The other day a friend and I were reading a terrible best 25 Tom Hanks films list from Paste Magazine. Terrible. I mean, they have Toy Story 2 as number 1, above Saving Private Ryan… and Forrest Gump in 18th place! We spent a few minutes speculating about their criteria (none identifiable). Then I thought, what the heck, I’m going to do a 25 best horse movie list for my blog. It can subsitute for the horse person Christmas lists I’ve done in past years but not 2023 (All I want for Christmas and An endurance rider’s Wish List).
(**Links to films are when possible to a free-to-watch version, or a basic subscription service. I am an Amazon affiliate, so when those are paid, I get a small percentage, but I am not affiliated with Netflix or any of the other possible options.)
Unlike Paste, however, I am not going to put them in order. This is partly because I can’t remember 25 horse movies that I’ve seen (and are worth including). What’s worse, of the ones I have seen, there are many that I’ve mostly forgotten. What remains, for most, is simply the good or bad impression in my memory, with associated emotions.
I have not included documentaries, though there are many good ones. That’s for a later list. That said, many of these films are based on true stories.
Jump to:
Childhood favorites
Horse movies I met as an adult
Horse movies I haven’t seen
Suggestions? Any I’ve missed?
The logic of the list
Rather than ordering by quality (impossible), I’ll just group the films in three. Childhood favorites are those films I watched when I was a kid. The second group consists of films I remember watching and like. Finally, I will list films I cannot remember watching or have never watched. I’ll leave a fourth heading for suggestions from readers here and on social media.
You’ll notice that even though this list is titled “25 Best Horse Movies,” I am not actually sure enough to claim they are the top 25!
Childhood Favorites
These are all films I saw as a child or teen, and/or associate with my childhood.
National Velvet (1944)
National Velvet was possibly my first favorite horse movie. With Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney, National Velvet tells the story of teenage Velvet’s endeavor to turn her horse “Pie” into a Grand National steeplechase competitor. It’s a fun film. As a kid, I was obsessed with the Grand National, in large part due to reading Dick Francis mysteries. National Velvet is a great story and fun movie. Velvet ends up riding Pie in the Grand National… every horse-obsessed little girl’s dream.
International Velvet (1978)
The sequel to National Velvet, International Velvet is the story of Velvet Brown’s niece Sarah and the last foal of the Pie (who magically changes into a stallion in between movies). Sarah does three-day eventing with “Arizona Pie” and sets her sights on the Olympics.
I did not like International Velvet nearly as much as its predecessor, but I probably saw it first. I was eight when it came out, and we did not have a television. Until my dad brought a screen and a VCR player home when I was in high school, the likelihood of me viewing a film no longer in theatres was slim.
In any case, I was interested in eventing, and I do have good memories of the film. At eight, I was taking jumpng lessons on a borrowed pony. I wanted my own Connemara as a first step towards my goal of being on the US Equestrian team and riding in the Olympics. I read and reread the book A Very Young Rider and dreamed of Pony Clubs in a town where barrel riding was the only game in town. So International Velvet was certainly exciting for me, but it would never compete with the film made from my absolute favorite book series at the time, Walter Farley‘s The Black Stallion (there’s a website!).
The Black Stallion (1979)
By the time the Black Stallion film came out in fall 1979, I had read much of the series. There are 18 or 19 books, depending on how you count them. My nana gave the first few books to me on my 8th birthday, and I immediately went to the library for more. Over the years I collected all of them one way or the other. I loved them, and I know I was not alone in waiting for the Black Stallion movie to come out with great excitement.
The movie did not disappoint. Of course, I noticed all the discrepancies with the book. I noticed that the Black that raced had a white star and definitely wasn’t Cass Ole, the Arabian stallion that played the Black. (Cass Ole did have white markings himself that they covered for the movie.) But it was a great film, with Mickey Rooney playing Henry Dailey, the old trainer who mentors Alec Ramsey, the boy who befriends the Black when both are marooned on a desert island.
The Black Stallion Returns (1983)
The follow-up film is based on the second book in the series. The Black Stallion Returns is a good film, but not nearly as good as the first. The discrepancies with the book are greater, and honestly, it was never one of my favorite Black Stallion books. Still, well worth watching.
Black Beauty
There have been many film adaptations of Anna Sewell’s book. Written in 1877, Black Beauty is considered the first book to be written (in English at least) from the perspective of an animal. It’s thought of as a children’s book nowadays, but Sewell did not intende it as such. NPR has a good article about the book: How ‘Black Beauty’ changed the way we see horses.
