The Camargue’s Masterful Guardian and their Horses

By Michelle Alten

Camargue horses in full galop

All photos © Wolfgang Kaehler, phototours.us

Today Wolf headed out to a secluded marsh and beach on privately-owned land to capture the Camargue horses in their natural environment.  On the wild, wind-swept wetland and sandy shore the guardians, the Camargue cowboys and cowgirl, herded the horses through the water.  The spirited mares dashed through the calm waters and then the rolling waves of the seashore.  At the end of their run through the marsh, we noticed a horse dropping onto the beach and rolling in the sand.  Then another followed suit.  Then another.  Suddenly all the formerly clean white horses were joyously rubbing themselves in the sand.  They stood up and shook their now brown, filthy bodies.  Lucien, the expert trainer and breeder, shrugged and grinned.  They were using the sand like a towel.

Lucien the guardian

Julie riding a young horse, still donning a grey coat

Both the horses and the guardians gave a show for the photographers.  The young woman Julie, clearly an experienced trainer, was riding a young horse, still donning a grey coat.  She was training the still green four year old but we could see that it already followed her commands quite well.  At one point, she dismounted and hopped onto one of the white horse’s, bare back, to demonstrate the horse rearing.  The horsemanship of all the guardians was masterful.

Slowing down the shutter speed to 1/25 sec is showing the motion

Please email me at [email protected] if you like to get the details on the Provence and Camargue tour in June/July 2018