For most people, equine therapy is pretty fascinating to watch. However, without a visual account of just what happens between a horse and a human, the general public is at a loss to fully understand just how our beloved equine friends can really help people better understand themselves. Sometimes words just don’t describe the magic between people and horses. Yet clearly, judging by the success of movies such as “Seabiscuit”, people are truly amazed by horses, and all the while, profoundly affected by this admiration. So, in honoring the way in which an observable accounting of equine therapy can reveal more fully what it is, I have compiled a list of great equine-therapy related movies.
1. “Seabiscuit” Portraying the life of the famous racehorse, Seabiscuit, this movie also demonstrates the way in which the courageous character of a horse can uplift a down and out nation.
http://www.seabiscuitmovie.com/
2. “Secretariat” Following the Chenery family and Triple Crown winner, Secretariat, this movie depicts a horse’s ability to draw out the best parts of each person he comes in contact with.
http://www.disney.go.com/disneypictures/secretariat/
3. “Buck” This fascinating documentary illustrates the life of Buck Branaman, one of the forerunners of the natural horsemanship movement. However, much more than a movie about training horses, this is a beautiful description of the metaphor that the horse and human relationship represents for each person’s life.
http://buckthefilm.com/
4. “The Man from Snowy River” Not so much a movie about equine therapy, as an uplifting story of just how profoundly a horse can impact a person, and just how deep that bond can go.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000062XG0/ref=asc_df_B000062XG01845236?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B000062XG0
5. “The Horse Whisperer” Rehabilitating a scared horse is the overt premise for this movie. However, the horse whisperer, played by Robert Redford, through his relationship to the horse, really rehabilitates the family that has been tragically broken apart.
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=the+horse+whisperer+movie&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=4643782707&ref=pd_sl_2zq8y6v72u_e
While these movies may each, in their own way, shed a little light on the sometimes elusive bond between a horse and his person, more than likely, they will inspire the horse lover that exists in all of us.
Best,
Claire Dorotik LMFT