| The Foal Project To Benefit Equine Assisted Therapies & Therapeutic Riding Centers |
Welcome to The Foal Project!
I became interested in documenting foal births in 2010 after a friend of mine mentioned she had two pregnant
Thoroughbreds. I thought it would be fun to document a foal birth through photography, and even though the idea of
hanging out in a cold barn in the middle of winter didn't thrill me, the idea of being present during these births did.
I knew very little about horses and even less about birthing a horse, but for some reason I was really excited about
documenting this. So when the time came for the first birth I was there and I did exactly what I’d set out to do,
photograph the birth of a foal from the moment the water breaks until the foal starts to nurse. It was an amazing site to
behold! Even more amazing was that the next day, as I sorted through the hundreds of images, I found two or three
incredible shots of the moment when the mare and the foal first connected. It was electric how the images jumped off the
screen and hit me like a lightning bolt between the eyes! I knew I had to do something with these images...but what?
A few weeks later it was time for the second mare to give birth. Once again I managed to be there to document the
event. The highlight of that evening: when I had to put my camera down and give a pull on a very large baby that had
trouble getting out. I can't tell you how it felt to facilitate the birth of that foal in the photo above. Her name is I'm A Bird,
and she's a beauty! Once again, the next day I was sorting through hundreds of images and sure enough, two or three
images jumped out at me. They were of the same thing: that amazing moment when the mare and the foal first connect.
Wow. I was stunned! These photos were breathtaking! And so The Foal Project was born. I didn't know for whom, or for
what, I just had a name and knew The Foal Project was going to help someone! I also knew I wanted to do a gallery
show and maybe a book, but one question remained: Who would benefit?
As the summer progressed and my photography studio’s wedding season moved into full swing, The Foal Project
lingered in the back of my mind. Foaling season for Thoroughbreds was over, but I could not stop thinking about
documenting more births. I knew if I could just get the work done, the purpose for it would follow.
I met some great people over the summer who put me in touch with other great people and I started to line up locations
to photograph births during the 2011 foaling season. When I asked these same people who could benefit from the
money I could raise by completing this project, I learned about Therapeutic Riding Centers.
Therapeutic Riding Centers help children with autism and other challenges, as well as veterans with issues like post-
traumatic stress disorder, through horse-related activities and therapies. I've always been an advocate for children, but I
also wanted to do something in honor of my parents, both of whom are veterans (USAF). Doing something to support
Therapeutic Riding Centers seemed to be the perfect fit!
So the Foal Project, a traveling gallery show to raise awareness and funding for Equine Assisted Therapies,
was born! Now a non-profit organization (see below) The Foal Project has set up a Donor Advised Fund through
Adirondack Trust Community Fund for charitable giving.
The Foal Project collection consists of 12 images from these foalings. These prints are infused on aluminum which give
almost a three dimensional appearance. They are limited edition, only 25 will be made of each image in the 20x30 size,
and only 10 of each image will be made in the large 40x60 size.
In June, the Foal Project had an image donated by Towne Ryan & Partners for the Hyde Museum annual fundraiser. On
July 1st, a 40x60 image was donated by the Nemer Auto Group and was live auctioned at the Double H Ranch
Fundraiser. Another large image was purchased at that event and that money was donated back to Double H Ranch for
the purchase of an adaptive saddle.* See Albany Times Union article below.
The Foal Project was on display opening day of the Saratoga Racetrack, compliments of NYRA, and we hope to be back
at the Race Track a few more times during the month of August.
On Wednesday August 3rd the Foal Project was part of the Peaceful Acres annual event in Saratoga called Halters
Off. On Saturday August 6th the Foal Project was on display at Waldorf Farms for their annual event 2011 Summer
Paw Picnic to benefit the Columbia - Greene Humane Society with legendary entertainer David Cassidy! On Monday
August 22nd we had the honor of presenting both Peaceful Acres and CGHC with the proceeds from the sales of Foal
Project images from each of their events.
The Foal Project was on display a Cross Gate Gallery in Lexington, Kentucky September 12th- October 8th with a
complimentary artist's reception on Wednesday October 5th. It was then on display at the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing
Hall of Fame & Museum in Aiken, South Carolina to benefit the STAR therapeutic riding center in Aiken.
The Foal Project will be at the Aiken Steeplechase Event on Saturday March 24th, 2012!!
If you are part of an Equine Assisted Therapy Center and you would like to find out how the Foal Project can help you,
or if you are a gallery and you would like to host a Foal Project exhibit, please contact Lisa Miller 315.525.8184. If you
would like to make a donation to the Foal Project, please contact John Fullerton at Adirondack Community Foundation.
Click for a preview of the Foal Project:
Aiken Standard 10/17/11 Ben Baugh
The annual report for the Foal Project, Inc. will be filed with the New York State Attorney General's Charity Bureau on
May 15, 2012. A copy may be obtained from the Foal Project Inc., c/o Towne, Ryan & Partners, P.C. , 137 Maple
Avenue, Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 or from the Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, New
York 10271.