Not surprisingly, given that it’s a good story as well as making important claims concerning animal welfare, Black Beauty has been adapted to film many times. I have not seen the 2015 version, or Disney’s 2020 film. I can’t even remember some of the older ones, but I do remember liking the 1994 Black Beauty.
Above: Image from the 1994 remake of Black Beauty.
Man from Snowy River (1982)
I loved the Man from Snowy River when I first saw it. I can still remember when he pursues the herd of horses straight down a steep hill at a full gallop. When Jazz used to want to rush downhill, I’d tell him not to go Man from Snowy River on me.
I don’t remember too much of the original Man from Snowy River. I do remember I was disappointed in the sequel. But it’s worth watching just to see the horses gallop down a near-vertical slope.
Phar Lap (1983)
Even if this were a strictly curated list of the 25 best horse movies, Phar Lap would surely be amongst the top picks. Phar Lap was an Australian handidcapp champion–i.e., he won 37 of 51 starts, carrying lots of weight. He was so unpromsising as a colt that his trainer gelded him, but he went on to win the Melbourne Stakes (twice), Melbourne Cup, and the then super-prestigious Agua Caliente Handicap in Tijuana.
Phar Lap died in Menlo Park, CA, possibly poisoned. He had already been shot at in Australia. It’s a great film. I owned it, in VCR, and I have never been a collector of movies.
The Electric Horseman (1979)
OK so The Electric Horseman isn’t really a horse movie, although Robert Redford does set a horse free… in a symbolic way.. in it. But I still think of it as a horse movie, and it’s a fun film with great music (Jane Fonda as well as Redford).
Weird thing, apparently it is not available to stream anywhere. The link is to Amazon, where you can purchase a DVD. I watched it more than once. First at home, when I was around 15. Later I picked it out from a giant VHS collection when my family was visiting friends. That too was years ago, and I would like to see it again now.
The Red Pony (1973)
The Red Pony is a terribly sad movie based on a terribly sad book by John Steinbeck. The story has given me a lifelong fear of strangles.
PS the movie is not really a horse movie, and the book isn’t really about horses. But still…
Horse movies I met as an adult
In chronological order, although I did not necessarily see them as they came out.
A Day at the Races (1937)
A Day at the Races is a classic Marx brothers musical. Yep, it’s about racing. I don’t remember much, but I enjoyed it. If you are a horse person who has never watched Marx Bros film, this is the best one to introduce you to essential cinematographic history.
Champions (1984)
Champions is another story about the Grand National Steeplechase. It is based ont he real life story of Bob Champion, a steeplechase jockey who recovers from cancer to win the 1981 Grand National on Aldaniti. My ex-husband introduced me to this film; it’s worth watching, especially if you like steeplechasing.
Wild Hearts Can’t be Broken (1991)
Wild Hearts Can’t be Broken is a terrific movie. It is loosely based on the life of Sonora Webster Carver, who rode diving horses. The film may not have satisfied Sonora, but it’s a lot of fun. Highly recommend.
The Horse Whisperer (1998)
Based on Nicholas Evan’s novel, The Horse Whisperer (starring Robert Redford and Scarlett Johansson) tells the story of how a cowboy restores a traumatized show horse (think he’s a Morgan) to sanity while falling in love with the mother of the hrose’s owner. (city girl, city mom meets cowboy).
I read and enjoyed the book. Film was probably good but I noticed the discrepancies and the unrealistic bits. Still worth seeing.
All the Pretty Horses (2000)
All the Pretty Horses is based on Cormac McCarthy’s book of the same name. Cormac McCarthy is one of my all-time favorite authors,. Though this book is not my favorite, it’s the first of the Border Trilogy; the second, The Crossing, is my second favorite McCarthy book. (Best is Blood Meridian. Don’t think I’m a homicidal maniac.)
The film ends more happily than the book, and it’s good. It’s definitely a horse movie. Worth viewing, and the book is even more worth reading.
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
Spirit is one of my favorite animated films, even if horses really don’t have eyebrows. The protagonist is Spirit, a Kiger mustang stallion (voiced by Matt Damon) who undergoes all sorts of travails after being captured. I bought the DVD for my sons when they were little, and they watched and rewatched. (So I watched and rewatched.) Great film.
Seabiscuit (2003)
Seabiscuit is based on Lauren Hillenbrand‘s excellent narrative nonfiction book. Great book, great film. (Seabuscuit was a racehorse, in case you didn’t know…) (Hillenbrand’s Unbroken is even better, but it’s not about horses.)
Hidalgo (2004)
Starring Viggo Mortensen (and with Omar Shariff, even better), Hidalgo is most certainly a fun horse movie. Frank, a member of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, takes his Mustang to Arbia to race against the Bedouins’ Arabians. Completely unbelieveable seen through endurance eyes, but good nonetheless. Cute horse, good looking actors.
