So, I thought it would be fun to make a bit of a... For lack of a better term study on a few scenes from different movies and series involving celebrities in the saddle. Naturally I'll be using Henry's riding skills in The Witcher and The Tudors as a more positive example. Then a photo of Kit Harington from Game of Thrones, along with a clip of Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston from War Horse as a negative example. Please understand I'm not faulting these actors on their performances or lack of effort, I'm simply pointing out the errors in their riding that brings discomfort to the horse. This is not the actor's fault, it's simply lack of horse oriented education. Unfortunately countless people think that you simply jump on a horse and go. But this couldn't be more wrong.
Positive example one: Henry's canter.
First off, he's got good form. His heels are down and he's holding the reins correctly. His hands are down and quiet, meaning he isn't moving his hands around much, and he isn't lifting them to high. His hips are loose, so he's moving with the horse's stride. He's also pushing his weight down into the stirrups and making himself an easy load for the horse to carry. You can also see him kick three times to keep the the horse in the canter before tightening his hold on the reins and bringing his steed to a halt. All in all, well ridden. Shout out to Joey for hanging on like a pro!
Negative example one: The war horse's charge.
First off, bad form. High, harsh reins, toes down, flailing legs and hard, heavy bouncing in the saddle. You can also clearly see Joey (the light bay or light brown horse) lift his head sharply because of how his mouth is getting hucked by his rider. The horses are trying so hard to obey their riders with the mixed signals they're getting. Tight hands and yanking at the bit says slow down, but hard kicking legs with spurs says speed up. Both of the horses are terribly uncomfortable, and Joey is clearly pained. All in all, poorly ridden.
Positive example two: A lost stirrup.
Unfortunately I couldn't find a clip where you can clearly see this lost stirrup I speak of, but I did find a photo.
See that? He's lost the left stirrup. But he keeps his heels down and rides smoothly through the canter. His hands are still nice and low, I'll be it a tad more busy as he shortens his reins. His hips are still loose and he still moves well with the horse despite being a bit off balance. Henry's riding has definitely improved over the years, but he still rode well back in the days of The Tudors! All in all, well ridden.
Negative example two: You know nothing of riding, Jon Snow.
First off, bad form. Slouched posture, high hands, far too forward legs, and toes pointed down. It just looks wrong. You can see in the clip below that Jon is pulling harshly on the reins to slow down his steed, but at the same times he's applying what I think is accidental pressure with his legs which the horse understands as a cue to speed up. He's also leaning towards the inside far too much in the turn. That darling horse is trying his best to adjust to his rider's ever shifting weight and mixed aids. All in all, poorly ridden.
I hope this somewhat educational post sheds some light onto the subject of poor on screen horsemanship. Yet again, this is NOT intended to be any form of hate towards these actors. In my opinion, any actor, hell, any person who plans on riding a horse should learn the basic technique of riding and practice. It will make the whole experience far more enjoyable for both the riders and their steeds. Plus, good riding looks far better on screen.
Bonus: A photo of my mare, Mags. Who would be far less forgiving towards those not so horse savvy actors and more than likely throw them clean off her back.
She does come with a friendly setting.
blakekathryn
yousharknotpass
tangentwithtanner
