breed of
horse exists! I love to not only promote the breed correctly, but, to show the
intimate side of these horses…their heart, soul, personalities, and power!! It’s
true these horses are one of a kind… I’ve not met another breed like them. I am
very fortunate to be a part of this amazing horse breed.
SF: ​Do you have a favourite place/setting to photograph horses?
SD: My favorite setting is in a field, right before sunrise or sunset. I can’t quite put
my finger on the magic that happens when you pair horses with “the golden
hour.” I find my soul comes alive, my heart sings, the horses actually have a
louder voice for me to hear, and my creativity knows no bounds during this time.
Horses are such a magical and special animal….I can’t say ‘d feel the same if I
were out in a field photographing bunnies (Not that bunnies aren’t cute….but
there’s something about a horse).
If I had to choose an exact favorite place….I would love to photograph more
horses on the beach. Beaches are already beautiful then to add a horse or two to
them just sets it over the top…dreamy would be the correct word!!
SF: Who is/was your heart horse?
SD: That’s a tough question. I have two horses…and both have different parts of
my heart. I have a QH mare (Vegas) who is one side of my heart and I have a
Gypsy Vanner gelding Tim, a son of SD Hercules, who has the other half. They
both take up different parts of my heart for various reasons. I am a person who is
very much “in my head” which can be perceived as being aloof or stand-
offish…which is accurate for my mare Vegas. Then, I’m also very outgoing, playful,
and social which is my gelding Tim to a T!! I don’t know if I could choose just one.

SF: ​What do you consider your greatest achievement in the horse world and what
would be your legacy?
SD: I feel my greatest achievement would, potentially, be showing people the real
heart, soul, and raw power of The Horse. Photographing the horse correctly
enough to promote them but also making them into ART. That’s another big thing
for me – to be able to turn someone’s horse into what horses have been for
CENTURIES….Art!! I hope my legacy will be that someone can look at my work
and know how much I loved horses and without knowing these horses personally,
I hope they can ‘know’ them through my work! I never want to be the person who
just takes “a photo” of a horse… even just a pretty photo. I hope I can show the
world that you can properly show off a horse and have it be ART as well!!
SF: ​If your horses could talk, what would they say about you?
SD: HA HA! Oh I love this question!
I guess that depends on the day… some days I think the horses feel I’m just
interrupting their day by having a weird thing pointed at them as they have to
stand for photos. Other days I think horses really love to show off for me and you
can see it!! I think what they would say would depend on the horse, each horse
has such a personality.
OH, I just realized you said if MY horses could talk…
That could be even funnier actually. My mare, Vegas, would probably tell me to
bugger off and leave her alone and to stop shoving my phone and camera in her
face and asking her to “look pretty”. Tim would probably just ask for more food
and all the pets. He comes right up to the gate first to get love (with or without
food). Vegas would just prefer to be left alone and have the company of horses
over humans!
SF: ​How have horses changed your life?
SD: Horses are the core of my life. My life is molded around and intertwined with
horses. They are anywhere and everywhere when I look around me at ANY given
moment. Horses have put amazing humans in my life, I wouldn’t have met all
these amazing people if it weren’t for them!! Horses have taught me to throw my

heart over first and the rest will follow – the confidence I have gained from them
is amazing. Horses are silent but to those who can listen, hear all they have to say.
There have been many horses, that weren’t mine, that had and still do have such
an impact on my heart and have shaped who I am today. One horse, in particular,
being the Gypsy Cob stallion SD Hercules (Hank). There are not enough words to
begin to convey what this stallion, and his owner, have done for me. Doors began
to open for me that I didn’t even know existed.
While he wasn’t the first Gypsy I had ever met he was the first one I had
photographed and got to know on a personal level in 2017.That was also my first
year with “full time” photographer status. It seems only right that Hank would
enter my life at a time when I needed him the most. Hank and his owner Shannon
have opened up doors to this amazing world of the Gypsy Horse and I am
eternally grateful that she saw what I could become long before I even saw it
myself.
Horses saved me back in 2014 in the darkest time of my life. My boyfriend at the
time (who was also a horse person) was a Marine, with a tour or two under his
belt, and suffered from PTSD and ended up taking his life over it. I was so young
and the world was such a dark place for me then…if I had not had had horses in
my life….I’m not sure where I would be today. That story is not something I bring
up or mention much just because of the sadness behind it, but, I believe that,
maybe, I’ve been assigned mountains to show others that they can be moved. If
my struggles can help even just one person…. I will call that a success. I have seen
horses change other lives as well. My husband is a seven year Army Combat
Veteran, with two tours, and has been blown up twice resulting in a severe
traumatic brain injury (TBI).
When I first met this man he was probably as spirited as a wild horse and just as
mean when cornered. PTSD wreaked havoc on him – mentally and physically. At
the time when we met I did not own any horses but ALL my friends did.
I had heard of what horses could do for combat veterans and still to this day I see
his eyes light up in the presence of horses. Horses are amazing healers and I have
seen this FIRST hand for what they have done for my husband.

I only wish I was wealthy enough to have a center for combat veterans to learn
how to work with horses and heal themselves. I would love to see more Gypsy
Horses in this line of work because, knowing this breed, they would EXCEL at
working with veterans.

SF: Thank you, Samantha Dawn, for taking the time to share your experiences
with Spirit Farm Gypsy Cobs and their followers.