Dreamer Boycott [Archive] - Chronicle Forums

toomanymares

Oct. 21, 2005, 03:12 PM

I believe some movies are made for entertainment purposes, not to educate the masses. People want to go to a movie and forget their problems at home and at work. There are plenty of documentaries and movies that show the darker side of racing but this movie is supposed to be inspiring, not depressing. There is "wine and roses" in racing...it's not all broken-down horses and jockeys let's not forget. As with any sport, there are good times as well as bad.

What is it going to do if you boycott the movie? What is it going to prove to anyone? The movie has been made and it's going to make it's money and the actors are going to be paid so what's the point of it all? Why not just sit back and enjoy a movie about a horse who got a second chance? Why waste your energy on something you can't change? Use that energy to save a horse or donate to a jockey's fund if you're that concerned.

Just my 2 cents. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Mariequi

Oct. 21, 2005, 03:16 PM

This was my response in your Racing thread: I have my own feelings on the subject, but I think this movie is meant to be uplifting, a come from behind movie, in a way like Seabiscuit. Maybe it opens up room for conversation in non-horsey households. Maybe inquiring minds will look farther into it. Maybe it opens up the op for some good articles in places that wouldn't have looked for them before. I believe that Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn haven't been ungenerous in their charity work. Guess Lexington isn't typical of other places. Do you have all the articles about jockey's lack of health coverage, etc. where you are? Happy to say it's on the front pages here.

monizuki

Oct. 21, 2005, 03:36 PM

I actually DID see it the other night in a preview, and it DOES show some of the underbelly.

If you plan to see it and don't want to know before you go, then skip this. I thought it was an excellent movie.

The first thing that happens is the main horse flips and breaks its cannon bone. They want to put it down on the track and the dad says no and after a series of events he does what I'm guessing you'd like to see - rehabilitate it with the hopes of breeding it. The mare was sterile, and they chose to try and work with it in a different way, making it useful.

It's only a 2 hour movie, I don't know what you'd expect. But there was the good, the bad, and the ugly in this movie. And I can't see how you'd know what you were boycotting unless you saw it. I know it's kind of a catch-22, but I really don't think you know what you're talking about as far as this movie is concerned.

Flash44

Oct. 21, 2005, 03:40 PM

Wasn't aware that the story was supposed to be true. I watch most movies assuming that even if it was based on a true story, some liberties with reality were taken. Seriously, did you go home and check your closet after you saw Monsters Inc?

MistyBlue

Oct. 21, 2005, 03:59 PM

Nobody takes a darned thing from Hollywood as accurate. Not even the actors. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif Boycotting an equine movie is a surefire way to ensure no more are made.
I have yet to see a single movie with equines in it be even slightly accurate. As far as the general public knows:
1) Horses never, ever poop. Ever.
2) Horses tend to either nicker or do screaming neighs everytime they enter the movie screen. So horses holler an awful lot.
3) If you're young and the odds are against you...you too can befriend a wild stallion, vicious abused carriage horse, hot as heck racehorse and learn to ride and retrain all at the same time within a span of weeks. Then you can go win ________ (insert big show, race, whatever) even if you're only 8 years old.
4) Horses only have 2 speeds. Walk and gallop. The gallop can be sustained for about 4 days before the horse gets tired.

I don;t really think the general public is forming opinions on anything equine from a movie about people that just happens to be shot around race horses.

dianad

Oct. 21, 2005, 04:09 PM

I'll never forget when I saw "Spirit" lapping water. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif

eclipsefarm

Oct. 21, 2005, 04:13 PM

For the general public to respond, first they must be interested. I applaud the recent streak of horsey movies lately. No, they may not be accurate but people have taken notice. I am always pleasantly surprised when a non horsey person so lovingly talks about Seabiscuit and his story. People were inspired, and I sincerely hope "Dreamer" can do the same thing. For the general public to embrace such a cause, they have to at least be inspired by what it concerns. Horses don't touch the lives of that many people anymore, save for the occasional opportunity on the big screen.

Duffy

Oct. 21, 2005, 04:13 PM

The movie claims to only be "inspired" by a true story - not that it follows the real thing.

I'm looking forward to seeing it with my daughter.

blueboo

Oct. 21, 2005, 04:15 PM

It's like I told a freind of mine years ago - and ended the argument we were having at the same time http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif: I LIVE real life - I'll be damned if I'm going to use my time and my money to WATCH it TOO! http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/winkgrin.gif I go to (or rent, more often) movies for One purpose - entertainment. If I want the 'real deal' I'll watch a documentary on PBS, take a trip - or look in the mirror.

http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Drakaina16

Oct. 21, 2005, 04:22 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I'll never forget when I saw "Spirit" lapping water. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'll never forget Spirit having eyebrows! That bugged me through the whole movie and ruined the whole darn thing for me!

DeLapp512

Oct. 21, 2005, 04:29 PM

I agree. To all of the above.

Yep. It looks corny to me. I like the actors in it. And though I probably won't go see it in the theatre because I'm short enough on money to know better, I most likely will rent it. And I'll probably even like it.

I don't think that boycotting a film thats already done with makes sense. Nor boycotting one for this specific reason. I go to movies to relax/have fun/get away from the real world. People who know about horses (for the most part) know about the good and bad parts of the horse world. Those that do not know much about horses certaintly aren't going to be too interested in them if they go to a movie portraying some of the less than flattering things that go on in the horse industry.

No, its not right that people should have an incorrect view of the horse industry, but do you watch disney movies about god knows what wondering if they are representing the real world?

As far as the actors in this film donating money to certain organizations, I'm sure they all do a fair amount of donating, but I'm sure that with the release of this movie, they would probably donate to horse/racing rescue related organizations. Maybe they haven't thought of it? Maybe they don't know enough about the horse industry to even consider it?

Maybe, if you were going to do anything at all, write some letters, suggesting contributions to rescue organizations, since the movie is about rehabing a race horse. that would be the most positive, productive thing that i can think of. boycotting isn't going to do anything at all, imo.

DeLapp512

Oct. 21, 2005, 04:30 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by pacificsolo:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I have yet to see a single movie with equines in it be even slightly accurate </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

OK...I know it's a little known film, but go rent "Something to Talk About" with Julia Roberts....it really is the closest to accurate I have seen....and a fun film, to boot http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

pacificsolo - that is my favorite movie ever! sad eh? But i love dennis quaid, julia roberts...oh wait, pretty much everyone in the movie.

it was extremely accurate i thought. and there were a decent amt of pro riders doing stunt riding, if i recall correctly. i think i'll watch it tomorrow (hangs head - i own it on tape)

july321

Oct. 21, 2005, 04:44 PM

I saw the movie and enjoyed for what it was...an uplifting story about a underdog horse and a little girl who loved her and believed in her...something I think we can all relate to! Sure it was sappy and a little far fetched, but I still enjoyed it.
Mainstream attention given to the horse industry is a good thing, in my opinion, especially an uplifting story that centers around the bond between human and horse. Who knows, it might encourage someone to take a lesson or attend a show or make a donation...all good for the sport. Most people, horsey or not, know that Hollywood does not equal reality.

Reynard Ridge

Oct. 21, 2005, 04:53 PM

MistyBlue, you forgot farting! Horse's in movies never FART!

Have you ever met a live horse that didn't fart morning, noon and night?

I mean, really, if you were to replace EVERY fake whiney, neigh and nicker with a FART you will STILL not effectively communicate the gaseous reality of horses! Sheesh.

khobstetter

Oct. 21, 2005, 04:58 PM

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..COME ON http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif

IT'S A MOVIE FOR HEAVEN SAKE !!!

It is simply not in the best interest of horses in general to boycott ANY HORSE movie because one thinks it is not what they want it to be.

This is a movie about horses, and in that vain it puts horses again on the minds of the public.

Here in California we are FIGHTING for the survival of the horse industry in the LA Metro area at all. Facilities are closing right and left an becoming HOUSES!!

With all the publicity this particular movie has generated we have horses in the public eye....every child of a politician who runs home and say,,"Daddy I want a horse"..is one more advocate.

PLEASE put your personal self aside an go see the darn movie..it will help keep horses in the minds of the politicians!! And horses in the mind of politicians will help keep horses alive.

It is not the end all of end alls...BUT every little bit helps!!!!

