How did they make the horses fall over as though they'd been shot? Trip them? I've seen this a lot in movies and have always wondered. Are they trained to do that somehow?
shareBack in the Golden Age of Film, trip wires were used, occasionally breaking the horse's legs. Today, specially trained "stunt horses" are used.
shareThere has been a misconception perpetuated over the years about the use of trip wires.
Legendary Stuntman, Stunt Coordinator and Rodeo Champ Yakima Canutt developed a trip wire system called the Running W. It was used on horses that were trained for falls.
Now I grant you, it probably was not a pleasant experience for the horse to be tripped at full gallop, but under Canutt's skilled hand, horses were rarely, if ever, hurt.
It was other, less scrupulous, less careful stunt coordinators and directors who were in a hurry that resulted in many many horses being maimed and killed.
FYI: Yakima Canutt was a Stuntman on the Charge of the Light Brigade where many horses were maimed but he was not the Stunt coordinator. I imagine had he been in charge that the horses would have been fine.
His biography called STUNT MAN is a great read about the early days of film and a fascinating look at all the amazing safety innovations he developed for stunt men and animals.
Interesting! I figured the horses could have been hurt, but it's cool that there was a technique to avoiding it. Learn something new every day.
shareI've heard Flynn shut down production by walking off the set (Charge of the Light Brigade) after he was enraged after seeing horses got killed or injured. I can't remember the exact details.
sharethe use of trip wires has been banned in many places due to their misuse, requiring the use of trained stunt horses.
The Custer-themed TV movie Son of the Morning Star used stunt horses, and I read that one pony used for Sioux ponies was a great stunt horse and was seen multiple times in the movie.