My Favorite Movies for Mustang Horse Lovers
I’ve been into horses all my life, and mustangs especially have a special place in my heart! I love to watch horse movies and shows and probably would all day every day if I could! Here are 10 of my favorite mustang and horse-related movies and shows to watch:
1. The Mustang – An amazing movie where an untamed, especially wild stallion crosses paths with Roman when he is required to participate in a prison’s “outdoor maintenance” program. But this film is neither “Seabiscuit” nor “The Horse Whisperer”— Clermont-Tonnerre finds her inspiration and source material in present day, in more austere and forgotten corners of the country. Through the opening credits, we learn that there are approximately 100,000 mustangs in the wild across 10 American states and the government can support less than a third of them only. The rest are sometimes adopted, sometimes kept from sight in various long-term facilities or given to prison inmates to train and then sell at auctions through rehabilitation programs. It is one such optimistic initiative that Roman gets recruited for. Run by Myles, a veteran, hard-bitten trainer-in-charge (played by a paternal and no-nonsense Bruce Dern, who slips into the role perhaps a little too predictably), the program pairs Roman with the wildest of horses. But will they be able to break and tame one another? (Summary Source)
2. Wild Horse, Wild Ride – This is a documentary style video on YouTube (Find it HERE!) that shows several people competing in a Mustang Makeover challenge. It’s great to see the training process of a mustang in 100 days, and the emotions that come along with it! There are many different training styles showcased in this film!
3. Unbranded – This is a documentary style film you can find HERE free on YouTube, which tells the story of 4 boys who just graduated from college that train wild mustangs and ride them straight from the Mexican border all the way to the Canadian border. It does have some swearing in it, but all in all, it’s such a great story and shows so many of the struggles with riding and training these wild horses.
4. Wild Lands Wild Horses – This is a documentary style show that has one episode so far, but it looks pretty great! You can find the first episode FREE here on YouTube! It is based on the story of wildlife photographers who have taken pictures of wild horses for many years, and have a passion for getting these horses adopted into great homes and not starving in the wild. It explains about how scientists use different methods to count the horses in a given area, and the roles of the horses in “bands” (families) in the wild. It does a great job of explaining the difference between horses and burros, ways the BLM could improve their processes, and how the PZP birth control method has worked on certain herds. It gives you an inside look at the Litchfield Holding Facilities, and explains more about the need for adoption and explains about TIP trainers and sanctuaries.
5. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron – This is a family favorite movie about a mustang who gets curious about some human settlers building the railroad tracks and ends up getting caught by them. It is a very emotional movie (which I’ve probably watched 1,000 times now!) and definitely one you can watch with the whole family. At the end, Spirit does break free and find his family again, but it shows the increasing issue of population growth in America and lacking resources for the wild horses.
6. Flicka – This is a great Disney movie! Summary: In modern-day Wyoming, teenager Katy McLaughlin (Alison Lohman) dreams of working on and, one day, taking over her father’s ranch. She tames a mustang and names her Flicka, then finds that she and her new equine companion are more alike than she imagined. After her father (Tim McGraw) sells Flicka, Katy schemes to win back the horse by entering a dangerous race.
7. American Mustang The Movie – Wild horse advocate and Montgomery Creek Ranch Founder Ellie Phipps Price was the impetus behind the creation of American Mustang the Movie, a full length feature documentary released in November 2013, and screened nationwide in 2014. Ellie’s desire to raise awareness about the plight of America’s wild horses inspired her to create and produce American Mustang the Movie. An artful blend of epic nature documentary and character-driven narrative, American Mustang depicts the story of the mustang, and the contentious struggle behind its very existence. The film portrays wild horses in 3D cinematography for the first time. Narrated by actress Daryl Hannah, American Mustang was partially filmed at Montgomery Creek Ranch. The film’s two equine stars, Bravo and Echo, live in sanctuary at MCR. (Summary Source)
8. 500 Miles – The purpose of this innovative short film is to start a new, universally-understood conversation around the necessity of struggle, challenge and perseverance as they relate to creating meaning in one’s life – without one, you cannot have the other. The 500 Miles film communicates the importance of this concept by telling the story of the un-purposed wild mustang and the un-purposed veteran, following both as they learn to face and navigate challenges, with the ultimate goal of discovering what their greater purpose in life is. For these mustangs, the arduous 500 mile journey through New Mexico and Arizona was their purpose-defining challenge, but we all have our own version of a “500 mile journey”. It’s the moments in life when we choose to buck up instead of give up. When we choose to take the unbeaten path instead of the easy road. It’s the moments that force us to take a hard look at ourselves, and the decisions we have been making, and decide if we have been letting life happen to us, or for us. (Summary Source)
9. Heartland – When I was younger I read the Heartland books and fell in love with the story line; a young teen who lost her mom in a car accident while trying to save a horse with her, then trying to take over the family business as a trainer for troubled horses. Now it is a show with 13+ seasons and soo many great episodes! There are many mustang episodes, but every episode has horse issues and solutions that are really fun and educational for the whole family! You can find the episodes on Netflix if you have an account or on cable channels, depending on your local programs. (Search on your tv for it! We found it through Amazon Prime Video!)
10. North America’s Wild Horses – This YouTube movie shows a full helicopter round up and gives a really good overview of the process a wild horse goes through from being wild to being domestic and loved by humans. It also has some great interviews from BLM workers. The link IS HERE to watch the full movie.
Have you seen all of these movies and shows already? Which one is your favorite? Any new ones that you know of that aren’t listed? I’d love to add more in anytime! Make sure to comment below with any recommendations!