BESIDES..it's a rather nice movie, YOU MIGHT LIKE IT !!!!

carolprudm

Oct. 21, 2005, 05:05 PM

The movie Seabiscuit inspired interest in Santa Anita Racetrack. If I recall the tour is free and includes admission to the track. Chris McCarron actually leads the tour and there was mention of how jockies struggle to keep their weight down and the effort to increase the minimum weight for jockies.

Midge

Oct. 21, 2005, 05:23 PM

oh please! What movie portrays anything as accurate? Let's face it. Most cops never draw their guns, most pilots never have engine failure and most Americans are overwieght.

Sannois

Oct. 21, 2005, 05:41 PM

Its hollywood, its all fake. International Velvet was good, but not realistic. Becoming an olympic eventer at 16?? after riding for maybe 3 years?? I will rent Dreamer, It looks fun.
Good point Midge! http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/yes.gif

imissvixen

Oct. 21, 2005, 05:44 PM

I don't object to its inaccuracy. I object to its exploitation of the horses for profit -- none of which will benefit the horses.

But every time I think about the racing industry I think about the TB mare I rescued this summer who is standing in a pasture in Southern Pines, barely 5 years old with a pin fired hock, bowed tendon, ankle chips, a hunters bump, and a sad look still in her eye. And I recall the first day we put tack on her and she ws so anxious that saliva poured out of her mouth in buckets. And I wonder about the person who named her after himself and then sold her to a backside buyer who was sending her to the slaughterhouse when I got her.

I like Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn and frankly I would think they would be better informed and less willing to promote this industry. Russell Crowe refused to play in the movie Bastard out of Carolina because he didn't want anything to do with making money on a movie about pedophilia. He is a great actor and maybe that's why.

As far as what difference it makes? Well, it damn sure makes a difference to me and then maybe a few of my friends and then a few of their friends and then who knows? How do you think change happens? Don't be so cynical.

CuriosoJorge

Oct. 21, 2005, 05:47 PM

Um, if you're mad at the racing industry, why don't you boycott that, rather than the movie?

JAGold

Oct. 21, 2005, 05:51 PM

Do you object to shows about kids, on the grounds that they exploit kids for profit? It's a story. It's good publicity for the industry and for the horses.

What do you propose as an alternative? That no one should make movies about horses? That any actor who mentions horses (or kids, or dogs, or geraniums) is obligated to make donation to an organization that supports horses (kids/dogs/geraniums)? That we should give up the whole idea of a free market economy? --Jess

Xctrygirl

Oct. 21, 2005, 05:53 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by imissvixen:
I plan to boycott the movie Dreamer for a number of reasons the biggest one being that it really sickens me to see these people make alot of money glamorizing the racing industry which is so exploitative of horses. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

And exactly what is your position in the racing industry? Because surely you must be a backside worker (Like me) to be that familiar to recognize the exploitation. Oh and while we're at it..... why don't you tell me why a horse getting injured racing and then being rehabbed back is so "innacurate."

This year alone, not mentioning any horses in our own strings, but I know of at least 2 dozen horses personally who have rehabbed from anything from slight strains to fractures who are back and racing...and the horses enjoy it.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning make their millions in a movie that is an inaccurate portrayal while hundreds if not thousands of exploited or broken down TBs are abandoned, neglected or sent to slaughter and the jockeys that ride them are hurt, starved, and denied health care coverage. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

First off, I agree with an earlier poster, Kurt and Goldie Hawn have donated a ton to various charities. Second, the jockeys have health care coverage, they are fighting to get better coverage. Thats a bit different from being denied coverage. Many tracks require jockeys to either carry health care of their own (as in steeplechasing) or have atrack workman's comp program. Just imagine the liabilities if they didn't mandate health care of some kind. Oh and just FYI, other discipline horses are sent to slaughter. Maybe you don't know, but some people from the *SHOCK* H/J world also do it. It's not just the race horses.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Movies like this will lead the general public to think it is all wine and roses for racehorses and their jockeys. For once I would like to see a movie that shows the true underside of the industry and inspires much needed reform. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ok lets re-read this. Movies like this draw people's attention to the horse world and this is a bad thing? Oh thats right b/c its the "Wine and Roses" view, we surely won't entice any new people to come and learn and embrace equestrianism in a time where more horse people would be a good thing. No no, instead we'll get the kind of folks that will buy a horse and (let me guess) send it to slaughter because it didn't give them "wine and roses." OK remind me...again. How well do you know the race industry. what is your level of direct participation? Are you a backsider or do you just watch the triple crown once a year and consider it 'cruel'? Tell us where your hatred of racing comes from, only then can we appreciate it, or appropriately react. If you are embroiled in a situation that puts you smack dab in the race world and you're surrounded by break downs and corruption, ok I'll give you that THAT area needs fixing, but as many tracks, as many riders, trainers, jockeys, stewards and so on exist out there.... not everywhere, not everyone is the same.

And forgive me, but until you are the one who has been working daily with a horse, training it with a goal in mind and then watch it fall from graceful rhythymn to the ground and lie there, don't tell us we have 'exploited' our horses in an effort to see them succeed. And if we choose to save our horses to keep them here and then later want to help them find a purpose beyond a four legged lawnmower, well that's any horse owner's right, no matter the discipline.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I googled to see if any of those actors were donating any money to TRF or Exceller or if any of the films proceeds were being directed to a rescue effort. I found nothing. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Wow. Amazing that MUST mean that they just do not care a whim. And since you can't google me, I'll tell you. I don't donate to them either. *GASP* BUT I do care and I spend my (far less than millions) on my ottb and what little bit I can donate, bi-yearly to a local horse rescue. But quick....condemn everyone who doesn't donate. And btw, I care about the Katrina and other hurricane victims too, but I haven't donated there either. Quick, hang me now. I must not give a damn for anyone but myself.

Vent over.

~Emily

Susan P

Oct. 21, 2005, 05:56 PM

Let's not forget the classic Black Beauty, though not a racehorse movie it does reveal the beauty while exposing how humans are so cruel to horses. As awful and sad as much of Black Beauty is the movie is loved and was repeatedly a huge box office success.

I think people can handle the dark side in a movie about horses if it done right.

Susan P

Oct. 21, 2005, 06:03 PM

I never understood why after the Free Willy movies that they needed money to save Keiko the whale who starred in the films. Why didn't some of the millions of dollars made off of those movies and all the following merchandising and cartoons provide more than adequately for this poor Orca? Why should there he be in any need ever again?

Think about how much Michael Jackson made on the song. Why didn't he give the money needed to help him, or build a Sea World in Never Land? http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I don't object to its inaccuracy. I object to its exploitation of the horses for profit -- none of which will benefit the horses. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Xctrygirl

Oct. 21, 2005, 06:07 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by imissvixen:
But every time I think about the racing industry I think about the TB mare I rescued this summer who is standing in a pasture in Southern Pines, barely 5 years old with a pin fired hock, bowed tendon, ankle chips, a hunters bump, and a sad look still in her eye. And I recall the first day we put tack on her and she ws so anxious that saliva poured out of her mouth in buckets. And I wonder about the person who named her after himself and then sold her to a backside buyer who was sending her to the slaughterhouse when I got her.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey how about this, lets all wonder aloud.

I wonder if she was ridden badly, which might explain the saliva. Thats not the owner's issue directly, unless he was the rider. You haven't said so, so I am guessing not. Second, she has a bowed tendon, how bad? What grade? She has ankle chips, how many? Opperable or no? She has a pin fired hock. Umm ok the big deal here is that she had an issue before and someone tried to help it? Whats the problem there>? I admit pin firing is going out a bit but some vets still consider it useful. And since she only has one, it was cleraly done in an attempt to fix a problem. Oh but wait, thats cruel.

The hunter's bump is a varying issue. Some horses are more predisposed (usually by poorer conformation) to have one. My horse has one and he has had a luxury life. Or did we secretly 'abuse' him to cause him to develop one?.

End point: You saved a horse who has a lot of issues. Good for you. There are others here who do that everyday. And they still can appreciate a 2 hour bit of entertainment that includes horses. Don't blame an entire industry for your mare. She may have been handled well or badly, you don't know the whole story. She got hurt and was passed on to lesser hands. Thats unfortunate and people like me, who work on the backside, try very hard to prevent it with our own horses who will no longer race.

OOOOOoo this thread has me so mad. This would be like me condemning a movie about barrel racing based off 1 retired injured racer. Ugh.

