Saturday 9pm EST they’re showing Taking the Reins, about a woman who returns to her family ranch where she discovers why she stopped riding horses, among other things. I don’t watch Hallmark movies but I’m up for some fun.
I should drink a shot every time a horse whinnies for no reason.
5 minutes in, you should have had two shots now! 
Even the ads for this made me twitch.
And then the horror…the horror…starting Oct 22 all Christmas movies all the time til January whenever. NOOOOOO…
Riding without her feet in the stirrups. Sooooo dangerous.
Horse tied (and tied too low) in the stall, tying by the reins, throwing things around a crosstied horse, and ugh! Her hands. Couldn’t they get Kaley Cuoco for this part??
If I drank I’d be totally legless by now.
The farm is in CT and is actually called Meadow Brook; it’s a dressage barn.
Ah, that accounts for her showing in a dressage coat with a pleated stock tie. Two rounds at 2’6, WOW, huge show. I think the competitors were going at it ad hoc; one of the fences was jumped backwards by one of the riders. The hunting horn during the first go was a nice authentic touch…
That Rascal was a spitfire!
And the “color commentary” throughout their rides was ridiculous.
The horses were stunt horses. Patrick who played Rascal also does tricks.
My knee jerk thought to the low lead rope in the stall was that someone was hiding in the corner holding Rascal; it never occurred to me he was tied that low with so much rope to hang himself with, lol
There were mistakes for sure that could have been avoided but IMHO there was no shame in stunt horses making low jumps. They have both been on other productions and know their way around non-thinking camera crews without getting anyone killed:)
I watch the Hallmark channels all the time. I like light entertainment, even if there is room for improvement in getting things right:)
That’s exactly how I felt when I learned that Patrick (Rascal) has his own Insta account and is a true professional. Worth as much as any GP jumper. And what an ambassador - the cast loved him.
Hated seeing the horse tied that low in the stall. I too figured someone was squatted down out of view holding him.
When the two horses were tied to the tree while the stars were talking, the chestnut was bugging the other horse, and came untied right before the camera angle changed.
A dressage barn made more sense: her riding outfit, dressage horses on the rosettes, letters on the ring fence, and dressage saddles in the tackroom.
There was one shot taken from under the jump where Patrick (Rascal) either spooked, slammed on the brakes, or just scrambled before “jumping”. I audibly gasped waiting for a crash, but instead, they just cut to another shot. Some wild footwork!
And yes, her hands drove me crazy.
OMG catching part of this (from the part where Sam decides to ride for the honor of the farm). It’s so bad! The braids…the “faults”…the commentary…the POV shots…is it hunters/is it jumpers?
I just couldn’t watch.just.couldn’t.
The ads were what killed it for me. Especially the one where she is sitting on the horse like a lump and holding the rein upside down in both fists. What? Are you steering a truck? The whole thing looked argh to me and I bow to those of who that sat thru the whole thing. Especially if you remained sober. 
Squeeee! So excited! Bad Christmas movies are the best thing ever.
MOre info about the shooting of the movie on Meadowbrook’s facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/meadowbrookfarmct
Um.
That’s gonna be hard no from me.
They’re all soooooo predictable and so icky icky saccharine that I can literally feel my teeth rotting as I watch them. No. Just. No.
But you enjoy… someone has to LOL
Was that the same set as the Julia Roberts and Dennis Quaid movie? The guest house, the equestrian father ( I kept thinking about Robert Duval)
No. According to IMDB, “Something to Talk About” was filmed in South Carolina. This movie reminded me of that one too.
Hmm, Hallmark movies. Woman has a new job/moves to a new place/goes back home. Has a meet-cute with the new guy in town/childhood friend/long lost love, they don’t get along at first but fall in love. All is well until crisis at work/family problems/an ex shows up/trouble at the old mill. Oh no! Whatever will become of them???!! Whew, it all works out in the end.
The horse movie was filmed in the summer and the foliage was digitally colored afterwards. If you look at the trees, they just don’t look right.
I too saw some trying to be like Something to Talk About in this “taking the reins”. First the father Corbin Berenson seems like he’s trying very hard to be like Robert Duvall. Biggest thing is this top performing horse is cute but doesn’t exactly exude top hunter or jumper, or dressage.
And isn’t it kind of bad form for the host facility to expect to win top honors? Like having the horse’s name on the trophy is going to increase buyers for the farm. And speaking of buyers for the farm what is it with Hallmark where nearly every movie is about saving the family farm?
OMG the hands/reins is she riding or driving the horse. Where are their helmets? and if she hasn’t ridden in ages how is it that she pops up in a brand new helmet?
I’d like to know what bar she was in that showed local hunter/jumper competitions on TV… I say local cause the jumps were small.
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