MovieChat Forums > Unbranded (2015) Discussion > Love or Hate.....varied reviews on Netfl...

Love or Hate.....varied reviews on Netflisx


Just watched this on Netflix and out of 45 or so reviews so far, they seemed to either be 5 star or 1 star. One problem is that a lot of folks either missed some of the beginning or just weren't paying attention. They showed horses being selected and then CLEARLY stated that they were going to professional trainers for the first 30 days and that would be followed by months of additional training by the guys doing the ride to get the horses conditioned for the ride. However many reviewers scorned the guys and said the horses were not prepared for the ride at all. They also mentioned in the film that the guys spent TWO YEARS planning the trip....so again I think a lot of folks who commented missed that little bit of info. The fact is that many viewers know absolutely nothing about horses or about the plight of the Mustangs and therefore see the whole movie from a skewed point of view. Some may be PETA or animal activists who believe no one should ever ride horses. Admittedly there were injuries to at least one horse that were preventable, but the film did display all this, not like they were hiding it. One horse died of unknown causes which was also fodder for critics. However, he died in the middle of nowhere so it's not like they could have a vet do a necropsy. I will say the scenery was beautiful. This is a documentary, so those folks complaining about the "script" kinda missed that as well.

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I don't know how someone could give this one star. It was a solid documentary, showed both sides of the mustang debate from well educated people and without going too far in depth, since that wasn't the main point. In the beginning, the leader of the trip said he wanted to showcase the ability and worth of the mustang and to bring attention to their plight. I think the documenentary accomplished that. The cinematography was incredibly well done and just gorgeous. As far as the way they treated the horses, they got them vet care as quickly as possible and were aware of their abilities and limits. Many, many performance horses get prevents injuries as they are pushed in racing, jumping, Western events, etc, so I don't see that as a valid argument. Though the scene where they go up that loose, rocky ledge with the new horses was the most suspenseful thing I think I've ever seen! I think they made the best informed decisions they could.

This is coming from a horse lover who would like to adopt a mustang one day, but I am aware they are overpopulated and feral and a better solution needs to be found. The film was balanced, well informed and beautifully shot. I loved it.

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I've been riding, showing, and owning equines for 47 years.

These guys were MORONS who caused a LOT of needless animal suffering due to their lack of preparation and research. (BTW, how much TIME they spent "preparing" is NOT equivalent to the QUALITY and THOROUGHNESS of said prep.)

I couldn't take it so stopped watching about halfway through.

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You DO realize that the prof trainers were working with wild, unbroken horses -- right? That means that they had to halter break them, halter train them (teach to walk on a lead), then of course saddle break them, AND teach them to rein (probably starting out with a hackamore, then progressing to the bit).

The guys "completed the training" themselves. That most likely means that they finished the training under saddle.

There was ZERO reference to the conditioning that you inserted into your post. If they were so "well conditioned," then why was Violet 100 lb. underweight? Remember they went into great detail about how Vi really muscled up, etc. ON THE TRAIL.

These horses WERE NOT prepared for the conditions they were ridden in. And, NO HORSE can be "prepared" for terrain that is NOT HORSE-SUITABLE, like the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim ride. That is WHY BURROS AND MULES have been used for that for DECADES.

All of their close calls and harrowing scenes make for an "exciting" and "suspenseful" movie, but these guys were just FOOLS.

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The people giving it 1 star is animal huggers thinking the movie is part of an agenda to exterminate the wild horses.

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