Better idea... I personally invite you to come spend a day or two on the backside with me, whenever and wherever, you can see what its really like and how hard we (backside workers) work to keep our horses healthy and happy. Name a time and place.

~Emily

blueboo

Oct. 21, 2005, 06:20 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Susan P:
I never understood why after the Free Willy movies that they needed money to save Keiko the whale who starred in the films. Why didn't some of the millions of dollars made off of those movies and all the following merchandising and cartoons provide more than adequately for this poor Orca? Why should there he be in any need ever again?

Think about how much Michael Jackson made on the song. Why didn't he give the money needed to help him, or build a Sea World in Never Land? http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'll give you all of that, but at least after the movies, enough people KNEW and CARED enough to enable the money to be raised, If the movie had never been made at all, he would have died right where he was - unknown, and unmourned except by the very few who 'knew' him, So, while yes, the producers, actors, moguls, whatever definitely 'should' have stepped in, at the very least, they enabled those who did know and care to act.

JoZ

Oct. 21, 2005, 06:25 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Russell Crowe refused to play in the movie Bastard out of Carolina because he didn't want anything to do with making money on a movie about pedophilia. He is a great actor and maybe that's why. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Oh I know I shouldn't go here. But did you actually READ Bastard out of Carolina? It isn't about pedophilia, it's about a strong, suffering young girl and the tragic life she had to endure and prevail over. It is largely autobiographical. I bet Russell Crowe didn't read it either. He could have starred in it and given all the proceeds to women's and children's shelters. Argh, this makes me crazy.

SimplySarah

Oct. 21, 2005, 07:01 PM

There was a story about the movie and the horse it was loosely based on in my local paper (I live in Hot Springs, Arkansas, home of the Oaklawn Racetrack where Smarty, Afleet Alex, ect made their first moves these past couple of years), Mariah's Storm. We know the underbelly around here. Heck, the horse racing industry and the tourism that it encourages are the cornerstone of our economy. We know the underbelly. I know the underbelly- I've helped get them off of the backside and into good homes. I also know that a lot of these horses are treated like royalty (my cousin lived next door to a big training track facility where we'd watch the horses be exercised every morning, and on the other side of their house was another extremely large race barn). Some of them DO slip through the cracks- heck, we haven't even been able to figure out how to keep human CHILDREN from slipping through the cracks, much less the animals that we love.

I haven't seen the movie Dreamer yet, but from what I've read and the trailers and previews I've seen, it is a story about not letting the horse slip through the cracks. In fact, it's about caulking those cracks at great loss (the father's job). It's about NOT giving up on a horse because it was injured and would have just been destroyed. It's about taking that horse that was disposable to one person, and showing that the horse is NOT a disposable commodity. It dispells the myth that a horse with a broken leg just ought to be immediately shot (Disclaimer: Yes, I know that there are many cases in which quickly putting a horse to death is the most humane option available, what I'm talking about are those that, given proper care and time and effort can heal)because horses with broken legs are useless and will never be good for anything again. You can put any injury or flaw or fault in place of a broken leg and it is still applicable. Dreamer puts an emphasis on the fact that horses shouldn't be disposable commodities. That with the proper knowledge you can caulk the crack and get a second chance. That even if you can't personally caulk the cracks because you don't know how, that there ARE people out there who DO caulk the cracks. The movie may not just come out and pinpoint the issue with perfect precision, but it DOES broach the issue in a way that is a lot easier for most people to swallow.

To get people interested in the underbelly, you need a story that shows a glimpse of how things are done-- like in Dreamer where she flips and is about to just be destroyed-- which in turn makes people think. You have to draw them in before dump the sludge on them.

And just one more thing that just really got me-- so you googled Kurt and Goldie and Dakota, and found no donations to any organizations. Who the hell made you the donation nazi? How in the world do you know that none of them made PRIVATE donations to organizations? Funny enough, there ARE people who don't have to and don't want to laud the fact that they did a good deed.

It's an uplifting story in a period of time when we need to be uplifted. Think of all the people-- specifically little girls-- will fall in love with horses because of this movie. Think of all of the parents who will then be pressured by said horse loving children to become part of the horse world. Think of those children growing up, caring deeply about horses and being the next generation of people who will ultimately be making the decisions in the horse world. The kids that will see this movie will be adults someday and, God Willing, will be able to improve the conditions of horses in all disciplines. They are the future of the rescues and the advocates and activists.

But by all means, vixen-- Chase them off while they're still young. We don't need 'em. /sarcasm

doublete

Oct. 21, 2005, 07:19 PM

I'm not going to read the rest of the post, but wanted to say that while the movie is inaccurate and not at all what racing is actually (good or bad), it is inspiring interest in racing again (like Seabiscuit did a bit).

This is very important to the industry, we need more people coming to the races, more owners, more people that want to learn about the race world. That's the only way the industry's bad rep will change- if we get more people watching it and caring what happens. Right now its limited to the few people that do need money in it.

So movies like this are actually GOOD for the industry and can have many positive repercussions.

Mega Rock

Oct. 21, 2005, 07:38 PM

XCTRYGIRl..............coming from another backside worker I could not have said everything you said better myself. Kudos!!!

Lori B

Oct. 21, 2005, 08:23 PM

RR --

I love this -- 'the gaseous reality of horses'

It is SO true! Every time I pick out one of Topper's rear feet, HE FARTS! EVERY TIME!

Sigh. Too funny.

Alagirl

Oct. 21, 2005, 08:23 PM

OK, how about taking a pro-active stance?!

One catches more flys with honey...When the very first 101 Dalmatian movie cam out everybody wanted one, with all the bad results...when the first life action movie came out the *Are you tough enough* slogans went flying, really hurt the breed. When the second one came out breeders and friends finaly wised up and placed info desks and knowledgable owners near important movie theaters, spreading the word.

If you think that your five bucks or so you will not be spending on the movie is gonna impress Hollywood, think again. If you want to do something for the horses falling through the cracks (which BTW are soooo much smaller than previously believed, check the anti slaughter threads!) arrange for you to have a table at the movies, I am sure you can find some friends to help you, and hand out information about exracers or racehorses in general. But remember the honey thing: the carpetshredding countersurfing papereating T-shirts where a hit among the sworn Dal-owned crowd, but it really hurt the breed as a whole...so consider what you spread!

teal tea

Oct. 21, 2005, 08:40 PM

Too late. I just came back from it. I loved it. Yeah it was a bit fanciful. But I didn't care b/c I felt good watching it. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Iluvgoldies

Oct. 21, 2005, 10:01 PM

Dreamer is supposed to be a mare right? Its kinda funny then that on all the movie posters and ads the horse with Dakota Fanning is most obviously a gelding http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

KateB

Oct. 21, 2005, 10:23 PM

imissvixen I have to respond to your comments about the racing industry. I own several thoroughbreds in various stages of racing; training, racing and retired. I for one am personally offended by your blanket statements about the horse racing industry and the people in it. While no doubt there is both good and bad in EVERY sport you seem to only want to focus on the bad.
I spend tremendous amounts of money every month on the health and welfare of my horses. Beyond their daily care and training there are massuses, acupuncturists, and the guy that comes to give them reikki three times a week when they racing.
When they are done with their racing every single one of them comes home and learns a new job or becomes a Mom. Every one of them will die at my home hopefully of old age.
Yes there are risks involved in racing and I panic every time one of mine walks into a starting gate until he/she crosses the finish line safely but aren't there also risks involved in show jumping, barrel racing, eventing or just about any other horse dicsipline we can think of?
As for the jockeys hmmmmm - let's see now I'm trying really hard to remember the last time I heard one say I HAVE to do this for a living I have no choice! lol! Becoming a jockey is a highly competitive career to choose and it takes tremendous talant and hard work to get there - you don't get there without a HUGE desire to be there. Jockeys are jockeys because they truely love what they do.
As for no health insurance - better check your facts there dear. For one thing as an owner in NY not one of my horses little hooves is allowed to touch the sand on a NY racetrack until my Workman's Comp is paid up every year.
In closing not only do I love and care for evey horse I own and race I have also placed more "retiring" racehorses in new homes than I can even count.
Not only that the racing industry is taking a very aggressive stand in taking care of their retirees futures hence groups like Blue Horse Charities, New Vocations, The Exceller Fund, Our Mims Retirement Fund, Old Friends, C.A.N.T.E.R., The Thoroughbred Retirement Fund and on and on. There are more organizations in place to secure good futures for these retirees in horse racing than I could possibly list here! Most started and run by people involved in the racing industry.
I'm sorry because of your experience with one horse out the the tens of thousands that race you have such a very negative view of horse racing but I don't think you know enough about it or the people involved in it to make such blanket judgements - you know that old saying: "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing"?

saratoga

Oct. 22, 2005, 12:41 AM

As a person who was a major racing fan since the age of 10, and having worked at tracks on and off for quite a few years, I find myself disillusioned. Not to say that everyone is cold and uncaring, but the bottom line is that it is a business, way too many horses are simply commodities and have no safety nets out there. I've seen too many tragic, horrible things over the years and the bad has outweighed the thrill and excitement of it (for me). Yes, bad things happen to horses in all sports and in everyday life, but not nearly as often and as vivid as in racing.

