Throughout the decades, Hollywood has seen several different trends in which many movies involving a certain type of animal are released, from monkeys to pigs to penguins, etc. However, one animal that has managed to stand the test of time better than any other is the horse, which has been the star of several fun race movies, many exciting adventure films, and countless tales of friendship. Check them all out with the following guide to the best horse movie here.
The Black Stallion (1979)
Director: Carroll Ballard
Starring: Kelly Reno, Mickey Rooney, Teri Garr
What it’s about: After surviving a shipwreck with the help of a beautiful, dark-haired horse, a young boy helps train it to become a champion racer in the 1940s.
Why it is one of the best horse movies: Based on the novel by Walter Farley, The Black Stallion (also one of the best Teri Garr movies) gives you everything you could want from a horse movie, including adventure, racing, and friendship.
How to watch The Black Stallion
National Velvet (1944)
Director: Clarence Brown
Starring: Mickey Rooney, Elizabeth Taylor
What it’s about: After winning a steed named Pie in a lottery, a young girl inspires a former jockey to help train it for an esteemed racing event in England.
Why it is one of the best horse movies: Decades before starring in The Black Stallion, Mickey Rooney led National Velvet – a winning horse race movie based on the novel by Enid Bagnold.
How to watch National Velvet
Seabiscuit (2003)
Director: Gary Ross
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges
What it’s about: A car manufacturer pursuing horse racing takes a chance on a below-average-sized horse with a limp and an above-average-sized jockey during the Great Depression.
Why it is one of the best horse movies: One of the most famous real-life horses of all time is Seabiscuit, whose inspiring story is told in this acclaimed biopic and one of the best Tobey Maguire movies.
How to watch Seabiscuit
Black Beauty (1994)
Director: Caroline Thompson
Starring: Sean Bean, David Thewlis
What it’s about: A horse narrates the story of its life and its relationship with its many different owners in 19th Century England
Why it is one of the best horse movies: Anna Sewell’s 1877 novel Black Beauty has been adapted into other media numerous times and one of the more acclaimed is Warner Brothers’ mid-1990s adaptation featuring Alan Cumming as the voice of the eponymous stallion.
How to watch Black Beauty
War Horse (2011)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch
What it’s about: A young man enlists in the British Army to find his horse after it is sold to the cavalry during World War I.
Why it is one of the best horse movies: Inspired by the Tony Award-winning play, which itself is based on Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 novel, War Horse is a moving story of love and courage and one of Steven Spielberg’s best movies from the 2010s.
How to watch War Horse
My Friend Flicka (1943)
Director: Harold D. Schuster
Starring: Roddy McDowell, Preston Foster, Rita Johnson
What it’s about: The owners of a Wyoming ranch try to teach their young son a lesson in responsibility by giving him a filly to raise himself.
Why it is one of the best horse movies: The first of several films based on Mary O’Hara’s novel, My Friend Flicka is an inspiring coming-of-age Western.
How to watch My Friend Flicka
The Horse Whisperer (1998)
Director: Robert Redford
Starring: Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Scarlett Johansson
What it’s about: After an accident leaves her teenage daughter and her horse injured, a woman enlists the help of an unusually gifted trainer.
Why it is one of the best horse movies: Based on the 1995 novel by Nicholas Evans, The Horse Whisperer is a moving, romantic drama examining our unique connections with animals that some argue should have earned Scarlett Johansson an Oscar nomination.
How to watch The Horse Whisperer
Dreamer (2005)
Director: John Gatins
Starring: Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning
What it’s about: A rancher and his daughter rescue an injured mare named Soñador from being slaughtered by its owner and train it to get back into the races.
Why it is one of the best horse movies: As CinemaBlend’s review of Dreamer states, this drama based on a true story is more than a movie about a horse but about a family rebuilding itself through their bond with the animal.
How to watch Dreamer
Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron (2002)
Director: Kelly Asbury, Lorna Cook
Starring: Matt Damon, James Cromwell
What it’s about: A mustang struggles to reunite his herd in the 19th Century Old West.
Why it is one of the best horse movies: One of the best DreamWorks Animated movies is Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, which was nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar and later inspired a couple of spin-off TV show and a spin-off feature from 2021 called Spirit Untamed.
How to watch Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
Hidalgo (2004)
Director: Joe Johnston
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Omar Sharif
What it’s about: A poor cowboy-turned-circus performer and his horse enter a deadly, 3,000-mile race across the Arabian desert in the late 1800s.
Why it is one of the best horse movies: While not based on a true story like the marketing promised, Hidalgo is still one of Viggo Mortensen’s best movies for its exciting elements of Western adventurousness, intense competition, and endurable will.
How to watch Hidalgo
Racing Stripes (2005)
Director: Frederik Du Chau
Starring: Frankie Muniz, Steve Harvey, David Spade
What it’s about: A zebra raised on a farm is given the chance to live out his dream of participate in a horse race.
Why it is one of the best horse movies: While the main character of Racing Stripes – which also features some of David Spade’s funniest quotes – is not actually a horse, he sure proves he is worthy of galloping along with horses on the race track in this fun family comedy.
How to watch Racing Stripes
These horse movies will surely have you galloping with joy.