I heard this interview on NPR this evening and I think the movie sounds interesting. Loosely fictionalized story of Brady Jandreau (he plays himself) and how he came back to horses after a devastating head injury in a rodeo event. I liked how he talks about horses: seems to be an empathetic, Buck Brannaman type.
I heard him on Fresh Air today. Sounds interesting but…
A horse person I know and trust had a chance to view the movie about two months ago to review it. They had to quit partway through because some of the horse “training” scenes were pretty violent. Not at all a representation of building a relationship with the horse, which is what Brady talked about in the interview I heard. Maybe they cut some scenes from the final release? I don’t know if the film had any type of welfare accreditation, which I thought was pretty standard nowadays.
Thanks for the comment JJLT. I also heard part of “Fresh Air” today and was pretty taken aback by the description of the horse “stomping” on him. In fact, there was no stomping horse. He got caught in his stirrup coming off the bronco and ended up underneath his feet. The horse inadvertently trampled him. Stomping suggests something else.
I was unable to listen to the program but was relieved to hear he no longer rides in the rodeo. However, he still “trains” horses and I heard no mention of a helmet. I assume such basic safety precautions are not taken even after having a plate in one’s head and suffering from seizures.
Wow, good to know! This was the first I had heard of the movie and he sounded very low-key in the interview. I hope it makes it to my area; sounds like it’s making a pretty limited release schedule.
His Jandresu performance horses is on Facebook. I want to see the film. It was shot on the pine ridge reservation and he is Lakota. He did reject old style horse breaking in the interview
I heard the Fresh Air interview & have a Lakota friend who I will drag to see this movie, probably requiring a roadtrip to the Big City as there’s no nearby Regal Cinema <- the chain showing the film.,
Just watched/listened to a bunch of trailers & interview clips on YouTube & nowhere heard or saw anything Parelli-esque or Old School in his approach to training.
Au contraire - in the interviews - IMO - he said the “right things” about training.
Jury is out until I see for myself…
I listened to the Fresh Air interview last night. The whole thing is available to listen to online.
Found it interesting - especially how much the film director did NOT talk. Some of the horse and training stuff came over as bit too over-simplified, but that is probably my problem. I would like to see the movie.
I, too, caught the Fresh Air interview.
Horse training aside, I was taken aback at the glorification of his “tough it out” attitude towards his head injury. He had a plate put in his skull and brain bleeding. As soon as he woke up, he demanded to leave the hospital against doctors wishes, threw away his medication, and never looked back. He shortly returned to training young and unbroke horses.
I get that it’s a movie, but with how serious concussions are I would hate for this to be an example for how to treat a brain injury or even a mild concussion.
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The review I read said that there was a horse death (scene, not actual death in the movie - but maybe emulating one in real life) that was pretty gory and traumatic. Barbed wire fence or the like. No “graceful colic” (aka Saddle Club style), horse lying down and peacefully dying. What with Lean on Pete being one of the most traumatic books ever, short of the Red Pony, it’s looking like a great year for sad horse flicks!
This was decades ago but I had an accident with my horse when I was thirteen. I never remembered what happened but I suspect we were cantering down hill to jump a solid wooden jump called a chicken coop when my horse slipped and fell on me. I had one hundred and sixty stitches in my face and I was in a coma for ten days. I had only been conscious one day when they sent me home from the hospital. Two weeks later I was back riding with my best friend. My mare stepped in a hole and somersalted over me. Thank God she missed falling on me. Neither one of us was hurt so we just picked ourselves up and went on riding.
I agree this is no way to treat a serious head injury but I survived and thrived, through the grace of God. I was blessed that He looks after fools like me- definitely horse- crazy!
I hope to see the movie. I hope it’s not too sad.