The funny thing is, I think the majority of people *do* have negative opinions of racing- when people find out that I was involved in it,
I always hear the jokes about the glue factory, the drugs, the old gambling bums at the tracks and OTBs, races being "fixed", all sorts of stuff from people who know nothing about racing. So I find it kind of interesting how these sweet sentimental movies about racing are being made.

ShyDancer

Oct. 22, 2005, 12:59 AM

Putting the underbelly of the racing industry back in the barn for a moment, maybe this movie will inspire people to have a new found respect and affection for horses.

Hopefully ? http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

Sannois

Oct. 22, 2005, 03:37 AM

I dont have a negative opinion of racing. Theres good and bad in all aspects of the horse world. but, like any true horse lover, the sight and sound of the gorgeous animals thundering down the track is just an incredible thing. Makes me cry every time. in a good way! http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif I own an ottb. who raced till he was 4.
I fail to see what boycotting a movie like this will do for anyone. I agree about spending some time on the back side of the track. I know some racing folks, and there horses are doted on and cared for as well as we care for ours. I know theres the bad side, there is in Jumpers Hunters eventing Dressage, WP you name it. I happen to love Kirt Russell. I think it will be fun. I try not to over analyze entertainment. its just that! http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Sannois

Oct. 22, 2005, 03:43 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Dreamer is supposed to be a mare right? Its kinda funny then that on all the movie posters and ads the horse with Dakota Fanning is most obviously a gelding </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ugh They do that kind of crap in movies all the time.. Makes me crazy! Guess they figure the average joe doesnt know the difference between a mare and a gelding! http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif

SweatySaddlepad

Oct. 22, 2005, 04:13 AM

[quote]quote:
Originally posted by pacificsolo:

quote:
I have yet to see a single movie with equines in it be even slightly accurate

OK...I know it's a little known film, but go rent "Something to Talk About" with Julia Roberts....it really is the closest to accurate I have seen....and a fun film, to boot

pacificsolo - that is my favorite movie ever! sad eh? But i love dennis quaid, julia roberts...oh wait, pretty much everyone in the movie.

it was extremely accurate i thought. and there were a decent amt of pro riders doing stunt riding, if i recall correctly. i think i'll watch it tomorrow (hangs head - i own it on tape)

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/danipoo512/my_photos

http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif

Okay gotta say I own this movie I do LOVE it BUT...................It cracks me up with some of the obvious things

First off Julia get dressed in her house and this includes putting her chaps on?

Said chaps stay on throughout her day yet you never see her ON a horse until the very end when she's riding double with her daughter and NO chaps?

Last but huge Robert Duvall does do jumpers in real life so of course he did his own riding however he's obviously not at Grand Prix level so when they show the big Grand Prix and Robert riding, the fences are at the most a very small 3ft http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/winkgrin.gif. All I want to know is where can I compete in a 3 ft 100,000 Grand Prix? Sign me up!

Misty OMG you are right! They never show horses pooping!

I think the majority of people see movies as a release, real life is hard to take for some, most don't want to know REAL life. Real life rent "Born into Brothels" catch "Shelter Dogs" on HBO, all too real!

souvenir

Oct. 22, 2005, 04:33 AM

Hey sweaty, I DID catch a horse pooping in Racing Stripes. The white mare and the pony, toward the end of the movie, were running to the track and as the mare turned the corner, she began to poop, right before the scene cut. It was a clandestine poop, but by golly it was the real thing!
I caught it and said, "ah, that mare's pooping!" of course, to the chagrin of the other movie patrons. They probably thought I was a flake. Cracked me up!
http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif

DeLapp512

Oct. 22, 2005, 04:35 AM

yeah...so nothing was on tv last night, so i put it in. i caught a decent amt. of goofs...but compared to other horsey movies....

i caught that when the little girl goes to sleep in opossums stall, that when mom goes to get her, they leave the blanket on the ground, they don't latch the door, and the horse has a halter on, and none of the other horses do.

and i LOFF the fact that in the grand prix, they show *some* big jumps, and then when they show robert duvall jumping *i'd doubt they were even 3ft*, they made baby grand prix standards to make it look like he was jumping big...it made me laugh in a big way.

but i'll take that barn any day! http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

i was still impressed that the little girl could ride, though at the end, she obviously wasn't jumping big, maybe 2 feet, it looked like she did that herself, which is pretty impressive for a movie i think.

maybe since a few people have seen dreamer, and it sounds good, i'll go see it sometime next week...hmmm.

carolprudm

Oct. 22, 2005, 04:57 AM

If you want to see a funny, though totally unrealiltic(What horse movie isn't?) horse movie try to locate a copy of "The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit"

carolprudm

Oct. 22, 2005, 05:31 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Susan P:
Let's not forget the classic Black Beauty, though not a racehorse movie it does reveal the beauty while exposing how humans are so cruel to horses. <SNIP>
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
That is quite a broad generality. Some people are cruel, more are ignorant but most people, given the chance will be kind. Call me Pollyanna if you wish.
On a side note, it is easy to condem the TB racing industry for disposing of unprofitable horses but I was checking out the CBER website and few of the horses are TB's.

bjrudq

Oct. 22, 2005, 05:44 AM

all, right. i simply could NOT let this comment pass without notice:

"Have you ever met a live horse that didn't fart morning, noon and night?"

most assuredly, MY horses do NOT fart morning, noon, and night. they rarely fart.

in fact the only time they fart is when i am cleaning their hind feet.

Auburn

Oct. 22, 2005, 05:47 AM

Robert Duvall does ride/jump, in "Something to Talk About".

Did you know that he hired show jumper rider, Dennnis Murphy, to be the riding technical advisor for the film? Dennis taught Julia ( who had never ridden a horse) how to sit on a horse. Also, he did the stunt riding for the character, "Hank", and provided some of his own horses, for use in the film. AUBURN

Zig

Oct. 22, 2005, 07:37 AM

I went to see Dreamer last night -- the movie really wasnt about the horse but rather it was about strained relationships -- and the horse is what brought them together. It was an "OK" movie - certainly not an award winner but it was what it was -- entertainment.

The movie is not about educating people about the horrible things that happen in the horse world -- and I will remind you, that it isnt just racing (granted, I think they race too young etc -- but I also get my best horses off the track)-- case in point those people who drug there fancy show horses etc. That is a whole different topic to which there are many threads dedicated.

Now back to the movie:

As I would expect there were extreme inaccuracies -- i.e. when the horse took off with Dakota Fanning - it had a full set of shoes.. we all know that if a horse is on stall rest, its getting trimmed and if the coffin bone were broken - a farrier would not be tacking on shoes!

By the way, the x-rays that they showed in the movie appeared to be x-rays of the knee -- but that was only a glimpse -- I could be wrong.

