Movies about animals, especially horses, are more common than you think. This is because animals are beloved by all pet owners. So here is a list of 26 such lovable horse movies for you.
1. Casey’s Shadow (1978)
- Direction: Martin Ritt
- Screenplay: Carol Sobieski
- Cast: Robert Webber, Walter Matthau, Alexis Smith, Murray Hamilton
- IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
- Streaming Service: Amazon Video, Apple iTunes, Vudu, DIRECTV, Google Play Movies, Microsoft Store, and YouTube
This 1978 Columbia Pictures distributed movie is about a young boy, Casey. Casey and his family trains racehorses. A young horse who is also Casey’s best friend, so everyone calls him Casey’s shadow; though he looks like a loser, he turns out to be a champion. It is a humorous story about the racehorse’s trainer family and their horse.
2. Black Beauty (1994)
- Direction and Screenplay: Caroline Thompson
- Cast: Sean Bean, Davis Thewlis, Andrew Knott, Ian Kelsey, Docs Keepin Time, Alan Cumming, Peter Davison, and Alan Armstrong
- IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
- Streaming Service: YouTube
Based on Anna Sewell’s book of the same name that was written for the cause of animal welfare, this movie is about a horse named Black Beauty who narrates his own life story of being born in a countryside farmhouse, his human connections, changing families and struggles of being a horse. Despite not having a lot of commercial success, this movie is a cult classic and one of the best horse movies of all time. The movie was also the debut of director Caroline Thompson.
3. The Man From Snowy River (1982)
- Direction: George T. Miller
- Screenplay: John Dixon
- Cast: Tom Burlinson, Kirk Douglas, Sigrid Thornton, Jack Thompson, and Lorraine Bayly
- IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
- Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix
The movie The Man from Snowy River is about a boy named Jim Craig who loses his father and goes to work on a horse ranch, where he falls in love with Jessica, who happens to be the owner’s daughter. However, Jim is accused of losing a costly horse, but to prove himself worthy of Jessica, he finds the horse. This movie was based on Banjo Paterson’s book of the same name and received good critical reviews.
4. Spirit: Stallion of The Cimarron (2002)
- Direction: Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook
- Screenplay: John Fusco
- Cast: Matt Damon, James Cromwell, Daniel Studi, Chopper Burnet, Matt Levin, Richard McGonagle, and Robert Cait
- IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 70%
- Streaming Service: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix
This animated film tells the story of a Kiger Mustang colt horse who grows into a strong stallion, Spirit. It is captured by the US cavalry, who are fighting the Indian Wars with the Native Americans. As the movie progresses, we see Spirit fall in love with a mare, rebel against the cavalry, and help the Indians. This DreamWorks production is not only one of the best horse movies but one of the best-animated movies ever made. It was nominated for Academy awards in the category of Best Animated Feature Film.
5. The Horse Whisperer (1998)
- Direction: Robert Redford
- Screenplay: Richard LaGravenese and Eric Roth
- Cast: Robert Redford, Scarlett Johansson, Kate Bosworth, Sam Neill, Dianne Wiest, Chris Cooper, and Cherry Jones
- IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 74%
- Streaming Service: Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu
The movie sees a teenage girl, Grace, and her best friend, Judith, meet with an accident while riding their horses, Pilgrim and Gulliver. While Judith and Gulliver die, Grace and Pilgrim survive but are severely injured and morally broken. Annie, Grace’s mother, a strong and perceptive woman, tracks down a horse whisperer, Tom Booker, to help Pilgrim as she realizes her daughter’s well-being is linked to Pilgrim. The cinematography and acting of The Horse Whisperer have been critically acclaimed.
