Over the course of 2020 Charlotte Detienne Photography undertook the monumental project of telling the story of many special horses and humans, how they overcame the impossible and against all odds, came out on top.

Telling the story of horses and riders is at the core of everything I do.  From our first phone call to discuss your portraits to the moment you hold your printed legacy in your hands for the first time. Be it a highly decorated national champion, a top name stallion or the backyard pony who made a little girl’s dreams come true.  Every story deserves to be told. But there are some stories that deserve extra recognition…

Were you or your horse the hopeless underdog that came back to win a championship?  Were they orphaned? abused? abandoned? or just deemed a lost cause? Perhaps you or your horse bounced back from injury or illness or another potentially career ending setback?  Maybe your horse helped you through a difficult time.  Perhaps your horse has a special talent, job or skill that is changing the lives of others?  Or a special bond with an unusual friend? These are the stories I had the honor of documenting, today I am sharing the incredible story of Elizabeth and Rosie.

Meet Gypsy Rose (aka Rosie), a foster horse from the Georgia Equine Rescue League now residing at Norman Farms LLC just outside of Jersey, Georgia. She was found wandering the streets and was eventually taken in due to poor nutrition and lacking her left eye. The Norman family originally fostered Rosie with the intention of finding her a permanent home, but as you can probably guess, Rosie had other plans. Rosie started out as a difficult horse to find a home for as she had a mind of her own, that is until Elizabeth came into her life.

Elizabeth (3 years old at the time of these portraits), is a beautiful soul diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy around one year old, it mainly affects her legs. With the aid of ankle braces and walkers, Elizabeth has been a fighter from the start making leaps and bounds with her physical therapy. Her mom Lauren would periodically place her on horses to work on trunk control, and then she met Rosie. While spending time in the barn with her parents, Elizabeth used her walker to cross from Rosie’s right side, under her chest, to her left side (blind side) without Rosie even being the least bit alarmed.

“I looked at my husband and knew right away that she understood Elizabeth. She understood that she needed to be still so this small child could experience the simple act of standing to brush a horse. She understood that she needed to walk slowly sometimes so Elizabeth could help lead her to the arena. She understood that she needs to refrain from a full body shake so her small rider does not tumble off.”  -Lauren Norman (Elizabeth’s Mom)

Since then, Elizabeth and Rosie have been each other’s biggest supporters. Rosie has found her happy place in giving and receiving trust from those with the odds against them. While Elizabeth has not only bonded with a once in a lifetime horse but also conquered abilities most children with a similar diagnosis wouldn’t achieve until they are much older – if at all.

The Norman family has since created a physical therapy business called Norman Farms which uses equine motion – commonly referred to as hippotherapy to other children in their community. Rosie is an active horse in their program and her demeanor has continued to blossom, she recognizes when children are around and quiets down to listen. Elizabeth is consistently riding, stopped using her walker and encourages all of the children at Norman Farms. 

Please enjoy a few portraits from this incredible special Against All Odds project, if you are interested in learning more about Norman Farms, you can find them here. Does this blog speak to you? Don’t hesitate to set up a quick phone call here to learn more about how I can create your one of a kind portrait experience!