I remember seeing some movie about a con and a race horse that was starved to the point of death and then became a top show jumper (someone please help me with the name -- the convict befriended the horse with peppermints) anyway -- the course they showed the horse jumping was a hunter course and the rider was wearing khaki breeches! Good lord... cant someone go advise these people who make movies about horses????

eclipsefarm

Oct. 22, 2005, 07:49 AM

Skip over this if you don't want to hear any details about the movie... The few lines that particularly stayed with me were (not ver batim) when Sonya had just been claimed. Russell was explaining that the occurrence of that actually happening is rare, but trying to toughen his daughter up to the business end of racing. Fanning says, "She wasn't for sale." Russell: "Any Thoroughbred that's a racehorse in this world is for sale." Fanning: "She wasn't just a racehorse, she was OUR horse." Now that might sound completely sappy to some (horse)people, enough to dismiss it. Truth is, I loved those lines and there should be more owners that feel even a bit more like that.

jenarby

Oct. 22, 2005, 11:37 AM

I second everything xcrider said.
I have racehorses. They eat better than I do. They are happy and in good flesh and are spoiled rotten. Trying to figure out where the OP get her facts. Come spend a day with me too. I'm on the farm but would gladly take you to the track. Yep, lots of good and bad in every equine industry.
Hey....ever check the slaughter stats? Can anyone chime in here that knows for sure? I think I remember reading that the majority of horses running through the killer sales were in fact, NOT horses off the track....but peoples' cast away riding horses......

I'm going to go see the movie. I think it looks cute. Personally I think it will only do more good like Seabiscuit did. If it brings more people through the doors at the track then it brings more revenue for the industry.

classicsporthorses

Oct. 22, 2005, 02:12 PM

We (my daughter and I) just got back from seeing the movie. I think Zig's first comments hit the theme right on the mark. This is a movie about relationships-human to horse, father to son, father to daughter. This movie was about believing in yourself and reaching for the the brass ring b/c you may just catch it! The horse in many ways is just the medium.

We own TB's some raced, some did not and as others said, every industry has a good and bad side-horses, car racing, children's sports.

In some ways it is similar to the movie "Breaking Away". For those of you who may or may not know if it, The movie, like many was a coming of age film and about relationships and really is not about racing bicycles.

Films as well as print media and TV, even sadly our children's text books are rampant with inaccuracies. If there are gross inaccuracies it must be our job to correct those and educate people.

I have not been to the movies in a few years. Personally for me I am glad to have shared the time with my daughter for as that horse crossed the finish line we, along with others clapped and there were tears in eyes signifying a sense of joy and victory. For me, this afternoon was not just about a horse movie, it was about spending quality time with a person I really love.

Go see the movie.

Duffy

Oct. 22, 2005, 02:25 PM

Rats. My daughter is spending the night with a friend (they'd better get to bed early - show tomorrow http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif ) and they're going to see Dreamer tonite. So much for my excuse to see it! Although, I'm sure she won't mind seeing it again with her mom. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

SeaOat

Oct. 22, 2005, 02:36 PM

Saratoga: Yep, you and me both. The longer we're around the less rosey my glasses as opposed to when I first started seriously hanging around. I'm surprised when someone works on a track a few years, still on a thrill of it all ride and suddenly knows the industry so well as to defend it tooth & nail. What in hell good are their contributions going to be? Much needed are people who really get it, have been around and are not too burned out to care anymore.
Some movies are great fun regardless of accuracy & are in wide part still just entertainment, unless specified as having another agenda. This just looks like kiddie fluff to me using racing as a backdrop.

Dusty

Oct. 22, 2005, 03:20 PM

I just got back from seeing the movie and loved it! Two of my students (who knew they were the last two of the day) showed for their "lessons" and informed me I was being hijacked to the movies to see it http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif Zig was absolutely right...it's about mending emotional relationships through the physical mending of the horse.

It was never billed as a race horse documentary - you just need to take it for what it is.

saratoga

Oct. 22, 2005, 03:41 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by SeaOat:
Saratoga: Yep, you and me both. The longer we're around the less rosey my glasses as opposed to when I first started seriously hanging around. I'm surprised when someone works on a track a few years, still on a thrill of it all ride and suddenly knows the industry so well as to defend it tooth & nail. What in hell good are their contributions going to be? Much needed are people who really get it, have been around and are not too burned out to care anymore. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, the people in the industry who defend it tooth and nail really bother me. It seems that if you criticize racing, you get the defenses of "bad things happen in other horse sports too and that's life", and "you don't know what you're talking about just trashing on us racing people." I truly, truly don't know how anyone could really love horses and stay on the track. I know everyone has a different sensitivity level though, so that must be a lot of it. Or being able to tune out the sad and sick stuff.

I think its great when people who care do stay in the industry, though I don't know how they do it, and I especially applaud all the groups like CANTER and all the owners and trainers who will try to find homes for their horses instead of running them into the ground or giving them to auction.

TB or not TB?

Oct. 22, 2005, 04:05 PM

Actually, the OP is quite correct in saying that the racing industry is cruel and unusual, but I don't think she takes it far enough. You see, I used to event, but saw the error of my ways when some people from a nearby hunter barn stopped me and a few friends and explained how riding horses on trails was cruel, and that jumping objects like logs and water is unnatural and mean. This really opened my eyes and I began to realize how wrong the horse industry really is. Beneath the obvious faults, like forcing Thoroughbreds to run (I have not and will never meet a TB to whom running comes instinctually and soulfully), or using Arabs for endurance (hello, just because they are accustomed to travelling miles over fierce desert does not mean they can do it in a climate that isn't as perilous), or making WBs do dressage (we know that only Lippizaners have foals that perform movements like capriolles before they're handled), lies a frightening and horrific truth. Though it may come as a shock, we provide grain and hay for our horses to eat. Now, you may think you're keeping your horse alive, but in actuality you're abusing it. For you see, horses in the wild must forage for ALL their food, and by providing their diets, we're cruelly repressing our horse's natural instincts.

Therefore, I intend to boycott Field of Dreams. It shows a light, happy side of growing crops, in which the crops are all cut down to create a baseball field instead of contributing to deaths of countless animals through the ingestion of grain. Why not show a movie with the TRUTH about corn? Farmers die every year from old age and ACCIDENTS! A dire industry indeed. Plus, I know for a fact that Kevin Costner hasn't donated any money to help save wild horses, or even to the Union of Saving Poor Farmers Who Die From Old Age.

Thus it is with a heavy heart that I ask you all to join me in boycotting this terrible movie, for Field of Dreams can truly be considered a field of DEATH for our horses.

http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif

Xctrygirl

Oct. 22, 2005, 04:19 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by SeaOat:
I'm surprised when someone works on a track a few years, still on a thrill of it all ride and suddenly knows the industry so well as to defend it tooth & nail. What in hell good are their contributions going to be? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thinly veiled or just plain refraining from putting my name in here? I will spare the BB from a long diatribe but I would question the value of your existence on the backside. Seems to me and from what I have had to live through and witness that you jump at any chance to stab someone in the back, you promote gossip and you don't bother to check facts.

For the record, my first racing job was in 1992. So please forgive me if my enthusiasm has lasted longer than it should have. And for the record, I defend all horse sports to all comers tooth and nail, not only racing.

I also seem to believe that the contributions I have made, and will make, might be of some value. At least to people who recognize what being selfless and caring for everyone, not just your friends, can reap in return.

Saratoga,
I intend to be one of those people you spoke of. I do care about the horses, the backside workers, and the sport of racing. It needs reforms for sure and it needs more people who believe in the good, more than the negative to help navigate its path through this century. I strive to work with and surround myself with people who think like this. Maybe then your glasses may glean a bit of their rosiness back. Hoping won't do it, nor will negative gossipmongers. Only positive people with vision can help racing return to what it once was, and has the potential to be again; a popular sport that attempts in good measure to support the welfare of the people and the animals as well as the bettors.

~Emily

Zig

Oct. 22, 2005, 04:33 PM

Back to comments about the movie please.

monizuki

Oct. 22, 2005, 05:35 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by TB or not TB?:

Therefore, I intend to boycott Field of Dreams. It shows a light, happy side of growing crops, in which the crops are all cut down to create a baseball field instead of contributing to deaths of countless animals through the ingestion of grain. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

What? Do I detect a hint of of saaaaarrrcasm? LOL

Tory Relic

Oct. 22, 2005, 06:22 PM

Oh, is this a pet peeve of mine or what? I grew up around the race training track in Camden and don't remember seeing my first steeplechase OR flat race. I do remember seeing Ruffian work here in the 70s. That was something!

Like Emily, I've been involved with the backside of racing. I've worked here on farms and I've worked at tracks (Saratoga and Belmont Park). I've spent many an afternoon at Laurel Park and a few at Pimlico. I also worked at a show horse farm where the trainer was so abusive I couldn't stand it and quit. But I'm also friendly with many show people who do not abuse their horses! There are bad apples everywhere.

I like TB or Not TB's take on the situation.