6. Dreamer: Inspired by A True Story (2005)
- Direction and Screenplay: John Gatins
- Cast: Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Freddy Rodriguez, Kris Kristofferson, Elizabeth Shue, Luiz Guzman, and David Morse
- IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 64%
- Streaming service: Amazon Prime Video
Based on a true story, the movie is about a horse trainer, Ben, and his girl, Cale, who initially distance bond over an injured racehorse, Sonador or Sonya. The movie explores this father-daughter relationship and Cale’s talent as a horse trainer, just like her father. This sports drama also happens to be John Gatins’ directorial debut. A young Dakota Fanning’s acting was appreciated in this movie. It is one of the classic horse movies.
7. National Velvet (1944)
- Direction: Clarence Brown
- Screenplay: Helen Deutsch
- Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney, Donald Crisp, Anne Revere, Angela Lansbury, Terry Kilburn, and Reginald Owen
- IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
- Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video
The story is about a 12-year-old girl, Velvet Brown, who, with the help of a broke young jokey, Mi Taylor, trains her horse, The Pie, to win the Grand National steeplechase of England. National Velvet remains one of the best horse movies to date. It was such a huge success that a sequel was decided.
8. International Velvet (1978)
- Direction and Screenplay: Bryan Forbes
- Cast: Tatum O’Neal, Nanette Newman, Christopher Plummer, Anthony Hopkins, Sarah Bullen, Jeffrey Byron, and Richard Warwick
- IMDb Rating: 5.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
- Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video
The movie is a sequel to the 1944 famous horse movie National Velvet. This movie follows a young teenage girl, Sarah Velvet Brown, who is Velvet Brown’s niece and goes to live with her leaving Arizona after her parents die in a car crash. She, like her aunt, adopts The Pie’s foal and names her Arizona Pie. As the movie progresses, we see Sarah train her horse for the Olympic Three-Day Event.
9. The Black Stallion (1979)
- Direction: Carroll Ballard
- Screenplay: Melissa Mathison, William D. Wittliff, and Jeanne Rosenberg
- Cast: Kelly Reno, Clarence Muse, Teri Garr, Hoyt Axton, Mickey Rooney, and Michael Higgins
- IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
- Streaming Service: Netflix
The story follows a boy, Alec Ramsey, traveling on a ship, where he meets a wild horse – a black stallion. The movie takes a turn when caught in a shipwreck, and Alec is stranded on an island with the wild horse. This seals their bond, and Alec names the horse, The Black. Later after being rescued from the island, Alec trains The Black to run on racetracks. The movie was well acclaimed on its release, was nominated for several awards, and won a few.
10. The Derby Stallion (2005)
- Direction: Craig Clyde
- Screenplay: Kimberly Gough
- Cast: Zac Effron, Bill Cobbs, Tonja Walker, William R. Moses, Crystal Hunt, Michael Nardelli, Ron Pinkston, and Colton James
- IMDb Rating: 5.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 65%
- Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video
The movie is about a fifteen-year-old boy, Patrick McCardle, who befriends a horse trainer, Houston, who helps him train for the Derby Cup with the horse Rusty. At the same time, Patrick falls in love with Jill and faces opposition from Derby Cup holder Randy.
11. Phar Lap (1983)
- Direction: Simon Wincer
- Screenplay: David Williamson
- Cast: Tom Burlinson, Martin Vaughan, Ron Leibman, Judy Morris, and James Steele
- IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
- Streaming Service: YouTube
This movie is based on a true story about a gaunt horse named Phar Lap, leased by a horse trainer Harry Telford and kept in the care of his stable boy, Tommy. The story takes an interesting turn when Phar Lap’s potential to win races and earn a lot of money is discovered. Now, Telford must protect Phar Lap from the pressure of racers and gamblers and its owner.
12. Dark Horse (1992)
- Direction: David Hemmings
- Screenplay: Janet McClean
- Cast: Ari Meyers, Ed Begley Jr., Mimi Rogers, and Donavan Leitch
- IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
- Streaming Service: Netflix, YouTube
The movie is about a young girl named Allison Mills, who gets into trouble and is sentenced to community service on a horse ranch. However, when she and her favorite horse, Jet, meet an accident, it is through Jet’s steadfast recovery that she finds her own path.
