Tails to Treasure

A piece of them, at home with you

A handcrafted keepsake bringing together your horse’s photograph and their tail hair, created individually by Laura in Suffolk.

Photographs of women riding horses in a rural setting with the horse's tails inlaid into the photographs.

Where it began

Laura grooming Rio, her tricolour Welsh cross horse outdoors under a shelter with a rural landscape in the background.

Tails to Treasure started with Rio.

After Laura said goodbye to him in 2019, she wanted to create something unique, that brought together two things that could never be replaced: his photograph and a piece of his tail.

Walking away photographs were already a staple in Laura’s horse photography sessions, capturing one of those little moments every horse owner knows well.

On a week away with friends, Laura spent days working out what it was going to look like and be known as. Tails to Treasure was born, grown from the idea of that walking away photo.

A lasting piece of artwork from the photograph and tail hair of the horse who has your heart.

A little piece of them, made into something special

Every Tails to Treasure frame is individually crafted by Laura, combining a photograph of your horse with a carefully arranged piece of their own tail hair.

From preparing the photograph to placing the hair into the final image, Laura works on each piece herself before hand delivery to her local framer.

The result is something wonderfully personal. Not just a photograph, and not just a keepsake, but a little piece of the horse who means so much to you.

Each frame is finished with UV protective Art Glass (you won’t even know it’s there!) and is designed to take pride of place in your home.

A framed photograph with the horse's tail hair inlaid, of a woman walking a brown and white horse through a field of tall grass, with pink and green flowers in the foreground in a display case.

You don’t have to wait until it’s time to say goodbye

There are some things about our horses that we know we’d recognise anywhere. The shape of their ears, the way they nicker at us over a stable door, or that familiar view of them walking away.

Tails to Treasure was born from losing Rio, but it doesn’t have to begin with a goodbye. You can create one while your horse is very much here, as a celebration of the years you’ve shared and everything that makes them yours.

And if you’ve already had to say goodbye, it can be a way of keeping something tangible alongside a photograph you love. There isn’t a right time or a right reason. Only your horse, your memories and a little piece of them to treasure.

A framed photograph of a woman riding a horse outdoors, with green foliage in the background, placed on a white surface. The frame has horse tail hair inlaid as a keepsake frame.

How to get your own Tails to Treasure frame

  • 01 | Choose

    Choose your frame size and provide a favourite photograph of your horse, from behind. It doesn’t have to be taken by Laura, provided it’s a good resolution suitable for printing and you have permission to use it.

  • 02 | Send

    Laura will arrange for you to send a small amount of your horse’s tail hair safely, with a tracked return envelope provided. If you’re local to Ipswich you can arrange to deliver it in person.

  • 03 | Create

    Your photograph is prepared and sent to you for approval. Laura then carefully inlays your horse’s tail hair into the image before the artwork goes to her professional framer.

  • 04 | Treasure

    Once your finished frame is ready and your balance has been settled, Laura carefully packages it for delivery, along with any unused hair. Simply hang and enjoy!

Handcrafted horsehair keepsake frames

From £395

Available in 12” x 8” and 16” x 12” print sizes, before framing. The standard paint colour for frames is Hardwick White (a slightly warm very light grey), with alternative finishes available on request.

Payment can be made in full or spread over up to three months. Your completed frame is delivered once the balance is paid.

Photograph of a picture frame with a picture of a woman walking a horse in a field, with curly hair, outdoors during daytime.
A framed keepsake horse hair tails to treasure frame by Laura Fiddaman Photography.

I just wanted to say thank you so much, it’s absolutely beautiful and I will treasure it. Lovely to have the girls together forever x

A person holding a photograph of two horses running in a grassy field with trees in the background. The photo has horse tails inlaid, ready to be taken to the local framer.

-Claire

A framed photograph of a woman riding a horse outdoors, with a wooded background, displayed in front of a decorated Christmas tree adorned with red ribbons, berries, and Santa ornaments.

Yesterday I was given this amazing photograph with some of Honey’s tail hair, which was a complete surprise and was overwhelmed… Thank you for such a lovely gift, it means the world to me and I am so lucky to have some wonderful memories of my special girl

-Kirstin

Tails to Treasure FAQs

  • Not at all! If you already have a good quality photograph of your horse showing their tail, Laura can use it to create your Tails to Treasure frame. You’ll just need permission to have the photograph printed. Ideally images need to be a minimum of 4000px on the long side, but Laura has worked with smaller with expectations set.

  • For the smaller frame, approximately a pencil width chunk of tail hair is ideal, and as long as possible. For the larger frame, aim for roughly a finger-width. If you’re unsure ask Laura before cutting. Laura will use the strongest pieces so it’s best to send a little too much than not enough. Leftover hair will be returned with your delivered frame.

  • Laura completely understands. This isn’t something we can simply replace if it gets lost.

    Once your order is underway, she’ll provide a pre-paid tracked return envelope for sending the hair to her. Although no postal service can eliminate every risk, tracked delivery offers additional reassurance. If you’re local to Ipswich, you can arrange to deliver the hair in person instead.

  • Absolutely. Tails to Treasure was created following Laura’s own experience of losing Rio. If you’ve kept some of your horse’s tail hair and have a suitable photograph, you can have a frame created in their memory.

  • There are two print sizes: 12 × 8 inches and 16 × 12 inches, before framing. The standard frame finish is a wooden frame painted in Hardwick White, a soft traditional grey that works with lots of different interiors. Other frame finishes can be discussed if you’d prefer something different.

  • Every Tails to Treasure frame is made individually, so turnaround depends on receiving your horse’s hair, approving your photograph and the inlaying & framing processes.

    Once the hair is inlaid, the professional framing takes approximately 14 - 28 days but can be longer October - December in the run-up to Christmas. Laura will confirm the expected turnaround once the artwork is with her framer.

  • Yes. You can pay in full, or spread the cost over up to three months. Your finished frame will be delivered once the full balance has been settled.

Let’s make something special

Whether your horse is still causing mischief in the field or you’re remembering the one who left hoofprints all over your heart, Laura would love to help you create something to keep close.

Tell her a little about your horse and let’s start planning your very own Tails to Treasure.

Order my Tails to Treasure frame