I also have an adopted race horse. I can't call her a rescue, she came to me because she was considered not good enough to race anymore and her owner wanted her to have a good lifetime home. She was sound the day I got her six years ago, and is sound today. She's had ordinary horse problems since, such as absesses and the like but she's not neurotic (beginner children ride her), she's sweet and kind, smart, and healthy. She peps up a bit with experienced riders but is never unruly. She's a bit of a hard keeper but that's just the way they are sometimes.

She is the granddaughter of Seattle Slew and the love of my life. Without racing, I'd have never had her. Without racing I wouldn't have experienced some of the most wonderful moments of my life, or tear up everytime I read Estes poem about "Big Red." I was in love, at 15, with the horse that fulfilled that poem's hope. I cried 16 years later when he died. I cried when another titan colored horse broke down at Belmont and went soft on the jockey that saved him.

Yeah, racing has its bad moments and it has its glorious ones. And there is the day to day keep on keeping on thing that pulls it all together. Dan Fogelberg nailed it with "Run for the Roses."

There's nothing else - NOTHING - like it.

Bumpkin

Oct. 22, 2005, 06:33 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by khobstetter:
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..COME ON http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif

IT'S A MOVIE FOR HEAVEN SAKE !!!

It is simply not in the best interest of horses in general to boycott ANY HORSE movie because one thinks it is not what they want it to be.

This is a movie about horses, and in that vain it puts horses again on the minds of the public.

Here in California we are FIGHTING for the survival of the horse industry in the LA Metro area at all. Facilities are closing right and left an becoming HOUSES!!

With all the publicity this particular movie has generated we have horses in the public eye....every child of a politician who runs home and say,,"Daddy I want a horse"..is one more advocate.

PLEASE put your personal self aside an go see the darn movie..it will help keep horses in the minds of the politicians!! And horses in the mind of politicians will help keep horses alive.

It is not the end all of end alls...BUT every little bit helps!!!!

BESIDES..it's a rather nice movie, YOU MIGHT LIKE IT !!!! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I agree.
Here in Washington State, we are also loosing more and more horse facilities to McMansions.

Gretchen

Oct. 22, 2005, 06:42 PM

One of my best friends is a trainer at the local track...and I can tell you, the horses are all treated well! They are fed 3X a day, exercised everyday, walked out 1/2hr after every workout, legs are poulticed and wrapped to prevent swelling, blanketed in the winter if needed, vet care, farrier, etc. is done before they pay themselves.I doubt that many people on here do HALF of what they do. There are good and bad trainers there, as well as in ALL show people, or ANY OTHER horse owner! And as far as the health care...everyone there is SELF employed. There are programs for the people there to get into as far as health care,etc. Are you going to fight for show trainers now also for health insurance?? But, they know what they're getting into BEFORE they decide to do this for a living.

Layne Farm

Oct. 22, 2005, 06:58 PM

i can't belive i just read this whole post http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif I guess since i breed and race horses i'm the antichrist http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif

I will say this. I saw the movie it was cute. In every sport there is good and bad. But some of you on the bashing of race horses and how they are treated krack me up.

dianad

Oct. 22, 2005, 08:16 PM

Well, I HAVE to go watch it, cause this is my wonderful OTTB mare, Dream (Dreamology),complete with little star. http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/yes.gif
http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPh...=483435585&ran=25070 (http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPhotos&albumID=483435585&ra n=25070)

Bumpkin

Oct. 22, 2005, 08:41 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Layne Farm:
i can't belive i just read this whole post http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif I guess since i breed and race horses i'm the antichrist http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif

I will say this. I saw the movie it was cute. In every sport there is good and bad. But some of you on the bashing of race horses and how they are treated krack me up. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I agree, I worked in racing here and overseas, and everyone I worked for and was associated with treated their horses better than some H/J trainers I know.
The racing industry also treated clients and employees, i.e. grooms and jocks way nicer than you see in the H/J world.
When I first started working at the track, early 70's making 100$ a month grooming per horse was better than working at a real job.
With tips it was wonderful.
Of course gas was like 25 cents a gallon back then. haha

Emryss

Oct. 22, 2005, 08:49 PM

I thought it was a nice movie and a fun date with my husband.

He has little to no interest in horses (but he likes me anyway!) and he enjoyed the movie, also. It was a chocolate pudding kind of movie: warm and soothing in a comfortable kind of way - meant to be enjoyed, but not particularly complicated.

Albion

Oct. 22, 2005, 10:04 PM

I guess I'm a little biased, one of my best friends has been galloping race horses since she was 15 & is now training - she's one of the best horse people I know, beautiful to watch on a horse and beautiful to watch WITH horses. She loves the racing industry, but she doesn't love ALL of it - there are a lot of issues she has with the way things are done here, but I know her horses are happy, well-cared for, and sound. All of her personal riding horses are OTTBs given to her by owners that wanted their former racehorses to have good homes. She's ridden for some big name barns & that seems to be the norm (horses given to people or retired to a happy ending as opposed to getting put on a truck to New Holland or what have you), although she did grow up involved more in the 'chasing side of things than flat.

I galloped for a little while at a small training track - I saw some things I didn't like, I saw some things I did. It's like any other discipline.

There are good owners, bad owners, good trainers, bad trainers, good riders, bad riders - just like anything else in the horseworld. Why racing turns into a lightning rod for discontent with the horseworld, I'm not sure - I don't think it's entirely fair.

CDHinFL

Oct. 22, 2005, 10:49 PM

I didn't read all of the previous posts, so this may have been adressed... a Jodie Foster movie has been boycotted by flight attendents b/c of how they are portrayed.

The directors, etc... say that the movie is for entertainment, and that should not reflect on the impressive job that airline attendants do. Take it as you will...

Plumcreek

Oct. 23, 2005, 12:41 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Drakaina16: I'll never forget Spirit having eyebrows! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The animation artists said they NEEDED the eyebrows.

Emryss

Oct. 23, 2005, 07:42 AM

No, no. The animation artists said THEY needed the eyebrows! Couldn't draw expressions otherwise....

Eyebrows on horses are creepy. So are smiling horses.

mst

Oct. 23, 2005, 12:08 PM

Its a movie!!!!! At least they have started making movies with a horsey theme. Its good for equine industry as a whole. The more the public is involved the better. So what, the horses never poop. Did the people who have never been involved with horses see the movie and go home saying, "wow, horses don't poop."?

If the movie bothers you that much, don't watch the derby, preakness, or belmont either. They don't show the dark side on those broadcasts. All those people who bought alex's lemonade are racing fans too.

carolprudm

Oct. 23, 2005, 12:13 PM

If you watch Harry Potter "Prisoner of Azkeban" you will see a hippogrif (bird/horse)poop! It's the sceen in which Haggrid is teaching the class.

Aggie4Bar

Oct. 23, 2005, 01:27 PM

Somewhat OT, but regarding the horse (or one of them) who protrayed Dreamer, there was a movie review on the telly last night that said Kurt Russell bought the horse and gave it to Dakota Fanning as a gift.

horseygrl5

Oct. 23, 2005, 01:36 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Aggie4Bar:
Somewhat OT, but regarding the horse (or one of them) who protrayed Dreamer, there was a movie review on the telly last night that said Kurt Russell bought the horse and gave it to Dakota Fanning as a gift. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I read in Equestrian magazine that Kurt Russell gave Dakota a Palomino horse.

libgrrl

Oct. 23, 2005, 02:48 PM

*NO* horse movie or tv show is realistic.

I actually thought Seabiscuit came as close as any.

Have you ever seen Saddle Club? Sheesh!!!

Re: the TB industry -- some of it is bad, some is good. As with most things, it appears to come down to money. Those at the margins (read: "cheap tracks") are probably less kind to their animals than the really wealthy owners with horses running at the "big" tracks. If one is operating at the margins, they are probably more apt to view the animals they work with as commodities. Sad, but true.

At least whenever I've watched races on TV, I notice that the NTRA generally supports the various thoroughbred charities -- for people and for horses. They are also vocally anti-slaughter.

Racetb*Aefvue Farm*Biziz Ltd.

