Last updated on June 20th, 2021 at 08:57 pm
The 10 Best Horse Movies Ever
You don’t have to look far to find great movies for horse lovers. But if you need a good place to start, we have put together a list of the 10 best horse movies ever made, including some tearjerkers and great horse movies for the kids! Most Of the best horse movies are about riding, and the relationship with the horse, great for horse lovers.
People love learning abour horses in both movies and in even in TV shows like Heartland and Yellowstone.
1. All the Pretty Horses
All the Pretty Horses was originally a novel written by Cormac McCarthy, the same guy who wrote No Country for Old Men and The Road. The film was based on the book, and it starred Matt Damon and Penelope Cruz with Billy Bob Thornton as the director. It’s about a young man and his friend who set off into Mexico to start a new life as ranch hands, only to find themselves mixed up in a story of love and violence. And of course, horses!
2. Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit was the wildly popular 2003 movie based on the champion thoroughbred who was the top racehorse in the 1940s. But the film is about more than just the life of Seabiscuit. It’s also about how the small horse became a symbol of hope to the American people during the rough times of the Great Depression. The movie stars Tobey Maguire and Jeff Bridges, and it’s a must see for any horse enthusiast.
3. The Horse Whisperer
The Horse Whisperer originally came out in 1995. The film was directed by Robert Redford, who also played the star in the movie. The film was also based on the novel that came out in the same year. Robert Redford plays a horse trainer known only as the Horse Whisperer, who helps a young Scarlett Johansson to understand horses. It’s a touching story about a young girl with an amputated leg, a traumatized horse, and how through patience and understanding humans and animals can help each other to heal.
4. Secretariat
Secretariat was one of the most recent horse movies to come out, even if it was way back in 2010. Secretariat is undoubtedly the most famous racehorse in American history. He won five Eclipse Awards and is second only to the horse known as Man o’ War in the listing for the greatest racehorses of all time. In 2010, the movie came out and told the story about how this amazing horse captured the hearts of everyone around the world. It’s one of the more authentic horse movies, even though it didn’t do overly well at the time. It stars Diane Lane and John Malkovich. Wiki.
5. War Horse
War Horse is yet another horse movie based on a novel. The original novel was written by Michael Morpurgo in 1982, and the movie came out in 2011 directed by Steven Spielberg. The movie centers around a thoroughbred horse named Joey, and how after the horse grew up with a boy named Albert, it was sold to the army to pay the rent after some crops were destroyed. Albert is then forced to watch his horse go off and join the war, and the rest of the movie is horribly emotional. It’s an absolute must-see film for anyone who wants to cry while watching horses.
6. The Man from Snowy River
The Man from Snowy River came out in 1982, just shortly after the western film genre was dying. This caused the film to not be a very big success at the time, even though it starred the legendary Kirk Douglas. Nonetheless, the film is phenomenal, with Douglas doing an amazing job. Plus, The Man from Snowy River has some of the best horse filmography ever put into a movie. The story centers around Douglas, who is a wealthy rancher, and a young man trying to romance his daughter. And of course, there are plenty of horses involved in the story!
7. Buck
Buck was an interesting film from 2011. Rather than being an exciting drama, it was actually a documentary about a horse whisperer named Buck Brannaman. Interestingly enough, Buck was the same man who helped Robert Redford when he created the movie The Horse Whisperer. The movie is all about Buck’s method of training horses through leadership while resisting any form of punishment.
8. Horse Girl
Horse Girl is by far the most recent movie about horses. It stars Alison Brie and world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020. The movie centers around a shy young girl who works at a craft store and has some very obvious mental health issues. Alison Brie begins to lose her hold on reality, with the only thing keeping her grounded being a very special horse. It’s a great psychological movie, and it displays the power that the love for a horse can have over a person to help them cope with stress and trauma.
9. Hidalgo
If you want to see horses in action, Hidalgo is the movie for you! It hit the big screen in 2004, starring Viggo Mortensen. It’s all about the exploits of a horse race in Arabia in 1891. The film is based on a true story, and it follows the life of a professional horseman who had allegedly won 400 races in his life. It’s a great racing movie all about horses for those who love a bit of action with less drama.
10. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
Last but not least, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is an excellent animated horse movie produced by DreamWorks and released in 2002. Rather than the talking horses you’re probably used to seeing in animated movies, this film centers around a horse that communicates only through sound and body language, just like a real horse. It even earned an Oscar nomination, and it had Matt Damon narrating the horse’s thoughts. This is definitely one of the best horse movies for children.