Lisa Miller, Photographer
I became interested in documenting foal births in 2010 after a friend of mine mentioned she had two pregnant
Thoroughbreds. I thought it would be fun to document a foal birth through photography, and even though the idea of
hanging out in a cold barn in the middle of winter didn't thrill me, the idea of being present during these births did.
I knew very little about horses and even less about birthing a horse, but for some reason I was really excited about
documenting this. So when the time came for the first birth I was there and I did exactly what I’d set out to do,
photograph the birth of a foal from the moment the water breaks until the foal starts to nurse. It was an amazing site to
behold! Even more amazing was that the next day, as I sorted through the hundreds of images, I found two or three
incredible shots of the moment when the mare and the foal first connected. It was electric how the images jumped off the
screen and hit me like a lightning bolt between the eyes! I knew I had to do something with these images...but what?
A few weeks later it was time for the second mare to give birth. Once again I managed to be there to document the
event. The highlight of that evening: when I had to put my camera down and give a pull on a very large baby that had
trouble getting out. I can't tell you how it felt to facilitate the birth of that foal in the photo above. Her name is I'm A Bird,
and she's a beauty! Once again, the next day I was sorting through hundreds of images and sure enough, two or three
images jumped out at me. They were of the same thing: that amazing moment when the mare and the foal first connect.
Wow. I was stunned! These photos were breathtaking! And so The Foal Project was born. I didn't know for whom, or for
what, I just had a name and knew The Foal Project was going to help someone! I also knew I wanted to do a gallery
show and maybe a book, but one question remained: Who would benefit?
As the summer progressed and my photography studio’s wedding season moved into full swing, The Foal Project
lingered in the back of my mind. Foaling season for Thoroughbreds was over, but I could not stop thinking about
documenting more births. I knew if I could just get the work done, the purpose for it would follow.
I met some great people over the summer who put me in touch with other great people and I started to line up locations
to photograph births during the 2011 foaling season. When I asked these same people who could benefit from the
money I could raise by completing this project, I learned about Therapeutic Riding Centers.
Therapeutic Riding Centers help children with autism and other challenges, as well as veterans with issues like post-
traumatic stress disorder, through horse-related activities and therapies. I've always been an advocate for children, but I
also wanted to do something in honor of my parents, both of whom are veterans (USAF). Doing something to support
Therapeutic Riding Centers seemed to be the perfect fit!
So the Foal Project, a traveling gallery show to raise awareness and funding for Equine Assisted Therapies,
was born! Now a non-profit organization (see below) The Foal Project has set up a Donor Advised Fund through
Adirondack Trust Community Fund for charitable giving.
The Foal Project collection consists of 12 images from these foalings. These prints are infused on aluminum which give
almost a three dimensional appearance. They are limited edition, only 25 will be made of each image in the 20x30 size,
and only 10 of each image will be made in the large 40x60 size.
In June, the Foal Project had an image donated by Towne Ryan & Partners for the Hyde Museum annual fundraiser. On
July 1st, a 40x60 image was donated by the Nemer Auto Group and was live auctioned at the Double H Ranch
Fundraiser. Another large image was purchased at that event and that money was donated back to Double H Ranch for
the purchase of an adaptive saddle.* See Albany Times Union article below.
The Foal Project was on display opening day of the Saratoga Racetrack, compliments of NYRA, and we hope to be back
at the Race Track a few more times during the month of August.
On Wednesday August 3rd the Foal Project was part of the Peaceful Acres annual event in Saratoga called Halters
Off. On Saturday August 6th the Foal Project was on display at Waldorf Farms for their annual event 2011 Summer
Paw Picnic to benefit the Columbia - Greene Humane Society with legendary entertainer David Cassidy! On Monday
August 22nd we had the honor of presenting both Peaceful Acres and CGHC with the proceeds from the sales of Foal
Project images from each of their events.
The Foal Project was on display a Cross Gate Gallery in Lexington, Kentucky September 12th- October 8th with a
complimentary artist's reception on Wednesday October 5th. It was then on display at the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing
Hall of Fame & Museum in Aiken, South Carolina to benefit the STAR therapeutic riding center in Aiken.
The Foal Project will be at the Aiken Steeplechase Event on Saturday March 24th, 2012!!
If you are part of an Equine Assisted Therapy Center and you would like to find out how the Foal Project can help you,
or if you are a gallery and you would like to host a Foal Project exhibit, please contact Lisa Miller 315.525.8184. If you
would like to make a donation to the Foal Project, please contact John Fullerton at Adirondack Community Foundation.
Click for a preview of the Foal Project:
Aiken Standard 10/17/11 Ben Baugh
The annual report for the Foal Project, Inc. will be filed with the New York State Attorney General's Charity Bureau on
May 15, 2012. A copy may be obtained from the Foal Project Inc., c/o Towne, Ryan & Partners, P.C. , 137 Maple
Avenue, Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 or from the Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, New
York 10271.
Lisa Miller, Photographer