Oct. 23, 2005, 04:00 PM

Oh please, leave the TB racing industry alone. There are exploited animals EVERYWHERE. Unless you've had first hand experience with the hard working, caring people that make up a race horse's team, you really have no basis on which to make these blanket rationalizations, and certainly no right to criticize. I'm to tired to argue the point tonight, but trust me, racing doesn't derserve this rap.

certifiedgirl

Oct. 23, 2005, 04:57 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by CuriosoJorge:
Um, if you're mad at the racing industry, why don't you boycott that, rather than the movie? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

No kidding!! And don't forget to boycott all of the equine medicines and medical treatments that have been funded and developed by those in the racing industry- while your at it!

Spurt

Oct. 23, 2005, 05:43 PM

I grew up in the racing industry all of my relatives are in the racing industry. We have jockeys, trainers(mainly), vet assistants, writers etc. all of which started from the bottom levels of the track and worked their way up from there. I work on the track everyday as a assistant trainer, hopefully one day I'll have enough clients to go on my own. Am I a bad person because I'm associated with a industry that has a dark side?
I think the people in my family care for horse more so then others because we depend on them for everything. Everything I have came from a horse, my food, my clothes and my retired horses are fed by our horses running. We make a living with them, which makes us give them the best of everything, the happier and healthier they are the better they will run. All we ask of a horse is their best effort and all of ours find proper homes. We won't let mares get bred that aren't good enough to produce more offspring, because the horses that go to slaughter start with over abundance of breeding(which is a whole different subject i'm not getting into).
Yes there is good and bad, but thats with any industry and ANY equine area.
How can someone stay on the track for so long knowing that their are horses that are unhappy and not cared for as well as they could be?
Every morning, I wake up and at 4:30am I feed breakfast to a barn of horses nickering at me. For the rest of the morning I get to 'play' with horses and make them better. When you see a horse go over and run their heart out(whether they won or not) and you've been riding him for the last few months and he now shows confidence and heart..it makes you want to wake up the next day and try again. Try to help that little filly that shipped in the other day..

On the other hand, there have been days that I haven't wanted to go to the track. Days when my favorite horse was claimed, that we've had for years. A day when our 10 year old is going to go to the farm to get retired and I don't get to deal with his annoying habits everyday. The days, that I see a horse breakdown. I'm not numb to all of that, I can't just turn my head and forget it but somehow you end up waking up anyways and the little slow filly you've been working with finally works, and well of course you have to see her make her first start..
We strive to have a ethical racing stable, our horses are well cared for, some are too fat, and we don't like to just get rid of them when they are done running. We won't run a horse that is sore, or cover something up with medication. In the end we try our best to do what is best for the horse, but the truth is the industry has changed from being a 1 horse deal to huge corporate partnerships that see the horses only as numbers.
Back to the movie, they are never true..entertainment is not meant to be reality. I don't care to go out and work all day and come home and watch something that isn't going to put me in a better mood or make me laugh.

harryjohnson Aefvue Senior Gardens

Oct. 23, 2005, 05:54 PM

For all you realists out there, complaining about not seeing the horses "poop" - what was the last movie you saw where people pooped?

Spurt

Oct. 23, 2005, 06:02 PM

Do you really care to see a horse poop?

I see enough of it everyday, that I don't need to see it while I'm sitting at home on the couch. besides that what dogs and cats are for.

Racetb*Aefvue Farm*Biziz Ltd.

Oct. 23, 2005, 06:27 PM

LMAO!! Spurt and Harry.

Imissvixen. Please read Spurt's post carefully. These are the kind of folks that make up the majority of the racing industry. Exploitative is not the word that comes to mind, and Spurt's allusions to the backyard indiscriminate breeder being the horse's worst enemy is 100% correct. The slaughter houses are full of little "Prancy's" offspring. If I seem a little defensive..you try wading through a pack of PETA assh*&#s at 4:30 a.m. every morning on the way to train your horses..and listen to them badger your poor grooms, all of whom would lay down and DIE for their animals. Again, bless you Spurt. You said it all.

Equestriana

Oct. 23, 2005, 09:20 PM

Spurt I agree with you 100%. I too work at the racetrack. I've been working there for about 1 year and i've been working as a groom. The industry has changed alot and really isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be.. Sure it has its fault, sure theres the odd trainer that runs a horse way to hard or the odd jockey that starves himself. But the same is true in every horse discipline.. These horses are cared for 24/7, even the smallest cut is treated. The horses have more then enough food, many are quite chubby acually. If a horse doesn't run well then they are sold. The trainer is very careful where the horses are sold to, always finding them a good home. He also checks in on the horses he sold in the past, makes sure everything is going well. The grooms are assigned certain horses to love and care for. The stalls are always spotless, the horses always cared for. All my horses nicker their hellos when I walk by, we all spoil them with treats. The point i'm getting at is that these horses are well cared for. They wont run if they are injured. In fact (heres a good example for you) we owned the favourite horse to win the BC derby, this is a HUGE race here with a massive purse. About an hour before the race the horse turned up ever so slightly lame. He was scratched from that race, he could have still run and probably won the race but the trainer cared for the horses well being more then the huge purse. This is proof that the trainers really do care for the horses. The racing industry has changed

greysandbays

Oct. 23, 2005, 09:49 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by harryjohnson:
... what was the last movie you saw where people pooped? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Wasn't there one of the "Lethal Weapon" movies with Mel Gibson and some black guy (name not coming to mind at the moment-- I want to say Danny Glover, but that might not be right) where the black guy is "on the throne" and then notices the bomb?

And in one of the "M*A*S*H" episodes, weren't they under fire and ordered to ordered to "evacuate", and Alan Alda says "I think I just did"?

http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_razz.gif http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif

Anne FS

Oct. 24, 2005, 06:46 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by dianad:
I'll never forget when I saw "Spirit" lapping water. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif Are you serious? I never saw that movie. Did the horses really lap water like cats?

kewpalace

Oct. 24, 2005, 07:45 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by greysandbays:
Wasn't there one of the "Lethal Weapon" movies with Mel Gibson and some black guy (name not coming to mind at the moment-- I want to say Danny Glover, but that might not be right) where the black guy is "on the throne" and then notices the bomb? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>You're right - that was Danny Glover. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_razz.gif

Glimmerglass

Oct. 24, 2005, 10:14 AM

BoldChance

Oct. 24, 2005, 11:32 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by imissvixen:
But every time I think about the racing industry I think about the TB mare I rescued this summer who is standing in a pasture in Southern Pines, barely 5 years old with a pin fired hock, bowed tendon, ankle chips, a hunters bump, and a sad look still in her eye. And I recall the first day we put tack on her and she ws so anxious that saliva poured out of her mouth in buckets. And I wonder about the person who named her after himself and then sold her to a backside buyer who was sending her to the slaughterhouse when I got her. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Everytime I think of the racing industry I Think of the horse I just bought - a 3yo with speed to spare who did NOT want to be a racehorse - so they sold him - sound - cheap - to a good home.
And I think about the people I met two weeks ago when we went to the track to look at horses. And the big, gorgeous bay I fell in love with but couldn't have - who will go home sound as a 3yo, and race again next year...and, when he's done, his owner will likely retire him on his property. (I've a friend who knows these people).

Yeah, there is definitely an ugly side to racing.

There's also an ugly side to hunter/jumper, and dressage, and rodeo, and reining, and pretty well ANY horse discpline.

Some horses love to race, others don't. And the good trainers - the ones who can be respected - do their best to keep their horses sound and make sure that they have a long productive career both on the track and hopefully off.

But the general public is not going to care about that. They go to the races to watch the gorgeous horses run, to watch the sport. They don't necessarily care about what happens behind the scenes.

I would love to know if some of the profits from Dreamer will go towards rehabbing OTTB's, and whatnot, though - it would certainly be a nice thing to do.

khobstetter

Oct. 24, 2005, 11:37 AM

OK OK OK..

Go to AOL Media Player and watch the clip on "The Best Horse in Europe"...that will add a bit of balance to this thread. http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

I tried to cut and paste the link here but I am not that computer smart..maybe someone else is. This was emailed to me today and its a gas!!!

jumper11

Oct. 24, 2005, 11:40 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">

Posted Oct. 21, 2005 02:37 PM
I plan to boycott the movie Dreamer for a number of reasons the biggest one being that it really sickens me to see these people make alot of money glamorizing the racing industry which is so exploitative of horses. Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning make their millions in a movie that is an inaccurate portrayal while hundreds if not thousands of exploited or broken down TBs are abandoned, neglected or sent to slaughter and the jockeys that ride them are hurt, starved, and denied health care coverage.

