Actors and riding

[FinnishLapphund]

Have not read whole thread but can only think of 2 actors who actually ride: viggo mortensen and William shatner ?

Also CI is right about the lotr stunt double, but mortensen bought the stallion for the stunt rider and one of the horses he rode for himself apparently.

Mortensen bought 3 horses, besides the horse he gave to the stunt woman, he bought the chestnut, Kenny, who played Hasufel, which Aragon/Mortensen rode in the beginning of the Two Towers, and the brown horse Uraeus (spelling?) who played Brego.

 

[Cortez]

From Royal Armouries (https://royalarmouries.org/stories/all-the-kings-horses/):

"Investigating the physical remains of horses recovered during archaeological excavations can further elaborate on the size and conformation of medieval horses. By the 16th century, warhorses were becoming lighter and swifter, while jousting tournaments continued to favour sturdier destrier-type medieval chargers. The latter were ideal for jousting as they had been carefully bred and trained for mêlée-style combat. Contrary to common belief, these horses were relatively small, rarely reaching more than 14hh or 15hh at the shoulder, more similar to a sturdy pony than the heavy draft horses depicted in modern media."

They rode cobs. This explains so much about cobs.

He he; I made a bit of a contribution to that Royal Armouries article.....and yes, cobs, but not the really heavy hairy ones, more like lightweight, cleaner-legged small draughts. There are basically 3 phenotypes from post Ice Age: the northern Forest Horse, precursor of the draught horses: the pony, ancestor of native pony-types; and the desert/eastern horse, like Akahl Tekes, Barbs, Turcomans, and much later, the Arab, finally resulting in the Thoroughbred. Mix that lot up together and you have the fine array of modern horses that we have today.

 

[stormox]

Tatum O'Neill is an excellent rider, we had the film horses stabled at Tramore, her Dad Ryan was in the film 'Barry Lyndon' - he wasn't a great rider but could 'sort of' ride but little Tatum was only 9 or 10 and used to help us excersise the carriage horses, galloping flat out down the beach.... she later went on to star in 'International Velvet'

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Today's Klepper/Estonian Native Horse:

I really like this chap.

 

[ycbm]

Oh no, absolutely not accurate; they would have been riding garrons or highlands. But remember, Highlander is about time travel, so it's fantasy, not history.

You've just ruined my day . It's not true, then? ?‍

 

[ycbm]

I know Micky Dolenz from the Monkees rode as I suddenly found him next to me when I was out hunting in about 1983 ... nearly fell off!

I did some stunt riding of sorts for a poster campaign for Manikin cigars when I was 19 - they wanted a blonde, curvy girl to ride an white horse bareback at a gallop and whilst it did a full rear (again bareback) ... and the art dept would put wings on it to turn it into Pegasus, which was the Manikin logo ...

I worked as a booker for a Page 3 agency at the time (long story!) and they'd contacted us for potential models and we didn't have any who could ride much, so I took a flyer and went to the casting myself ... which is how a short-haired brunette with a body like an ironing board got the gig ?

Then they decided the model should be bareback too and that's how I ended up in a HUGE blonde wig and war paint galloping an Andalusian stallion, pretty much buck-naked alongside one of the roads to Torremolinos ...

The poster got banned by Mary Whitehouse. One of my proudest moments.

Fabulous!

 

[brighteyes]

Tatum O'Neill is an excellent rider, we had the film horses stabled at Tramore, her Dad Ryan was in the film 'Barry Lyndon' - he wasn't a great rider but could 'sort of' ride but little Tatum was only 9 or 10 and used to help us excersise the carriage horses, galloping flat out down the beach.... she later went on to star in 'International Velvet'

I watched some YT footage of her being trained for the role and she really did sit well, pretty much from the off!

 

[brighteyes]

You've just ruined my day . It's not true, then? ?‍

Also, it's Outlander, not Highlander- and even then, it's actually 'Cross Stitch' et seq...

 

[southerncomfort]

I know Micky Dolenz from the Monkees rode as I suddenly found him next to me when I was out hunting in about 1983 ... nearly fell off!

