In This Chapter
The combination of beauty, grace,
and power in horses lends itself to the silver screen. Flowing manes and tails,
galloping hooves, and big, expressive eyes make for great cinematography. This
reality has not been lost on filmmakers who have been making movies about
horses since motion pictures began.
You’ve no doubt seen many horses
in the movies through the years. They’re a staple in just about any adventure
film that takes place before the turn of the 20th century, providing
transportation for cowboys, crusaders, and ancient Greeks. In these films,
horses provide a backdrop to lend credibility to the story. After all, you
can’t shoot a movie about an ancient battle without having horses in the
picture.
Although the majority of movies
containing horses aren’t about the horses themselves, some movies have focused
primarily on equine characters. Not merely vehicles on which to perch actors,
the horses in these films are the stars. The stories center on their speed,
courage, and huge capacity for love, and in the process, capture the essence of
what horses are all about.
The film industry has produced
scores of wonderful horse movies over the years. Here are ten of the best, in
our opinion.
Black Beauty
The classic book Black Beauty,
written by Anna Sewell in the late 1800s, has been made into films no less
than six times since the first Black Beauty was released in 1917. The
most recent version of the story came out in 1994 and is a great tribute to
Sewell’s brilliant novel.
Told from the point of view of
Black Beauty, a black stallion living in Victorian England, the movie gives a
sympathetic and realistic view of what it’s like to be a horse. We watch as
Beauty changes hands many times, never knowing what his fate will be and
finding himself at the mercy of sometimes kind, sometimes cruel owners. The end
of the film brings tears to even the most stoic horse lover.
The Black Stallion
Based on the first book in The
Black Stallion series by Walter Farley, The Black Stallion the film,
released in 1979, is a truly classic horse movie. Beautifully shot, the story
centers on a boy named Alec and a jet-black Arabian stallion he calls The
Black.
Alec and The Black find
themselves shipwrecked on a desert island after the ship they’re traveling on
sinks in stormy seas. The two build a profound bond as they await rescue and
return to civilization, where The Black becomes a racehorse like no other.
The Black Stallion Returns
Because of the huge commercial
and critical success of The Black Stallion, Farley’s second book in the
series, The Black Stallion Returns, was made into a film in 1983.
In this movie, Alec and The Black
are reunited. When The Black’s original owners from the Middle East come to
America to retrieve him, Alec stows away on a ship to Morocco to find his
horse. The result is an adventure through the picturesque Sahara and a desert
race between Arabian horses that is a definite must-see.
Hidalgo
If you love action, adventure,
and horses, then you’ll appreciate the 2004 film Hidalgo, starring Viggo
Mortensen. It’s the tale of a pinto mustang stallion named Hidalgo and his
master, Frank, who travel to the Middle East to compete in a grueling race. The
story starts out in the American West and ends in the sands of the Sahara.
Although billed as a true story
by Disney, Hidalgo is actually a controversial film among some in the
horse industry. Taken from the journals of Frank Hopkins, a horseman who lived
in the 1800s, the events shown in the film
Regardless of whether you believe
the story, Hidalgo is a great film for horse lovers. It features
exciting racing scenes and beautiful horses.
The Horse Whisperer
Actor and horseman Robert Redford
turned the best-selling novel The Horse Whisperer into a film in 1998.
Starring Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, and a young Scarlett Johansson, the
movie centers around a girl and her horse as they struggle to recover from a
horrific riding accident.
Horse people love The Horse
Whisperer, in large part because of Redford’s efforts in equine accuracy.
Unlike many other films about horses, The Horse Whisperer is right on in
its portrayal of horse actions and behaviors.
The Man from Snowy River
It’s hard to find a horse person
who hasn’t seen and loved the 1982 version of The Man from Snowy River, an
Australian film about a young boy named Jim Craig who’s trying to save his
family’s farm in the picturesque Outback. An old rancher, played by Jack
Thompson, takes the boy under his wing and helps him become a skilled horseman.
The beautiful Australian scenery
combined with some hair-raising chase scenes with wild horses leave a lasting
impression of this film on all who see it.
My Friend Flicka
A classic horse film from 1943
that’s loved by children the world over, My Friend Flicka stars a young
Roddy McDowell who falls in love with a renegade filly named Flicka. Despite
warnings from his horse breeder father to stay away from the filly, because she
is the daughter of a “crazy” mare, McDowell’s character, Ken McLaughlin,
believes in the foal’s spirit.
When Flicka becomes ill, Ken
takes on the role of caretaker. His intense bond with the young horse proves to
be healing in many ways, particularly between Ken and his hard-to-please
father.
National Velvet
One of the most famous horse
movies of all time is National Velvet. Released in 1945 and starring
Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney, National Velvet tells the story of a
girl named Velvet who defies the odds and tackles the daring sport of
steeplechasing on an amazing horse named Pie.
When Pie and Velvet enter the
Grand National steeplechase, their skills at hurtling terrifying obstacles
while galloping at full speed are put the test. The two prove to be a dynamic
team that gives the male riders and their horses a run for their money.
Run, Appaloosa, Run
This 1966 Disney film about a Nez
Perce Indian girl named Mary Blackfeather and her Appaloosa stallion, Holy
Smoke, was filmed in the Pacific Northwest, where the Appaloosa breed evolved.
An actual event, the Oak Stampede Suicide Race in Washington, is the focus of
the film. Mary and Holy Smoke enter the race in an attempt to help Mary’s
tribe.
The footage of the Oak Stampede
Suicide Race, a controversial event that has since been condemned by humane
societies around the United States, is the highlight of the film. Horses and
riders plunge 120 feet down a ravine and charge through water in their attempts
to be first across the finish line.
Seabiscuit
In the 1930s, when the United
States was struggling with the Depression, a hero rose up from the West and
gave everyone hope. This champion was a small chestnut stallion named
Seabiscuit.
Based on the bestselling book by
Laura Hillebrand, the movie Seabiscuit, starring Jeff Bridges, was
released in 2003 and did an amazing job of capturing the mood of pre-World War
II America. Although some of the horse details in the movie are a bit
inaccurate, the film still does a great job of illustrating how the courage and
heart of one horse can help raise the spirit of a nation.
by Audrey Pavia with Janice Posnikoff,DVM
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