13. Miracle of the White Stallions (1963)
- Direction: Arthur Hiller
- Screenplay: Alois Podhajski and AJ Carothers
- Cast: Robert Taylor, Lili Palmer, John Larch, Eddie Albert, Curd Jurgens, and James Franciscus
- IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
- Streaming Service: YouTube
The movie is set in a World War II background, where an Austrian Colonel, Alois Podhajski, seeks out US General George Patton to save his beloved horse – a white stallion.
14. War Horse (2011)
- Direction: Steven Speilberg
- Screenplay: Lee Hall and Richard Curtis
- Cast: Emily Watson, Davis Thewlis, Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, and Niels Arestrup
- IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 74%
- Streaming Service: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
The movie is about the bond between a boy named Albert and his horse Joey who becomes a British cavalry horse after being sold. Albert goes on a journey to reunite with his old friend Joey.
15. All The Pretty Horses (2000)
- Direction: Billy Bob Thornton
- Screenplay: Ted Tally
- Cast: Matt Damon, Penelope Cruz, Henry Thomas, and Lucas Black
- IMDb Rating: 5.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 32%
- Streaming Service: Hulu
Based on Cormac McCarthy’s book, this movie is about two friends, John Grady Cole and Lacey Rawlins, who travel together 150 miles on horseback to cross the border and go to Mexico to find a job. On the journey, Cole falls in love with a girl from a rich family, Alejandra. However, Cole and Rawlins run into trouble in Mexico and are sent to jail. The movie then follows its trial to prove its innocence.
16. Champions (1984)
- Direction: John Irvin
- Screenplay: Evan Jones
- Cast: John Hurt, Edward Woodward, Jan Francis, Ben Johnson, and Alison Steadman
- IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 69%
- Streaming Service: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
Based on Bob Champion’s life’s true story, it tells the story of how Bob Champion was diagnosed with testicular cancer at the peak of his career. However, fighting through his ailment, he won the 1981 Grand National with his horse Aldaniti.
17. Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken (1991)
- Direction: Steve Miner
- Screenplay: Matt Williams and Oley Sassone
- Cast: Gabrielle Anwar, Michael Schoeffling
- IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
- Streaming Service: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
The movie is about a girl, Sonora, with a free wild heart. She runs away from home and becomes a stunt horse rider. The plot progresses to tell how Sonora falls in love with Al and discovers her bond with the stallion horse, Lightning.
18. Sylvester (1985)
- Direction: Tim Hunter
- Screenplay: Carol Sobieski
- Cast: Melissa Gilbert, Richard Farnsworth, Michael Schoeffling, Constance Towers, Arliss Howard, James Gammon, and Peter Kowanko
- IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
- Streaming Service: YouTube
The movie is about a young girl from Texas named Charlie, who buys a horse in a livestock auction and, with the help of a man named Foster, takes it to the Olympic trials as a champion jumper.
19. Hidalgo (2004)
- Direction and Screenplay: Joe Johnston
- Cast: Viggo Mortenson, Zuleikha Robinson, Omar Sharif, Louise Lombard, Said Taghmaoui, Adam Alexi-Malle, and Silas Carson
- IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 46%
- Streaming Service: Disney+ Hotstar
The movie is about a long-distance horse rider, cowboy Frank Hopkins and his wild mustang, Hidalgo, who is part of a show called Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. In order to save the show, Frank takes Hidalgo to participate in a dangerous race in Arabia where horses from around the world participate. Franks aims to win the race with Hidalgo, as the winner gets a big prize that can save the show.
20. Wild Horse (1931)
- Direction: Richard Thorpe
- Screenplay: Jack Natteford
- Cast: Hoot Gibson, Alberta Vaughn, Stepin Fetchit, Neil Hart, Edmund Cobb, George Bunny, Edward Peil Sr, Skeeter Bill Robins, Joe Rickson, and Fred Gilman
- IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
- Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
The movie is about a wild stallion. To tame this horse, an expert has been brought in. The story is about the relationship between this trainer and the horse.