I did some stunt riding of sorts for a poster campaign for Manikin cigars when I was 19 - they wanted a blonde, curvy girl to ride an white horse bareback at a gallop and whilst it did a full rear (again bareback) ... and the art dept would put wings on it to turn it into Pegasus, which was the Manikin logo ...

I worked as a booker for a Page 3 agency at the time (long story!) and they'd contacted us for potential models and we didn't have any who could ride much, so I took a flyer and went to the casting myself ... which is how a short-haired brunette with a body like an ironing board got the gig ?

Then they decided the model should be bareback too and that's how I ended up in a HUGE blonde wig and war paint galloping an Andalusian stallion, pretty much buck-naked alongside one of the roads to Torremolinos ...

The poster got banned by Mary Whitehouse. One of my proudest moments.

Best anecdote I've ever read on here! ?

 

[stormox]

I know Micky Dolenz from the Monkees rode as I suddenly found him next to me when I was out hunting in about 1983 ... nearly fell off!

I did some stunt riding of sorts for a poster campaign for Manikin cigars when I was 19 - they wanted a blonde, curvy girl to ride an white horse bareback at a gallop and whilst it did a full rear (again bareback) ... and the art dept would put wings on it to turn it into Pegasus, which was the Manikin logo ...

I worked as a booker for a Page 3 agency at the time (long story!) and they'd contacted us for potential models and we didn't have any who could ride much, so I took a flyer and went to the casting myself ... which is how a short-haired brunette with a body like an ironing board got the gig ?

Then they decided the model should be bareback too and that's how I ended up in a HUGE blonde wig and war paint galloping an Andalusian stallion, pretty much buck-naked alongside one of the roads to Torremolinos ...

The poster got banned by Mary Whitehouse. One of my proudest moments.

Fab story .... but I thought it was Davy Jones from The Monkees was a jockey

 

[Rowreach]

Fab story .... but I thought it was Davy Jones from The Monkees was a jockey

Well there's no reason they both can't ride

 

[Rowreach]

 

[Keith_Beef]

Oh, totally besides the subject, but I'm sure some of you might enjoy watching this Pony Express vs Muscle Cars from Top Gear USA, which I stumbled across while searching for the above

I think I must have watched too many westerns when I was a child. That would explain why, for the first year, my riding instructors kept telling me to stop flapping my elbows as if I was trying to take off.

 

[Wishfilly]

I've done a tiny bit of work on film sets with my old boss, and it is very interesting the camera trickery they can do to make someone look as if they can ride! Now I know how it's done, I can nearly always spot it.

In my very limited experience, producers are also quite reluctant to let actors do anything where there might be a risk of them falling off (e.g. cantering over open country) even if they are relatively competent. Obviously an actor injuring themselves could delay filming a lot- which, if it's a major character, can be really costly.

That said, Viggo Mortensen has always come across as someone who really loves horses- apparently he also bought TJ- the pony who played Hidalgo in Hidalgo!

 

[littleshetland]

Just remembered, my instructor in the early 70s had worked on, and had a small riding double bit in Carry on Cowboy and had the job of trying to teach Sid, Charles, Kenneth etc to ride . Not quite Sean and co but apparently it was great fun?

Imagine teaching Kenneth Williams to ride!

 

[FinnishLapphund]

I've done a tiny bit of work on film sets with my old boss, and it is very interesting the camera trickery they can do to make someone look as if they can ride! Now I know how it's done, I can nearly always spot it.

In my very limited experience, producers are also quite reluctant to let actors do anything where there might be a risk of them falling off (e.g. cantering over open country) even if they are relatively competent. Obviously an actor injuring themselves could delay filming a lot- which, if it's a major character, can be really costly.

That said, Viggo Mortensen has always come across as someone who really loves horses- apparently he also bought TJ- the pony who played Hidalgo in Hidalgo!