War Horse (2011)
My son Ian tried to get the book War Horse in a white elephant gift exchange, and it was stolen from him… so I bought it for him. Ian wanted it because it was about World War I. We all read it. It is the story of Joey, a farm horse sold to the British Cavalry in WWI, and the boy Albert’s effots to bring him home.
The movie War Horse is also good, though it has some weird things. (The “mother” of Joey is a gelding, hahahah.) Great depictions of horses in war.
Dark Horse (2015)
OK so I guess Dark Horse is technically a documentary, though it does not feel like one. It’s another steeplechase story–but this time it’s the Welsh Grand National. In this real-life story, a barmaid gets together a group of friends to breed a racehorse, Dream Alliance, who ends up winning the Welsh Grand National. It’s a fun film, with the requisitie barroom scenes and difficult (for Americans) accents.
The Mustang (2019)
The Mustang is about a convict who “finds salvation” while participating in the Mustang rehabilitation program. Those of us who spend much of our free time with horses know that they do indeed provide the best of therapy. This film illustrates this, and no doubt reflects more than one real-life experience.
Horse movies I haven’t seen (or don’t remember seeing)
Smoky (1933, 1946, 1966)
There are three films based on the book Smoky the Cowhorse by Will James, a cowboy, writer, and artist. James’ drawings are worth thousands of dollars now.
Smoky the Cowhorse was published in 1926 and won the Newbery Medal. I checked Smoky out of the library when I was a child. Years later, my boyfriend reminded me of its existence when he found and bought a beautiful edition.
I have seen none of the films. Will James narrates the 1933 film; I could not find it online. You can see the 1946 version on YouTube free. The 1966 Smoky movie is available on Amazon (currently price reduced).
Above: 1941 drawing by Will James, courtesy of Bozeman Trail Gallery. HIs book, Smoky the Cowhorse, gave rise to three movies that count as one on my 25 best horse movies list.
Bite the Bullet (1975)
I’m pretty sure I have seen Bite the Bullet, but it’s been so long I can remember nothing. It’s got Gene Hackman and James Coburn. I need to rewatch–it’s about a 700-mile horse race. Seems like a must-see for endurance people! (You can watch it for free via the link above.)
Dreamer (2005)
I know I watched Dreamer when it came out… I even have the Breyer Stablemate set. But I don’t remember much–it’s about a little girl who saves a racehorse, based, I believe, on a true story.
Flicka (2006)
The movie Flicka (another not available to stream) is based on one of my favorite childhood books, My Friend Flicka. I actually did see the film, but I don’t remember it enough to comment. I do remember that the protagonist in the movie is a girl, whereas the book is about a ten-year-old boy, Ken. They shoudn’t have changed it.
Secretariat (2010)
Disney’s Secretariat is really about his owner, Penny Cheney. this is another film I’ve seen, but can’t remember. I do recall enjoying it though, and the story behind the great Secretariat is always worth hearing (seeing).
Ride Like a Girl (2019)
I really want to see Ride like a Girl. This pseudo-documentary is about Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup (in 2015). I’ve been in the racing world. It’s not easy for a woman.
Suggestions? Any I’ve missed?
I know there are dozens of other horse movies out there. Please tell me about any I’ve missed that you’d like included in this blog, and I will add them here.
The Killing (1956)
I can’t believe I forgot Stanley Kubrick‘s The Killing. It’s really a racetrack film more than a hrose film, though the planned (and failed) shooting of a horse is an important feature of this crime drama. Based on the book Clean Break, the film tells the story of a plot to rob a racetrack. Need to rewatch, I saw it years ago during my Kubrick phase.
Thanks to Chris Aberson for the reminder!
(The original) My Friend Flicka (1943)
Perhaps I even saw this and forgot about it… I certainly didn’t think of it while writing this blog post. Thanks to Caitlin Blunt for the headsup on this more-true to the book version of My Friend Flicka.
Caitlin also suggested Misty and San Domingo. It took me a while to track down this one, because I didn’t know the name of the film, though I had read the book
Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion (1977)
Based on another of Marguerite Henry’s books, San Domingo, the Medicine Hat Stallion, Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion is a made-for-TV film starring Leif Garret. Though Iread the book when I was a child, I hadn’t even heard of the movie. On my list now!
Misty (1961)
Based on Marguerite Henry‘s Misty of Chincoteague, Misty tells the story of two orphan children and the relationship they develop with the ponies of Chincoteague Island, especially the mare Misty. Misty was a real-life pony… and I read the book (and all of Henry’s) when I was a child. I don’t remember viewing this film though!
