The big picture: Michel Vanden Eeckhoudt’s languorous horse
The Belgian photographer’s 2012 image exemplifies his gift for connecting with animals on camera
Tom Adams
Sundsy 19 January 2025
Recent research into animal behaviour indicates that, contrary to the belief that horses only respond to stimuli in the moment, they have the ability to think ahead and plan their actions. The horse in this picture by Michel Vanden Eeckhoudt seems to have no urgent need for such strategic thinking. The mane of flaxen tresses, the loose ringlets of the tail, the languorous attitude, meadow flowers as far as the eye can see – Vanden Eeckhoudt’s horse seems to exist in a kind of pony club elysium, idly dreaming an afternoon
