Riding in old Westerns

[Quelah]

[QUOTE=partita;8986795]
Well, horses were a means of transportation then, so different all around. But yeah, many of the horses were treated like old beater cars. Punch the gas, brake hard, park outside the saloon tied with one rein (yeah, right - handler standing right off camera . . .).[/QUOTE]

Really broke working horses will stand like that. I remember being at the AQHA World Show years ago, the team roping was getting ready to go. There was a line of, oh I dunno, fifty plus horses, all tied by a rein, to a long pipe panel fence. No pawing, no chewing of reins, hips cocked. I asked one of the guys how they got them to do this. “Ma’am, my horse has logged about 50,000 miles in the trailer this year, he’s just glad to have a place to stand that ain’t moving!”

[Amwrider]

Haha…I always use the riding in bad westerns as examples. I have been known to tell students that they are doing the “cowboy arm flap” when they learn to canter and they get stiff in their hips and pelvis.

[walkers]

Sorry folks but your movie stars sat on horses they rarely rode them . Stunt riders and doubles did the riding. I knew two of these men who rode for very famous actors. sadly both are deceased now . They were good riders and looked very similar to the actors for whom they were stunting.
I heard John Wayne liked his horse Dollar because he was 14 hands therefore big John looked good as he easily jumped in the saddle. Big guy on a little horse. Apparently John was scared of horses.

[pondpony]

I always thought Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels were outstanding riders. Duncan Reynaldo and Leo Carrillo also were the real deal. Reynaldo and Carrillo performed at our state fair when I was very young. Afterwards they greeted their little fans in person. Carrillo’s chaps were dirty and greasy-looking from much serious wear. What got to me the most was how sweet and kind they were to the children. They cooed to them and sweet-talked them and picked them up gently and held them. This compassionate behavior was something I’d never seen the men in my neighborhood display, and it was a lesson that still influences me. Carrillo rode in Rose Bowl parades with the deep seat of some other southern California riders, a style that I suspect goes back to the area’s Spanish heritage.

[findeight]

That would be the Cisco Kid and his sidekick Pancho for young whipper snappers. Carrillo’s family was a long time fixture in California Palomino breeding.

Robert Redford is a pretty good hand around horses, not just riding, he moves like somebody with a lot of time around them, comfortable.

[wireweiners]

[QUOTE=findeight;8988442]
That would be the Cisco Kid and his sidekick Pancho for young whipper snappers. Carrillo’s family was a long time fixture in California Palomino breeding.

Robert Redford is a pretty good hand around horses, not just riding, he moves like somebody with a lot of time around them, comfortable.[/QUOTE]

I had a huge crush on the Cisco Kid as a child and an even bigger one on his horse. I’d have traded all my younger siblings for that paint.

[Sandy_M]

Or the Paint Rory Calhoun rode in the tv series The Texan.

Dale Robertson’s horses, on Tales of Wells Fargo and Ironhorse were always pretty darn nice. One was the QH Leo, Jr. and the other “Jubilee,” a TB, both chestnuts/sorrels with chrome. I don’t know the name of the black/black bay he rode on Iron Horse.

[jodyjumper]

Yes, Ben Johnson could ride! Robert Duvall is quite good too.

[RPM]

[QUOTE=Sandy M;8988618]
Or the Paint Rory Calhoun rode in the tv series The Texan.

Dale Robertson’s horses, on Tales of Wells Fargo and Ironhorse were always pretty darn nice. One was the QH Leo, Jr. and the other “Jubilee,” a TB, both chestnuts/sorrels with chrome. I don’t know the name of the black/black bay he rode on Iron Horse.[/QUOTE]

Hannibal.
http://www.westernclippings.com/remember/ironhorse_doyouremember.shtml

[RPM]

[QUOTE=pluvinel;8987073]
Take a look at the first minute, including the intro…I find Clayton Moore’s position at the gallop interesting. He does not have the “forward seat” you see now with riders at the gallop, but he is the epitome of non-interference with the horse…a very nice horse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JSKl2wn4jc

There’s also some short snippets of great riding starting at 19:43 when the Lone Ranger is chasing the runaway coach at a full gallop…[/QUOTE]

I watched that clip of of the opening credits and it reminded me of another series where the hero gallops as the titles roll – interesting to compare the two riders:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8JiWHy-5j0&list=PLeagipoZmyfnAVDSk_PXdGUXZiObaZ00_

[pluvinel]

[QUOTE=RPM;8990381]
I watched that clip of of the opening credits and it reminded me of another series where the hero gallops as the titles roll – interesting to compare the two riders:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8JiWHy-5j0&list=PLeagipoZmyfnAVDSk_PXdGUXZiObaZ00_[/QUOTE]

Great!..I had forgotten about the Wild Bill Hickok series…another TV western to add to the list to watch.

Not much riding in this episode, but check out the rider’s seat at the canter depart at 6:32…that would seem to be the seat of someone comfortable on a horse.

[Sandy_M]

And my recollection is that Wild Bill rode an Appaloosa! Yea!! (So did Robert Horton (Wagon Train) and James Drury (The Virginian), and they each owned their horses).

[Magicboy]

Now you can watch Viggo Mortensen for some very nice riding

[Haybert]

Hard to watch the old ones when they yank on the faces.

I am amaze at the training, though. Calm to mount and able to scoot off without the actor flapping around like an amateur.

The falls and stuff are just terrible to watch.

The whole condescending “child substitutes” comment is unnecessary because back in the day there were horses handled well and loved well. It wasn’t ll “they were cars”

If there wasn’t such a damnable narrow view of history, we’d probably not be in this mess we are in now.