Actors and riding

A mate was an extra in Snow White and the Huntsman. He's an equine vet too. He had to do the galloping bits when a crowd of horses comes hurtling down and was wetting himself at the lead actress' riding ability, or lack thereof.

He knows the Devils Horsemen, his dad is in the film industry. I was trying to wangle an introduction at their demo at Herts County Show.:p I think the lead guy is French. :)
 
I liked Sean Bean in Sharpe purely because he actually rode with cavalry seat! Everybody else was riding about a century too modern.

Of course, he may have been doing it accidentally - either way, there was something vaguely resembling historical accuracy in Sharpe! For the one and only time...
 
Starry_eyes said:
Hugh Jackman on a horse in that film 'Australia'. Phwoar. That is all. :)
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lhotse said:
Viggo Mortensen did all his own riding in the LOTR trilogy and also for Hildago, but then he is an accomplished horseman already. Infact, he seemed to purchase most of the film horses afterwards too!
Richard Armitage on a horse in Robin Hood, now we are talking...
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NorthDevonTraveller said:
The most elegant actor I ever saw was Colin Firth in Pride & Prejudice. Looked wonderful in a tall top hat and on elegant TB horse. Far better than in a wet shirt!
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STOOOOPPPPP people, I'm swooning

;)
 
Fransurrey said:
Are you thinking of Moonraker?
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That's the one - I, of course, would love to play the part of a superbondvillian - especially, if it involved swanning about with hoards of delectable women as Hugo Drax does at his mansion which is actually Vaux de Vicompte - one of the finest chateaux palaces in France!
However; I wouldn't pussfoot around with our James - I'd double tap him very quickly on our first meeting - but it wouldn't make for a very interesting film and obviously - very short!

I'm no Bond fan BTW - Moonraker lost me when you see a Shuttle start its main engines while still attached to an adapted Boeing 747 lifter - yes, one did carry Shuttles - but empty of all fuel and powered down!!!

I know Daniel Craig did a lot of riding for Cowboys and Aliens, but let's be honest, most won't be watching him for his riding skills... :D
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He makes a convincing hitman and reminds me of Putin - da? But Bond needs British aesthetism - the book Bond was a cold and somewhat sadistic killer and some would say woman hater rather than the irresistable lover the films made him ..... so Pierce Brosnan fits more for me as I've seen him other films where he doesn't treat his girls very well.
 
Pippity said:
I liked Sean Bean in Sharpe purely because he actually rode with cavalry seat! Everybody else was riding about a century too modern.
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Made for telly - the budget was the limiting factor - so you often have quite a big actual battle being fought by the number of folk you can fit in one frame! No one could remake a cavalry charge and have it shown on any medium in these animal cruelty, H & S days - thank the lord! They were squandered in many battles but best used in the final stages when opposing troops were already turning tail - picture that if you will - you realise the day is lost so you turn and run, you drop everything in an effort to run faster and with it any chance of fighting back - not to mention facing the wrong way and then...... BLAM!!! 5,6,7, or sometimes 800 horses charge through you with hardly any space in between - their riders are all armed with 4ft swords or sabres which hit you at 35mph. Have you seen a combine harvester working?

- either way, there was something vaguely resembling historical accuracy in Sharpe! For the one and only time...
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Only if you don't know the history - and hark at me talking - as if anyone knows what is was really like to by anywhere part from the here and now!
 
A rather scrummy actor from one of yet the early episodes of Downton Abbey learnt to ride on our coloured cob. Apparently his CV said he could ride. He was a friend of the cob's previous owner and they asked to borrow him.

Obviously my eldest daughter and I watched to make sure all went well.
It took some time for this athletic lad to get rising trot by which time said cob got bored and tanked off with him out of the school.
We stopped there reassuring him that his horsey actor colleague was bound to be a schoolmaster, all would be fine, gulp.

Imagine the horror on our faces as we watched his episode - as he trotted off to join a HUNT "ooh noo he's going to die!" and then headed towards a JUMP.

We knew then he had a stunt double.
 
Orson Cart said:
.....The Devils Horsemen.
http://www.thedevilshorsemen.com/pages/banquet.htm
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They came to our village show a year or so ago - very good - I limped over and had ye wordes with them as one of 'em looks almost as old as me and doesn't do any of the falling off anymore if ever. I asked all the young'uns if they got more money for the falls - haha. Horses far to light for Knights and all the armour and swords are stage stuff.

There are however; many nutcases that enjoy doing things well - just for fun - have a look at this - it's all REAL! http://microentrys.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/img_1153_sm.jpg

I'm sorry but there's an ad on this that you can skip after 4 secs - and the dialogue is in French but this guy is one of the BEST sword makers in the world! Fast forward to get some idea of what's involved!
 
I love that this turned into a Perve-fest, cold showers all round!

1stclass you would make a brilliant bond villain, I'd go for the old school type with the fluffy cat and gold teeth and eye patch

Colin Firth in P&P is my fave by far..... I love Mr Darcy TOO MUCH!!

My other fave equestrian scene is the star trek film where Picard and Kirk go riding together, I just love it because I love star trek too much also. So much I can't remember which film it was.
 
Oooohhhh CT I think I know who you are talking about as had a convo with my new vet the other day and he mentioned Snow White!:D

Hugh and Viggo on horse back *swoon*

*runs off to pm CT*
 
The guy who was in Seabiscuit - Toby Maguire?! Spiderman anywho! He worked with racehorses before he went into acting so he did most of his own riding in that film.

LOVE LOVE LOVE SHARPE!!!
 
I feel I must mention Gerald Butler in Attila.
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Is it hot in here suddenly?

