Yann Arthus-Bertrand is the renowned photographer of The Earth from the Air, but he does not spend his entire life revealing the world from above. In the 1990s he began to photograph animals in the same way that fashion photographers take pictures of their models – as studio shots, paying immense attention to lighting and detail.

The fruits of a fifteen year labour of love, these photographs show horses and their owners in some of the most stunning and far-flung parts of the world, from France to Peru, from Morocco to Mongolia.

Photographing horses can be a tricky affair: their essence and true beauty is ultimately revealed when they move, not when they are posed in a photographer’s studio. It is a testament to Arthus-Bertrand’s skill that he is able to surmount this hurdle and eloquently portray horses as they are – their strength, their impetuous vitality, even their spirituality.

As well as celebrating the beauty and diversity of horses, Arthus-Bertrand’s photographs illuminate the intimate relationship between man and horse. His dramatic images and the accompanying text by equine expert Jean-Louis Gouraud combine to make this book a bible for horse lovers everywhere.