If there’s a young equestrian in your life, you’re no doubt on the lookout for child-friendly movies about horses. We’ve done the work for you — this post is all about the best horse movies for kids!
Pull up some popcorn and hey, if you’re looking at this list to find something you like, no judgment whatsoever from us. There are some pretty awesome movies on this list, after all. Enjoy!
Note: The films on this list are all considered child-friendly, but we’ve included a link for each film with information on the age ratings and other details regarding violence, language, etc for parental reference.
#1: Black Beauty (1994)
Rating: G – click here for parental info.
Black Beauty (1994) is an adaptation of the 1877 novel by Anna Sewell. A gorgeous (unsurprisingly) black stallion named Black Beauty narrates his own tale, beginning with his happy childhood.
As Black Beauty grows, he finds himself passed from owner to owner due to varying circumstances — some kind and some, downright cruel.
In spite of this, he never loses his gentle nature and faith in the good of others and easily makes friends wherever he goes, human and horse alike.
His best friend is a compassionate stable hand named Joe and he falls in love with a feisty chestnut mare called Ginger.
When Joe and Black Beauty are separated, Joe vows to find him in the future. Will fate be kind to them in the end?
Black Beauty is an incredibly moving and at times heartrending tale. As the parental info linked above mentions, sensitive children may become upset by the scenes of animal mistreatment.
#2: Racing Stripes (2005)
Rating: PG – click here for parental info.
Okay, so this one is actually about a zebra that thinks he’s a horse, but as it’s horse-themed, we thought “why not?”.
Racing Stripes is a comedy that tells the story of Stripes, a zebra adopted by horse trainer Nolan Walsh when he is accidentally abandoned as a foal.
Stripes have dreams of taking to the race track against highly-trained Thoroughbreds, something deeply amusing to the animal and insect residents at Nolan’s farm.
Regardless, Stripes is determined to train. Nolan’s daughter, Channing, fully supports this, believing him capable but Nolan won’t hear of it.
Stripes also get backing from Woodzie, a racetrack gambler who tries to persuade Nolan to let Channing and Stripes sign up for a race.
Racing Stripes is a lighthearted and genuinely funny movie that will have the whole family chuckling. Voice talents are provided by Frankie Muniz (Stripes), Dustin Hoffman, Whoopi Goldberg, Mandy Moore and Snoop Dogg amongst others.
#3: Misty (1961)
Rating: G – click here for parental info.
In Misty (1961), two children fall in love with a wild pony called Phantom. They hope to bid on her if she can be captured in time for the annual wild pony auction.
When the auction comes around, it turns out that Phantom has given birth to a foal called Misty. The children don’t want to leave Misty behind, so they must then convince the seller that they can earn enough money to buy both Phantom and Misty together.
An old classic for the young-at-heart, Misty (1961) is the perfect horse movie for a step back in time. We can imagine children really relating to the characters in this one, too.
#4: Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
Rating: G – click here for parental info.
When horse wranglers take wild mustang Spirit from the wild and place him in the hands of the U.S. Army, he is less than pleased. The formidable Colonel will stop at nothing to tame him, but Spirit continues to rebel.
A kind-hearted Lakota Native American boy called Little Creek feels compassion for the troubled stallion and gains his trust. At the same time, Spirit falls in love with Rain, Little Creek’s beautiful paint horse.
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron ultimately tells the story of a captured horse longing for his freedom. Will Spirit and Rain ever be set free?
#5: Flicka (2006)
Rating: PG – click here for parental info.
Flicka (2006) is about the bond between a teenage girl and a wild mustang. Katy McLaughlin has dreams of running her father’s ranch in the future, but her father has other plans for her.
When she meets a wild black mustang, Flicka, she makes the decision to try and tame her against her father’s wishes.
Determined to prove she can take over the ranch in the future, Katy persists with Flicka. At the same time, Katy and Flicka develop a tight bond.
Katy refuses to let her go, even when her father does his best to get rid of Flicka. He favors his son as the heir to the ranch, despite his son’s reluctance to do so.
Flicka is ultimately all about how powerful the human-horse bond can be and is something the whole family could enjoy.
#6: Dreamer (2005)
Rating: PG – click here for parental info.
Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning and Elisabeth Shue star in this touching horse movie inspired by a true story. Ben Crane is a racehorse trainer so wrapped up in his work that he doesn’t spend enough time with his daughter, Cale.
When he eventually agrees to take Cale to work with him one day, she takes a shine to a female racehorse called Soñador.
When Soñador is injured, Ben decides to take her in instead of letting her be euthanized. Cale adores Soñador, named “Sonya” for short and spends as much time as she can with her.
The family put all their hopes on Soñador that one day she will return to the racetrack and save them from financial ruin. She also gives Ben and Cale the opportunity to bridge the emotional gap between them.
#7: Pegasus: Pony With a Broken Wing (2019)
Rating: G – click here for parental info.
Pegasus: Pony with a Broken Wing is a mythical fantasy movie about a teenage girl called Sydney who finds a mysterious pony in the woods. The pony has wings, one of which is broken.
While figuring out how to heal the magical pony, Sydney thinks about how she can help save her family ranch from closure. This movie is a great choice for young children who enjoy a touch of magic.
#8: The Littlest Outlaw (1955)
Rating: PG – parental info unavailable
For another blast from the past, Disney’s The Littlest Outlaw (1955) might be just what you and your kids are looking for. The courageous young son of a cruel horse trainer runs away from home with a horse sentenced to death for failing to learn how to jump.
Pablito, the trainer’s son, drifts around Mexico hoping someone will help them out. A priest takes Pablito in and when the horse goes missing, steps in to help Pablito recover him.
This movie received pretty good reviews by critics overall and holds an 85% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
#9: The Black Stallion (1979)
Rating: G – click here for parental info.
This gripping tale is the story of a boy called Alec and his horse, later named “The Black”. When Alec travels on a steamship off the coast of North Africa with his father, he becomes enamored with a black stallion he finds aboard.
The ship later sinks and Alex saves himself by grabbing onto the horse’s restraints in the water. He later finds himself on a desert island with the terrified stallion.
The two manage to forge a strong connection despite the horse’s initial reluctance. After their rescue, Alec decides to train the horse he named The Black up as a racehorse, with Alec as his jockey.
The Black Stallion currently holds a 90% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes and received excellent reviews for the most part.
#10: My Little Pony: The Movie (2017)
Rating: G – click here for parental info.
In the fantasy world Equestria, the Friendship Festival is on the horizon and everyone is excited.
When the evil Storm King arrives to capture the Equestrian princesses, they must leave their home and head off on a quest to save it. The group faces a lot of challenges and meets many new friends along the way.
If your kids (or indeed, you) are up for a maelstrom of sparkles and magic this weekend, My Little Pony: The Movie certainly won’t disappoint.
Best Horse Movies for Kids: Sum-Up
- There are plenty of great horse movies for kids out there. You can find several on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.
- If you’re concerned about anything, you can always check out the parental information available online.
Best Horse Movies for Kids: Final Thoughts
We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of the best horse movies for kids! Which ones will your family be watching this weekend?
If you’re interested in learning more about the best horse movies, below are the links to our other movie articles.
Enjoy!
