For every great, legendary horse movie there’s at least one glaring mistake or inaccuracy that rubs horse owners the wrong way. No, we’re not talking about the silly nonsense that comes from talking and flying horses; that kind of fantasy makes movies fun. We’re referencing how producers commonly create falsehoods about real horses which simply aren’t true.
Constant whinnying
Dogs like to communicate by barking all the time, but horses? Not so much. Horses are usually pretty quiet animals, not the chatterboxes they appear to be every time they’re on screen. In the movies they’re whinnying when they’re walking, galloping, eating and being washed. It’s all a bit much. The primary way they communicate is through body language. Whinnying usually originates when horses are distraught. And horses rarely whinny and rear at the same time.
Human-like behavior
Cartoon horses sometime get a free pass when they’re shown listening to human commands. After all, they’re cartoons. The problem starts with those movies that aren’t so playful and lighthearted. It’s the ones where horses look so smart they know just what to do in order to save someone or help others. It can turn a really good movie into one that loses its charm because it’s that much less believable.
Overdoing the rearing
I realize rearing is the big movie payoff scene that lends a lot of drama to a horse that isn’t seen doing much besides walking or galloping. I also realize that rearing was glorified during the Lone Ranger-era, whereby cowboy movies used it as a signature shot. But it’s just getting a bit tired and overdone. Horses don’t rear often, nor do they do so just for fun in the pasture. It simply isn’t that common. If your horse is rearing that often, you probably need to spend time with him in training.
Mouth-gaping and head-shaking
This is another staple of so many westerns. Here the horse is seen with mouth wide open, shaking its head and a look of terror in its eyes. This screen behavior does a disservice to the equestrian community, too, because riders shouldn’t be yanking and pulling on the reins so wildly. If the character is supposed to be an experienced rider, he or she wouldn’t act in this way.