I think I need oxygen.
 
It was with the devil's horsemen that daughter worked with on game of thrones - when we watched it on tv she would be saying things like - I'm just out of shot here, holding the horse still cause the actor was terrified.
Some of it sounded very dangerous - there was one shot where they had to gallop up a quarry path with a huge drop at one side. None of the actors did those kind of bits!
 
cinnamontoast said:
A mate was an extra in Snow White and the Huntsman. He's an equine vet too. He had to do the galloping bits when a crowd of horses comes hurtling down and was wetting himself at the lead actress' riding ability, or lack thereof.

He knows the Devils Horsemen, his dad is in the film industry. I was trying to wangle an introduction at their demo at Herts County Show.:p I think the lead guy is French. :)
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He would have probably met my ex-OH then, he was one of the stunt riders, I was loving seeing the photos on his FB page!. He's helped train actors to ride, and also does jousting and re-enactment stuff as well. Looks like an amazing way to make a living! :)
(He's pretty easy on the eye too ;))
 
1stclassalan said:
Only if you don't know the history - and hark at me talking - as if anyone knows what is was really like to by anywhere part from the here and now!
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I do know the history, ta. Hence my pointing out that Bean was the only person riding with a vaguely period-accurate seat. I wasn't talking about cavalry charges - Sharpe is an infantry officer.
 
mandwhy said:
1stclass you would make a brilliant bond villain, I'd go for the old school type with the fluffy cat and gold teeth and eye patch
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Yawohl, meine Yunge! Something along these lines :-
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...B291A71C5B06FE3F82EF32C3F41&selectedIndex=147

und wir das besser Uniformiern haben!!!

Colin Firth in P&P is my fave by far..... I love Mr Darcy TOO MUCH!!
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Now, calm down dear - all you saw in the telly film was his shirt - a dry shirt with water splashed in it too. Whereas in the book ..... our naughty Miss Austen was hinting at something lower down - 19th century breeches didn't leave much to the imagination in any case but I rather think that Mr D'arcy only had his modest covered by his shirt tails!!!

My other fave equestrian scene is the star trek film where Picard and Kirk go riding together, I just love it because I love star trek too much also. So much I can't remember which film it was.
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Here you go - your lucky day! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrJiU9BOEBI

Get their foot positions - worse than Prince Charlie's ears! Kirk is half way convincing but allows terrible washing lines and holds very high - Picard? But to the lunge for you I'm afraid!

Mind you - they must be the only horseyfolk stopping to converse - most around here do it while walking down the middle of the road paying no attention!
 
Who mentioned Gerard Butler? He's mine!

And, I have the honour of having ridden in the very same saddle that Sean Bean used in Sharpe!

Most of the large cavalry charges in films nowadays are done by CGI. My OH was the entire CGI cavalry in "Alexander" and "Kingdom of Heaven". He went to an equestrian centre to be filmed and had to wear an all black body suit with white markers on all the joints. He had to do horse standing, rider with sword at side; horse standing with sword sligtly raised; horse standing with sword swinging; etc., then he had to do the same actions through all the paces, and the same again for a variety of weapons and shields. From the data captured, they created the entire background cavalry.
 
Pippity said:
I do know the history, ta. Hence my pointing out that Bean was the only person riding with a vaguely period-accurate seat. I wasn't talking about cavalry charges - Sharpe is an infantry officer.
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Sorry pardon - I was expecting slapped wrists when I reread me post but if thou wishes to joust on historic accuracy - how many riflemen do you think made it up through the ranks to be an officer at that time? What do you think the chances are now?

An ordinary bloke - if lucky and alive, can get to Sargeant Major - Colour Sargeant Major if very lucky and brave - in Wellington's army - cannonfodder. He's far too good with swords and sabres too IMHO - officer's weapons - when did he get to practice all that stuff when ordinary soldier weren't even allowed to hold one?
 
Faro said:
Most of the large cavalry charges in films nowadays are done by CGI.
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And the results are pure rubbish! I can't bare to watch a minute of it - at least in the old days you got four guys bashing one another - at a complete standstill so you could see who they were for a few minutes and then they usually doubled that up by turning the film over!

Pop over to poor old Cinnamon Toast's injury posts to see what happens when a horse treads on you - no swords involved.
 
I watched the prince caspian dvd bonus features recently and the kid who played edmund was saying how he learned to ride and spent hours learning to vault onto a galloping horse all for one scene. He was very proud of himself and after watching the film can say he really does do all his own stunts lol. I was impressed.

Actors that really can ride, the mel gibsons russ crowes and heath ledgers of this world, i find them much easier to watch than the hunched over leg flappers of the acting world.
 
1stclassalan said:
Sorry pardon - I was expecting slapped wrists when I reread me post but if thou wishes to joust on historic accuracy - how many riflemen do you think made it up through the ranks to be an officer at that time? What do you think the chances are now?

An ordinary bloke - if lucky and alive, can get to Sargeant Major - Colour Sargeant Major if very lucky and brave - in Wellington's army - cannonfodder. He's far too good with swords and sabres too IMHO - officer's weapons - when did he get to practice all that stuff when ordinary soldier weren't even allowed to hold one?
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And if you re-read my post, you'll notice me saying Bean's seat was the only bit of historical accuracy! C'mon, keep up! :D
 
You may go on and on about historical inaccuracies in Sharpe but without Bernard Cornwell's fantastic imagination we wouldn't have had that wondeful man.on our screens for over 50 hours with a decent amount of it topless :D

Bean wasn't the original Sharpe. The person who was first cast fell off a horse in their first weeks shooting and broke their leg and so Sharpe was recast. Paul McGann I think was the original?!
 
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