Texas Equine Photographer | Rocco the Bay Quarter Horse

Rocco, A Smoken Tucker, is a Bay Quarter Horse Gelding. He is actually the full brother to a World Champion Reined Cow Horse named Smart Time Tuck.

Surprisingly enough this fella is now a dressage horse for his owner Tracy. The pair trains with Alannah McGregor of AM Dressage just outside of Austin,TX.

This handsome bay with a small snip on his nose, Rocco, actually had a promising debut at the NRCHA futurity as a 3 year old. He made the cut. He was among the top 25 out of 400 entries. He is a super athlete with a giant heart, while at the same time being very sensitive, and sometimes even emotional. He doesn’t always trust very easily, but will try his guts out and go wherever you point him, even if he is scared, once you have gained his trust. Tracy & Rocco are currently doing dressage. He seems to enjoy his new job and is coming together beautifully. Although, Tracy admits, that if the opportunity to sort or cut cattle appeared they would jump at the opportunity.

Tracy has had Rocco for almost 6 years, she first met him at a cow horse clinic and instantly felt a rapport with him.

This tough, yet sensitive boy loves carrots. As a reined cow horse Rocco earned close to $20k, as a dressage horse he has also been successful and scored in the mid 60’s at his first outing.

Tracy has been riding since she was 6 years old, and has owned over 30 horses. Horses are her passion, and after retiring from one career, they are now her focus. Tracy has even founded her own company, Ambience Equine LLC, to help her reach her goal of competing at the Grand Prix level and earning her USDF Gold Medal. I have to say this is pretty awesome, and something I think every dressage rider out there can honestly say is on their bucket list! It is so incredibly exciting that Tracy is getting to live out her dreams and work towards such a big goal.

I love what Tracy shares, “Horses reflect our energy and emotions. If we can manage those things in ourselves we will achieve harmony with them.” I don’t think I could have said this any better myself. This is so incredibly true, it really is amazing how horses can sense our emotions and our feelings. Often times during Horse & Rider portraits I have to calm down my clients because they are so tense and feel so much pressure for their horse to behave or to look perfect, that it often times feeds into their horses and causes them to become an emotional wreck.

Tracy also shares that spraying their feet daily with vinegar helps to prevent thrush without using toxic chemicals. I am going to have to try this one.

Rocco truly is a one of a kind horse, from cow horse to dressage horse, and even rescuer of the family dog.

Tracy shares “On a trail ride one day, a very large American bull dog tried to attack our Australian shepherd. She was trying to run from the other dog. I couldn’t think of anything else so I drove Rocco straight at that snarling beast. He pinned his ears and charged that dog until it gave up and ran off. Rocco is afraid of everything normally, but is still the bravest horse I’ve ever met.”

Karinda K Equine Photography is a Texas equine photographer located in Montgomery, TX. Karinda creates timeless portraits of you with your beloved horses, and other farm animals. Serving locally Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin, Texas communities. KEP also serves Wellington and Ocala, Florida, Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky, Aiken, South Carolina, Tryon, North Carolina, and Norco and Woodside, California and their surrounding communities.