| After a beautiful bank holiday weekend filled with | | | | when he is reunited with the boy he loved. |
| riding, blackberry picking, long walks, successfully | | | | Interesting fact |
| putting off a number of house hold and stable chores | | | | Black Beauty was played by a Quarter Horse stallion |
| and far too much food I curled up on the couch with | | | | named Docs Keppin Tim, who also played the role of |
| my other half on Monday night and watched The | | | | another famous fictional black horse, The Black in |
| Time Traveller's Wife (such a great film we've seen it | | | | 'Adventures of the Black Stallion' - what a talented |
| before but still it gets her reaching for the tissues | | | | horse!! |
| every time!!) | | | | Black Beauty was also played by a few other horses |
| Anyway got me thinking about my favourite horsy | | | | throughout the movie including a Saddlebred mare |
| films, so here's a list of my top ten: | | | | and a Friesian as well. |
| 1. HIDALGO (2004) | | | | 7. NATIONAL VELVET (1944) |
| Based on a true story of the greatest long distance | | | | Velvet Brown (Liz Taylor) lives the dream we all had |
| horse race ever run. The Ocean Of Fire is a | | | | as children - win a horse in a lottery and turn him into |
| 3,000-mile survival race across the Arabian Desert | | | | a campion - was it just me then!? Young Velvet |
| and was competition was restricted to the finest | | | | disguises herself as a boy and wins the Grand |
| Arabian horses ever bred from the purest and | | | | National steeplechase on her beloved pie. It is a |
| noblest lines. In 1890 a wealthy Sheik invited an | | | | classic amongst horse films, a great feel good Sunday |
| American, Frank T. Hopkins (played by Vigo | | | | film! |
| Mortensen - yummm!), and his horse to enter the | | | | Interesting fact |
| race for the first time. Hopkins is a Pony Express | | | | After filming Liz Taylor got to keep the horse...of |
| courier and together with his mustang, Hidalgo enters | | | | course! |
| the race. The story follows their adventures as the | | | | 8. THE BLACK STALLION (1979) |
| underdogs; the race becomes not only a matter of | | | | While travelling with his father, Alec becomes |
| pride and honour but a race for their survival! | | | | fascinated by an Arabian stallion that is stabled on |
| Interesting fact | | | | the ship he is sailing on. When the ship tragically sinks |
| Vigo Mortensen bought the horse who played the | | | | both he and the horse survive only to be stranded |
| title character after the film was completed (can this | | | | on a deserted island. Alec bonds with the horse and |
| man get anymore perfect!!) | | | | when finally rescued they both return to his home |
| In the final horse scene, 550 different horses were | | | | where they soon meet Henry Dailey, a once |
| used. The horses all came from different owners, so | | | | successful trainer. Together they begin training The |
| to tell them apart, their hooves were branded. | | | | Black to race against the fastest horses in the world. |
| 2. THE HORSE WHISPERER (1998) | | | | Interesting fact |
| Directed by and starring Robert Redford this film is a | | | | There is a scene after The Black has jumped |
| fantastic film but a definite tearjerker! A teenage girl, | | | | overboard and Alec is in the water yelling for help |
| Grace, and her best friend, Judith, take their horses | | | | and The Black is swimming towards him. Suddenly the |
| out for a mornings ride when the girls are involved in | | | | horse begins to tip over, his head plunges underwater |
| a terrible accident. A truck hits them; Judith and her | | | | and he starts to thrash in the water his hooves |
| horse are killed, while Grace and her horse Pilgrim are | | | | pawing the air. This wasn't faked but in fact was a |
| seriously injured, both physically and mentally. In an | | | | serious accident caused by the guide wires that were |
| attempt to bring Pilgrim, back from his now savage | | | | being used to control the horse. Too much force was |
| condition and help Grace deal with what has | | | | applied on the turn and the horse went under, a |
| happened, Grace's mother Annie takes them to | | | | serious cause for alarm on the set. Luckily the horse |
| Montana in search of Tom Brooker (Redford). Tom is | | | | righted himself and was fine! |
| a "horse whisperer" with the ability to communicate | | | | 9. RACING STRIPES (2005) |
| with horses and helps to heal the souls of both Grace | | | | In the middle of a thunderstorm a travelling circus |
| and Pilgrim. | | | | accidentally leaves behind some very precious cargo - |
| Interesting fact | | | | a baby zebra, Stripes! The foal is rescued by a horse |
| "Horse Whispering" is something of a false term. The | | | | farmer, a retired thoroughbred trainer, who takes him |
| phrase came about as originally Native American's | | | | home to his young daughter. The farm borders the |
| would sometimes tame a horse by jumping on its | | | | Turfway Racetrack, where skilled thoroughbreds |
| back and biting its ear to make it stop bucking (the | | | | compete for horse racing's top honour, the Kentucky |
| pain would be worse if the rider's teeth were jerked | | | | Crown. From the first moment Stripes lay eyes on |
| by the horse's head, so the horse would soon learn | | | | the track, he's hooked and thinks it's his calling. The |
| to calm and stop bucking. Some observers | | | | film follows Stripes train to achieve his dream of |
| misunderstood what was happening and assumed the | | | | being a racehorse! |
| rider was whispering in the horses' ear to calm it | | | | Interesting fact |
| down. | | | | The Shetland pony, Tucker, played by Dustin |
| 3. SEA BISCUIT (2003) (The original film THE STORY | | | | Hoffman turned grey for winter during the filming so |