Perhaps there is a difference between some directors/moviemakers. In my reply from 2013 on this thread (#80), I mentioned Arn - The Knight Templar. The people behind it made it a requirement that the lead actor truly must be able to ride, because they wanted to be able to film his horse scenes without using a stunt double.

Joakim Nätterqvist comes from an equestrian family, competed in show jumping with pony/ponies, but sometime in his teenage years decided to focus on acting instead. According to what I've read, since Arn, Nätterqvist participated yearly in medieval jousting. At least up until 2019 when the horse he was riding got trapped in fabric, Nätterqvist fell off, and broke his pelvis.

But we've mostly seem to mention male actors who can ride. To mention a female one instead, have Julia Roberts been mentioned on this thread?

I've read that she grew up doing Barrel racing, and for example spent some weeks with nomads, and their horses, in Mongolia.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Imagine teaching Kenneth Williams to ride!

I bet there would have been lots of jokes about "getting your leg over" and so on. Would have been a right hoot.

 

[Wishfilly]

Perhaps there is a difference between some directors/moviemakers. In my reply from 2013 on this thread (#80), I mentioned Arn - The Knight Templar. The people behind it made it a requirement that the lead actor truly must be able to ride, because they wanted to be able to film his horse scenes without using a stunt double.

Joakim Nätterqvist comes from an equestrian family, competed in show jumping with pony/ponies, but sometime in his teenage years decided to focus on acting instead. According to what I've read, since Arn, Nätterqvist participated yearly in medieval jousting. At least up until 2019 when the horse he was riding got trapped in fabric, Nätterqvist fell off, and broke his pelvis.

But we've mostly seem to mention male actors who can ride. To mention a female one instead, have Julia Roberts been mentioned on this thread?

I've read that she grew up doing Barrel racing, and for example spent some weeks with nomads, and their horses, in Mongolia.

Yes, I'm sure a lot comes down to the preference of the producers! It might also come down to budget as well? The particular production I'm thinking of was a made for TV movie, so probably not such a high budget and quite a tight time frame, I think!

I love that photo of Julia Roberts, too!

 

[Meredith]

Talking of fit actors and riding horses - I found the Duke on Bridgerton to have fantastic technique. He was a great rider too!

Sorry if this has been quoted before. I haven’t seen the series or read all the posts.

https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/...7OzIqCANi2SpQ71wQhyVg27yO1v4gr0TMny3FqXa2Q9Ms

 

[Caol Ila]

Perhaps there is a difference between some directors/moviemakers. In my reply from 2013 on this thread (#80), I mentioned Arn - The Knight Templar. The people behind it made it a requirement that the lead actor truly must be able to ride, because they wanted to be able to film his horse scenes without using a stunt double.

Joakim Nätterqvist comes from an equestrian family, competed in show jumping with pony/ponies, but sometime in his teenage years decided to focus on acting instead. According to what I've read, since Arn, Nätterqvist participated yearly in medieval jousting. At least up until 2019 when the horse he was riding got trapped in fabric, Nätterqvist fell off, and broke his pelvis.

But we've mostly seem to mention male actors who can ride. To mention a female one instead, have Julia Roberts been mentioned on this thread?

I've read that she grew up doing Barrel racing, and for example spent some weeks with nomads, and their horses, in Mongolia.

Jesus, we really are sexist, aren't we? I love this photo.

In the misogynist land of most movies and TV, many of the horse riding action sequences are peformed by men. I guess that's one of the reasons we keep talking about men on this thread. Except when they're not. I remember seeing on some LOTR behind-the-scenes thing that a lot of the background riders were women, wearing fake beards. Not enough male riders in New Zealand, LOL.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Jesus, we really are sexist, aren't we? I love this photo.

In the misogynist land of most movies and TV, many of the horse riding action sequences are peformed by men. I guess that's one of the reasons we keep talking about men on this thread. Except when they're not. I remember seeing on some LOTR behind-the-scenes thing that a lot of the background riders were women, wearing fake beards. Not enough male riders in New Zealand, LOL.

