This photo of the Lusitano, Roucio, is one of the most famous images created by our founder and equine photographer, Susan McClafferty of Mareish Media. Observers often remark that he looks vicious, or angry, or unhappy in this image. It provides us with a wonderful opportunity to explore horse facial and postural cues to see how he is actually feeling. The final image has been rotated somewhat for artistic dramatic effect, so we gave 6 of the unedited behind-the-scenes photo

Breath, biomechanics and bridles are quietly reshaping equine welfare. Non-invasive AI tracks respiration, markerless motion capture and IMUs make biomechanics practical, and policy now ties tack to readiness. Together these tools move care from guesswork to measurable action.