21. The Wild Horse Redemption (2007)
- Direction: John Zaritsky
- Writers: Alison Griffiths, David Cruise, Bob McKeown, and John Zaritsky
- Cast: Jon Peterson, Guy McAnulty, and Brian Hardin
- IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
- Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video
This is a documentary where the prisoners of Colorado’s Centennial Correctional Facility are given an opportunity to redeem themselves in their own eyes through the Wild Horse Inmate Program. The inmates’ goal, with no experience in horse training, is to tame wild mustang horses in three months.
22. Virginia’s Run (2002)
- Direction: Peter Markle
- Screenplay: Valarie Trapp and Peter Markle
- Cast: Lindze Letherman, Rachel Skarsten, Gabriel Byrne, Joanne Whalley, Robert Miranda, Kevin Zegers, Jeremy Akerman, and Jocelyn Cummingham
- IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
- Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video
The movie is about a 13-year-old girl, Virginia Lofton, who is a horse lover. After her mother’s death, her father, Ford Lofton, tries to sell her favorite horse, Stormy. Thus, in order to save her favorite horse and show the horse’s potential to her father, Virginia hires a horse trainer named Jessie Eastwood so that Stormy can be trained to run in races.
23. Seabiscuit (2003)
- Direction and Screenplay: Gary Ross
- Cast: Tobey Maguire, Chris Cooper, Jeff Bridges, Elizabeth Banks, Gary Stevens, and William H. Macy
- IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
- Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video
The movie is set in a post-Great Depression Canada, where people are fighting through its impact. Three men who are struggling – Tom Smith, Charles S. Howard, and Red Pollard come into possession of a horse with a limp named Seabiscuit. This unlikely group of a horse trainer, owner, and the principal jokey of Seabiscuit, unlocks his potential and bonds with him while training him to with a championship. This action-packed horse thriller has been appreciated for its direction and cinematography. It also had been nominated for several awards.
24. Tonka (1958)
- Direction: Lewis R. Foster
- Screenplay: David Appel, Lewis R. Foster, and Lillie Hayward
- Cast: Sal Mineo, Philip Carey, H. M. Wynant, Jerome Courtland, Herbert Rudley, Rafael Campos, Britt Lomond, Sydney Smith, Joy Page, Gregg Martel, John War Eagle, Robert Henry, and Slim Pickens
- IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
- Streaming Service: YouTube, Amazon Prime Video
Based on the book Comanche: Story of America’s Most Heroic Horse by David Appel, this Walt Disney production tells the story of the two owners of a horse named Tonka. Tonka was initially Sioux’s horse and then became a US cavalry horse ridden by a captain bound for battle with the Indians.
25. Secretariat (2010)
- Direction: Randall Wallace
- Screenplay: Mike Rich and Sheldon Turner
- Cast: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Dylan Walsh, James Cromwell, Kevon Connolly, and Scott Glen
- IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 6.3%
- Streaming Service: YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar
This Walt Disney Productions film is about a girl, Penny who, in spite of knowing nothing about horse racing, takes charge of his father’s stable. She enters this male-dominated arena, and with the help of a horse named Secretariat, she proves herself by winning the Triple Crown for the first time in 25 years.
26. Moondance Alexander (2007)
- Direction: Michael Damian
- Screenplay: Janeen Damian
- Cast: Kay Panabaker, Don Johnson, Lori Loughlin, Sasha Cohen, James Best, and Whitney Sloan
- IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 66%
- Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video
This all-star cast movie is about a young girl, Moondance Alexander, who meets an escaped horse, Checkers, and returns him to his owner Dante. Moondance forms a bond with Checkers and discovers his talent for jumping. She convinces Dante to register Checkers in a competition of champion jumpers.
Here is a list that might help animal lovers to find a good movie. It does a great job of entertaining viewers while making them learn something useful at the same time. Until then, stay home, and stay safe. Happy watching!