To use Poldark as an example, I can only be honest, and say that when Demelza rode in a scene I was looking at the horse, and her clothes, but when Ross rode in a scene I was looking at the horse, and Aidan Turner. For me, I think it most of the time is simply down to that I'm a heterosexual female, I like looking at a handsome man riding around on a horse in a scene.

On the subject of Poldark, I've read that Aidan Turner had done a little riding as a kid + in The Hobbit, but nothing major, and that he sometimes needed a stunt double in the first Poldark season, but he did his own riding scenes in the following Poldark seasons.
On the page where I read the above, it also said that Eleanor Tomlinson was the best rider on the set, that she grew up around horses, and can gallop riding side-saddle.

 

[Mule]

I know Micky Dolenz from the Monkees rode as I suddenly found him next to me when I was out hunting in about 1983 ... nearly fell off!

I did some stunt riding of sorts for a poster campaign for Manikin cigars when I was 19 - they wanted a blonde, curvy girl to ride an white horse bareback at a gallop and whilst it did a full rear (again bareback) ... and the art dept would put wings on it to turn it into Pegasus, which was the Manikin logo ...

I worked as a booker for a Page 3 agency at the time (long story!) and they'd contacted us for potential models and we didn't have any who could ride much, so I took a flyer and went to the casting myself ... which is how a short-haired brunette with a body like an ironing board got the gig ?

Then they decided the model should be bareback too and that's how I ended up in a HUGE blonde wig and war paint galloping an Andalusian stallion, pretty much buck-naked alongside one of the roads to Torremolinos ...

The poster got banned by Mary Whitehouse. One of my proudest moments.

That's brilliant!

 

[Mule]

He he; I made a bit of a contribution to that Royal Armouries article.....and yes, cobs, but not the really heavy hairy ones, more like lightweight, cleaner-legged small draughts. There are basically 3 phenotypes from post Ice Age: the northern Forest Horse, precursor of the draught horses: the pony, ancestor of native pony-types; and the desert/eastern horse, like Akahl Tekes, Barbs, Turcomans, and much later, the Arab, finally resulting in the Thoroughbred. Mix that lot up together and you have the fine array of modern horses that we have today.

Would the small draughts you referred to be like Irish Draughts?

 

[PurBee]

Has Dean Martin and his Andalusians been mentioned already?
There’s a few vids of him and his horses on youtube for those interested

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

Off track slightly but is there anything with Jason Mamoa on a horse..??!! I really feel that needs to be a thing.....??????????????

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Has Dean Martin and his Andalusians been mentioned already?
There’s a few vids of him and his horses on youtube for those interested

I don't think he's been mentioned before this. Thanks for sharing the video.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Off track slightly but is there anything with Jason Mamoa on a horse..??!! I really feel that needs to be a thing.....??????????????

However, according to what I've read today, Momoa is in the group of Can't actually ride-actors.
He has even said that he doesn't like horses, caused by that he didn't get along with his horse in Conan, said it constantly tried to kill him on set. Mentioned something about breaking some ribs, horse not stopping when it should, and falling off more than once.
Also said that even though he liked the horse (horses?) in Game of Thrones, he had to go back, and do some more Conan horse scenes, so went back to not liking horses again.

 

[Smitty]

Let's not forget Robert Redford? who had to learn to ride pretty well for Butch Cassidy and has ridden ever since, apparently doing a lot of the horse handling in The Horse Whisperer.

 

[Shady]

Off track slightly but is there anything with Jason Mamoa on a horse..??!! I really feel that needs to be a thing.....??????????????

Or Jason Mamoa on anything really.......

There's something fascinating about Russel Crowe on a horse. I always think he looks very graceful and comfortable

 

[Shady]

Let's not forget Robert Redford? who had to learn to ride pretty well for Butch Cassidy and has ridden ever since, apparently doing a lot of the horse handling in The Horse Whisperer.

I could watch him forever.

Does anyone know if Omar Sharif was actually a good rider because I caught some of an old film with him in it called The Horsemen and if that was him riding in the polo/ chaos scenes he was quite something