| OF SEABISCUIT was 1949) | | | | the animal trainers had to paint him brown! |
| The true story of Seabiscuit, a great racehorse in | | | | 10. FLICKA |
| the US during the great depression. Not only does | | | | This is a great coming of age story. 16yr old Katy |
| Seabiscuit inspire a nation giving them hope during the | | | | wants to take over the family's mountainside horse |
| bleakest days of the depression but he also breathes | | | | ranch but her father insists she finish boarding school. |
| new life into the man who buys him, the man who | | | | Katy finds a mustang in the hills near her ranch and is |
| trains him and the man who rides him. | | | | determined to tame a mustang to prove to her |
| Interesting fact | | | | father she is strong enough to run the ranch. Katy |
| Over 40 horses are featured in the film, with 10 | | | | names the mustang Flicka and begins training and |
| sharing the title role of Seabiscuit. The horses running | | | | riding her. The film follows their adventures and see |
| distances never exceeded three furlongs, or three | | | | Katy fall in love with Flicka and learn the hard way |
| eights of a mil, per take. | | | | about responsibility. |
| 4. SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON (2002) | | | | Interesting fact |
| This animated film follows Spirit a young coly who | | | | Filming had to be stopped in April 2005, when a |
| becomes leader of his herd until he is captured by | | | | thoroughbred, halter-broke horse used in the film |
| humans then sold to the US army where a colonel | | | | sadly died in a freak accident on set. After extensive |
| vows to tame him. He manages to escape with the | | | | independent investigates by both LA Animal Services |
| help of a native American boy and then finds his true | | | | and American Human no negligence was found on |
| love with one of his tribe's mares. | | | | the part of the production and death was |
| Interesting facts | | | | determined to be an accident. |
| Real horses were recorded for all the audio. At no | | | | AND THE HORSEY FILMS THAT I'M MOST LOOKING |
| time were any humans used for any of the horse | | | | FORWARD TO ARE: |
| characters! | | | | WARHORSE (2011) |
| Spirit was modelled on a 3-year-old Kiger stalling | | | | Stephen Spielberg is set to film this version of the |
| named Donner - what a handsome horse he must | | | | play of the same name, which is a stage adaptation |
| have been!! | | | | of the book War Horse a children's novel by Michael |
| 5. DREAMER: INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY (2005) | | | | Morpurgo. The story follows a young man Albert and |
| A horse trainer, Ben Crane (Kurt Russell), believes | | | | his horse Joey and how their bond is broken when |
| that a severely injured racehorse deserves another | | | | Joey is sold to the cavalry and sent to the trenches |
| chance. He accepts the racehorse as a severance | | | | of World War 1. Unable to bear the thought of his |
| package when he looses his job. The horse once a | | | | friend facing the battlefields alone, he lies about his |
| great racer has suffered a broken leg and is | | | | age and enlists. |
| considered a lost cause. Out of work and with few | | | | This was one of the most moving and beautiful plays |
| options left Ben is encouraged by his daughter Crane | | | | I've ever seen and with Stephen Spielberg promising |
| to nurse the mare back to health and see if she has | | | | to keep the horses as the driving force of the story |
| a change at the Breeder's Cup. As the mare injuries | | | | and the stars of the film I can't wait for this one! It's |
| heal, the father and daughter begin to bond and to | | | | very early days with filming not even started so a |
| heal their own relationship. | | | | long wait yet! |
| Interesting facts | | | | THE SECRETARIAT (2010) |
| Kurt Russell bought Dakota Fanning a real Palamino | | | | Another real treat of a film for horse lovers! This is |
| horse, which she name Goldie - lucky lucky girl!!! | | | | based on a true story of Penny Chenery. The film |
| The film was loosely inspired by the story of the | | | | follows housewife and mother Penny agree to take |
| mare Mariah's Storm. A filly who was being pointed | | | | over her ailing father's Virginia based Meadow |
| towards the Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies in 1993 but | | | | Stables, despite her lack of horseracing knowledge. |
| then broke her cannon bone. She recovered and later | | | | With help from veteran trainer, Lucien Laurin (John |
| won some graded races. She started in the 1995 | | | | Malkovich), Penny trains the horse Secretariat and |
| Breeder's Cup Distaff and finished ninth. She was | | | | guides the horse to become the first horse in |
| owned by Thunderhead Farms and trained by Don | | | | twenty-five years to win the US Triple Crown of |
| Von Hemel. | | | | Thoroughbred Racing. |
| 6. BLACK BEAUTY (1994) | | | | The official trailer looks amazing! |
| There have been many different versions of Anna | | | | Let's just hope they do Secretariat justice!! |
| Sewell's classic book, Black Beauty. The story follows | | | | Are there any films you think have been missed off? |
| Black Beauty, a beautiful black stallion as he recalls his | | | | Suggestions would be appreciated love finding out |
| life from his birth, through her carefree life as a colt, | | | | about new films! Just contact me at |
| and the many hardships he has suffered. During | | | | Equestrianoutfitters.co.uk suppliers of riding boots, |
| Beauty's life, he passes through the hands of both | | | | riding hats, jodhpurs and any horse riding equipment |
| the kind and the cruel but ultimately find happiness | | | | and I can add the films to the list! |