Over the past decade, Stephen and Carol Ford have published more than 2500 photographs and 150 plus articles chronicling the living history of equestrian activities in the San Fernando Valley and telling the stories of horse people across California. From California Riding Magazine to the Los Angeles Times, you’ll see their credits telling the story of horsemanship with photographs.

The Fords’ equestrian photojournalism is an extra-curricular activity. It started a decade ago as their interest in preserving land-use for horse keeping in Los Angeles, passion for horses and open spaces, and love of photography came together in publishing The Hoof Beat for the Valley Horse Owners Association (VHOA).

In the late 90s, the Fords were struggling with a single question after attending one public hearing after another on horse keeping and zoning: Is there a better method to educate the new generation of politicians and bureaucrats who know little or nothing about the tens thousands of equestrians in their districts? The answer was simple: pictures to tell the story and show the thousands participating in equestrian activities. It’s a matter of preserving a living activity, not a history.
There was a bit of magic to their formulae. The Fords started what was supposed to be a small, local website in 2000 for Valley horse keeping issues. Twelve hundred-plus news stories and three million-plus hits later it seems to have grown beyond original expectations.
The Fords are a photographic team with complementing styles and interests. Equestrian photography is not their only interest. The Fords bring nature, life and landscape alive through their photography. From the trails in Shadow Hills to the high Sierras to the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle to the avenues of Paris or the coasts of Normandy and beyond, the Fords enjoy capturing the image in their cameras.
You can see the Fords’ equestrian journalism on-line at www.vhoa.org and some of their photojournalism on www.ridingmagazine.com. In the fall of 2007, the Fords will be offering their Limited Edition Collection and Horse Expression card selection on-line at wwwMicroArtisans.com, which currently hosts the 25,000 photos they have shot of equestrian events, parades and affairs.