Gentlemen: History channel has apparently turned War Horse into a documentary and Steven Spielberg is making it into a movie, for release next fall. I will be interested to see what kind of tack and saddlery they use in the WW1 era story.
I feel the great failing of many period films involving horses is the use of modern or inappropriate tack and equipment. The worst example I have seen was the use of western stock saddles on the horses in the The March West, an otherwise excellent documentary recounting the march of the NWMP across the Canadian prairies in 1874. In fact those early Mounties used UP saddles and only turned to stock saddles after they arrived in what is now Alberta and the UPs proved inadequate for the task.
Larry
war horse the movie
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Pat Holscher
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So the Spielburg film will be a cinematic release? That is, separate from a documentary?Larry Emrick wrote:Gentlemen: History channel has apparently turned War Horse into a documentary and Steven Spielberg is making it into a movie, for release next fall. I will be interested to see what kind of tack and saddlery they use in the WW1 era story.
I feel the great failing of many period films involving horses is the use of modern or inappropriate tack and equipment. The worst example I have seen was the use of western stock saddles on the horses in the The March West, an otherwise excellent documentary recounting the march of the NWMP across the Canadian prairies in 1874. In fact those early Mounties used UP saddles and only turned to stock saddles after they arrived in what is now Alberta and the UPs proved inadequate for the task.
Larry
It's interesting to note that World War One seems to be getting a lot of book treatments all of a sudden. After having been in the shadow of World War Two for so long, there's new attention being directed to it.
WWI is the "war for our time."
It beings with an act of terrorism, leads to an over-reaction by a Great Power, and plunges a bunch of countries into a killing match that ends inconclusively and does little more than set the stage for the next conflict. It's a great "ultimate futility of war" story.
Without much imagination you can bend this scenario to fit the present efforts in Iran and Afghanistan are use it to delay dealing with Iran and North Korea.
I'm not saying that this is a Good Thing, only that it provides one explanation for the renewed interst in WWI.
It beings with an act of terrorism, leads to an over-reaction by a Great Power, and plunges a bunch of countries into a killing match that ends inconclusively and does little more than set the stage for the next conflict. It's a great "ultimate futility of war" story.
Without much imagination you can bend this scenario to fit the present efforts in Iran and Afghanistan are use it to delay dealing with Iran and North Korea.
I'm not saying that this is a Good Thing, only that it provides one explanation for the renewed interst in WWI.
Heard some stuff about the filming, they are trying but not totally there on accuracy.
UP saddles but copies not real.
Wallets and gear held on with cable ties.
The usual, 'film horses' not proper British hunter type mounts that the Yeomanry would have had in 1914!
Suspect us purists will find fault but it will look OK to Joe Public.
Mind you trying to kit out a Sqn on the right horses with right tack, even if you hired Kings Tp or HCMR would be hard as they use bridle and saddle as per 1914 on good spec horses, but would not have all the field gear stowed away anymore ready for use, ie 100 plus rifle buckets? or even wallets.
UP saddles but copies not real.
Wallets and gear held on with cable ties.
The usual, 'film horses' not proper British hunter type mounts that the Yeomanry would have had in 1914!
Suspect us purists will find fault but it will look OK to Joe Public.
Mind you trying to kit out a Sqn on the right horses with right tack, even if you hired Kings Tp or HCMR would be hard as they use bridle and saddle as per 1914 on good spec horses, but would not have all the field gear stowed away anymore ready for use, ie 100 plus rifle buckets? or even wallets.