I particularly like the second because of the natural front lighting and the dark background of what I assume is the barn. It reminds me of forest images where the areas around the paths are lit and then everything gets darker as we look into the thick of the forest.
Thanks and you are correct. This kind of shot is all the rage with horse folks, often with only the horse in it. I watched a Youtube video on how they are typically done and they are very simple with natural light reflected from the ground outside and the dark shadows of the barn. Just move your subject in or out for more or less light.
If we had more direct natural light for sunrise I might have used that instead of the flash in the first shot but it was pretty overcast and the better background was situated toward the rising sun anyway so I had to supplement (Godox V1 in a 24" softbox).
