Western Horses

Horses That Read Cows

Meet the Western horses in the picture in the photobook Paardenkracht (Horsepower) by photographer Fleur Halkema and journalist Carin Smolders.

Even in the Dutch ‘polder’ you can find horses with cow sense. Far from the American grasslands, Wendy van Osch Performance Horses creates its own corner for Dutch cowgirls and -boys. To train her horses and students adequately, Van Osch borrows cattle from het neighbour. She raises and trains American Quarterhorses, but if a student has a different kind of horse, they can ride it in class. However, the AQH has a unique feature built in: cow sense. These horses know cows, it’s in their genes. ‘A horse with good cow sense moves before the rider even notices the necessitiy’, explains Van Osch.

Fully Focused

For the photobook Fleur Halkema Fotografie – Paardenkracht (Horsepower), Fleur and Carin joined Wendy van Osch at her barn. From the back of her favourite horse, Wendy instructs her students. Because she is one of a few people in the Netherlands who teach western-style horse-riding, students come to her from all over the country. Everyone is fully focused on their horse and on the cows that huddle together in a corner of the arena. Dressed to the nines in Western gear, the riders cut single cows from the group. Next, they manage to cut off a few and drive them away as a small sub group. The session ends with happy faces, and a warm shower for the horses before they turn in for the night.

The Western horses embody one of the 23 equine professions highlighted in Paardenkracht. Other featured workhorses include the towboat horses, the one that keeps a mill running, and the horses that drag felled trees out of the forest. These and others, who work for the military, police, and in therapy settings, fill the pages of the informative and visually appealing photobook Paardenkracht, which will be released on June 6, 2026.

(Pre)order now

The book Fleur Halkema Fotografie – Paardenkracht (Horsepower) is available for €15.00 via this website and can be ordered now. Click here to go directly to the order form. Starting June 6, it will also be available in various stores. Click here for an overview.