More of the same, but better?

So sketching out these fairies has been a zen little exercise, and I found (big shock) that good reference and sometime spent on the outfit makes a huge difference.  So it is also a bit of visual library building and all that, but I was finding the poses kind of stiff.  I liked the birds, and the outfits but all of my little winged people were just sort of looking off-page.  I rounded up some photos of people playing with / hugging horses and I'm trying to incorporate that to add a little interest / emotion in the drawings.  Seems obvious - and yet.