Dream Horse (2020)
Dream horse is the movie version of Dark Horse, the documentary I mentioned above about the streeplechaser Dream Alliance. I may have seen this movie rather than the documentary.
My friend Melissa Campbell suggested this!
Wild Horse, Wild Ride
Wild horse, wild ride is another documentary, about the Extreme Mustang Makeover. Initially I was NOT going to include documentaries, but this section is turning into a free-for-all! And the Extreme Mustang Makeover is certainly worth learning about.
Sandra Creek mentioned this one!
The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968)
I cannot believe I forgot The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit! (Free on Youtube.) I’ve seen it more than once, the first time when I was a teenager. Basic plot: Man buys horse to make his daughter happy and make money at the same time. Loved it.
Shana Bobbitt and Pamela Reband reminded me of this classic.
Concrete Coyboy (2020)
Sharon Chagaris recommended Concrete Cowboy.
Sylvester (1985)
Pamela Reband mentioned Sylvester, a film that recounts the story of a young woman turning a rescue horse into a champion jumper.
Justin Morgan Had a Horse (1972)
I can’t believe I forgot this film! I’ve read the Marguerite Henry book, viewed the film, and I grew up on a Morgan horse farm! It’s the story of the foundation stallion for the Morgan Horse breed.
Shannon Loomis reminded me of this one.
Miracle of the White Stallions (1963)
The Miracle of the White Stallions is based on a true story. The film is about the attempt to save the Lipazzaner horses during World War II. I have not seen the film, but I have read the narrative nonfiction book The Perfect Horse: The Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis, which recounts a similar tale. I love historical fiction and nonfiction, and this film looks good! (Free to view on Youtube via the link above.)
Pamela Reband recommended this one too!
Black Horse Canyon (1954)
Julie Williams recommended Black Horse Canyon, which I found on youtube though the quality is poor. Julie warned it was hard to find. You can also purchase the DVD on amazon. You can tell from the Youtube video that it has great horse shots. Yes, a western with two cowboys trying to capture a wild stallion.
Green Grass of Wyoming (1948)
Julie also mentioned Green Grass of Wyoming, another old Western about racehorses. Starts with a great old Burl Ives song.
Run Appaloosa, Run (1966)
Diane Saunders mentioned Run, Appaloosa, Run.
Hot to Trot (1988)
Hot to Trot sounds silly and fun… a talking horse gives investing tips. Recommended with caveat for ridiculousness by Helen Donnell!
Casey’s Shadow (1978)
Casey’s Shadow is now definitely on my to-see list. Quarter horse racing, Ruidoso Downs, sounds like a great story. Recommended by Chip Jack.
Pit Pony (1997)
Shana Bobbit also mentioned Pit Pony, which I’ve seen! But forgotten, for the most part.
Jappeloup (2013)
I found out about Jappeloup on the Chronicle of the Horse forum. (Just looking for more films I missed! I think I’d better share this blog there too.) It’s about a man who gives up lawyering to become a show jumper, and a great (real) horse called Jappeloup. I think… On my list! It’s free to watch on Vudu, Tubi, and Amazon Prime.
Unbranded (2015)
Unbranded is a great movie that I had on m list but forgot to include!
Clanter on Chronicle of the Horse, who also recommended
In Pursuit of Honor (1995)
In Pursuit of Honor tells about the refusal of cavalry officers to slaughter their horses when General MacArthur ordered them to do so.
Into the West (1992)
With Gabriel Byrne! Into the West was recommended by BrownDerby on Chronicle of the Horse.
Anastasiabeaverhausen on Chronicle of the hourse mentioned: Blue Fire Lady, Something to Talk About, Horsemasters, Ride a Wild Pony (based on A sporting Proposition)
Mill Reef (1973)
Mill Reef is a made-for-BBC documentary about the famous race horse of that name. The link is to a DVD on Amazon. This Youtube video may or may not be the movie.
Mentioned by axl on Chronicle of the Horse.
A Sunday Horse (2016)
A Sunday Horse is about a rider recovering from a bad accident and turning a nothing-special horse into a champion jumper. (Inspired by a true story.)
This one was suggested by Nancy Lowe Phillips on the Springville Facebook page 🙂
Nancy also recommended:
Harry & Snowman (2015)
The second of my own non-horse movies (the first has more horse, but I cannot find it online.)
Once upon a time, my Morgan gelding Capella Command and I were in a movie together. (Two really.) They weren’t horse movies, but the best scenes had my horse in them! Below you can see one of the scenes. Sorry about the quality. Somewhere I have the DVD conversions myself, but no idea where.