Movies like this will lead the general public to think it is all wine and roses for racehorses and their jockeys. For once I would like to see a movie that shows the true underside of the industry and inspires much needed reform.

I googled to see if any of those actors were donating any money to TRF or Exceller or if any of the films proceeds were being directed to a rescue effort. I found nothing. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Wow, your ignorance is really inspiring. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif For those of you who posted accurate and real information regarding the track bless you!
missvixen, How much money have you donated to TRF or Exceller, and I wonder if you have ever even been to the track?

khobstetter

Oct. 24, 2005, 11:40 AM

Just a thought...

Is there ANY documented proof that people in the race horse industry killed horses for the insurance money???

NOT interested in he said-she said...or what someone "heard"...IS THERE DOCUMENTED - LEGAL PROOF of that underside like there is in the HJ world????

mst

Oct. 24, 2005, 03:27 PM

Not to mention the amount of jobs the racing industry supplies. Not only the horse end of it but the betting end as well. Tellers, bartenders, parking attendants, janitors, program sellers, etc. Don't forget the track announcers, gate crew, stewards, etc. Thats alot of jobs.

I wish I had some of the health benefits that the horsemen at the track have. I think the racing association for the most part take pretty good care of their people. if my mother had never worked at the track before I was born, I may have never known horses. She learned most of her knowledge about horse care there. My husbands family owns a thoroughbred breeding farm that produces race horses. He learned his horsemanship skills there and at the track. in any emergency with our hunters and jumpers, he knows exactly what to do(and he can stay on the buckers!!!! he he). Thoroughbreds are bred to race. Yes, they break down. Any sport takes a toll on its athletes after awhile. The only difference is when we break a leg its repairable. We also can get killed in a car accident at any moment.Should we not drive?

We forget that way back when horses were used for transportation and for work. That was their sole purpose. i am sure the cowboys in the old west galloped those things for miles at a time in the worst footing imaginable. Probably broke more legs then you can imagine.Don't forget the carriage horses trotting forever and ever. What do you think happened to these horses when they were to lame to do their jobs?

There are some bad apples in the backside for sure. There are also alot of people who get up every day at 4 am and go to take care of their horses. You have to admire their discipline, dedication, and responsibilty.

HopelessHunter

Oct. 24, 2005, 03:41 PM

I've seen the movie and I personally loved it. Sure it was sappy, but what inspirational horse movie isn't?

It's these movies that always renew my love for horses. There's been an "outbreak" of horsey movies and I'm sure horse people prefer that to having to watch sci-fi and murder movies all the time - I mean, no inspiration in our lives? That's just wrong.

It's a movie. If you don't like it, don't go - nobody is making you. But let other people decide for themselves whether they want to boycott or not. Different strokes for different folks, ya know? http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

SeaOat

Oct. 24, 2005, 06:24 PM

Xctrygirl:

"Thinly veiled or just plain refraining from putting my name in here? I will spare the BB from a long diatribe but I would question the value of your existence on the backside. Seems to me and from what I have had to live through and witness that you jump at any chance to stab someone in the back, you promote gossip and you don't bother to check facts."

Don't flatter yourself, though it's obvious from the above I'm asking the impossible. You were just one of a select few I was *thinking* of on the heels of your ripping into the opinion of another. However, you are probably the more irksome. But no doubt it was only obvious to you in my response. Had you ignored me there I'm sure no one would be the wiser though you would have missed yet another chance to spout off your own credentials. You're not in the history books yet, ARE new and nowhere near having suffered anything because of "gossip". Shooting your mouth off on the www. & getting caught is not suffering gossip.
BTW, I don't lose sleep wondering if you question my existing value (none really) on the backside or anywhere else. Wasn't it just your "long diatribe" that got you in trouble w/ your boss in first place & won over the hearts of your co-workers? Hey, but if you still want to blame it on me feel free. We enjoyed a long laugh at your expense that *you* set yourself up for.
I went back & skimmed your previous post. Sheese. Loosen the bone, Wilma.

Back to something that isn't about or especially to you, with your permission:

As far as the opinion of the person I responded to (regading her desire to see a film with more emphasis on underside of racing), I as well would like to see something (obviously in another movie altogether) more of a non-fictional type docu-drama on racing that shows more of what it really is in an Of Mice and Men sorta feel. This Dreamer apparently doesn't fit that genre, nor should it. I do however very much understand her being upset with racing. If this thread were simply sticking to a general movie review I'd have responded differently.
I personally love a good softie movie and balled my eyes out in both versions of The Champ, a flick that might be along the same lines as Dreamer, which I look forward to seeing, based on most reviews here and a couple given by some old timers around track.

Now LET IT RIDE was a really good movie looped around horse racing......verrrry factual!

Alagirl

Oct. 24, 2005, 06:30 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Now LET IT RIDE was a really good movie looped around horse racing......verrrry factual! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif I knew there was something you and I could agree about! http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/yes.gif

Kinda Like Caddyshack http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif

SeaOat

Oct. 24, 2005, 06:43 PM

Alagirl: Funny stuff, wasn't it?? Everytime I see a loud shirt or find myself passed out on the couch w/ a glass in hand due to years of desperately trying to drag my SO away from an OTB screen (just kidding, he wagers off the 'puter http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_razz.gif) I think of that one. Yeah, I liked it too! http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

saratoga

Oct. 24, 2005, 06:49 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Xctrygirl:

Saratoga,
I intend to be one of those people you spoke of. I do care about the horses, the backside workers, and the sport of racing. It needs reforms for sure and it needs more people who believe in the good, more than the negative to help navigate its path through this century. I strive to work with and surround myself with people who think like this. Maybe then your glasses may glean a bit of their rosiness back. Hoping won't do it, nor will negative gossipmongers. Only positive people with vision can help racing return to what it once was, and has the potential to be again; a popular sport that attempts in good measure to support the welfare of the people and the animals as well as the bettors.

~Emily </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The rosiness disappeared from my glasses with every shattered leg I've seen, every horse that was well known by everyone to be unsound who was kept racing anyway, every old horse who got unloaded on someone else from a cheap claim instead of being retired, etc. It can't come back, it wouldn't be possible.

This is just how the industry is. Please, no offense to you. I know that you love the horses and everyone else on this board does too. I think it is wonderful that caring people who have the means to do the right thing by the horses, stay in the sport. I would like to see the day when you guys make up the majority of everyone on the backside.

I don't know the original poster but I think she is justifiably upset by what she has seen. Come on, we have all seen busted up racehorses and wonder why anyone could have let them get that way. I don't think anyone is saying that there are not good people on the track, so I don't understand the defensiveness.

Also, I don't think racing has necessarily gotten worse as far as the welfare of the horse goes. I am sure drug use, particulary legal drugs, has increased and that can't be good for many obvious reasons. But I am sure that horses broke down just as often, heck they were raced probably at least 10 times as often as today and even earlier as 2 year olds. And lets be honest, there is and has always been a tremendous amount of down on their luck, troubled people on the track, from the hotwalkers to the grooms to the jockeys. Thats one of the reasons working at the track is so much fun http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif And probably the bettors are much more protected than in the old days!

Kestrel

Oct. 24, 2005, 08:03 PM

There is going to be a benefit showing of Dreamer here in the Seattle area to benefit a jockey who was injured in a race last Memorial Day.

SeaOat

Oct. 25, 2005, 10:42 AM

Saratoga:
My grandfather, an uncle, aunt and several from my grandmother's side were trainers/owners so we grew up around horses originally in the NC area. When my mother re-married and we moved away (her husband's job took us global, as well my "Auntie Mame" dragging me country hopping early on) I started going to tracks in other countries....seeing things, as sheltered as I was, that I knew couldn't be going on w/ "our" horses. In my teens I started galloping in the SW and worked for QH/TB trainers but still held onto the notion that things were better back east.
I'm in my later 40's now & have seen enough to have finally formed more realistic notions, though many around (some pretty wise characters) serve as reminders of otherwise.
My SO of sometime has also sprout from a racing family, with a brother training, his deceased father who trained (kept a competetive stable that included the great Star De Naskra) and a grandfather who was knee-deep in it as well. He took the veterinary route, after teething on racing forms, which gives insight that can be altogether very jading.
I don't consider myself too hardened nor too removed from the business aspect. Though it is very hard for me personally to train and make fiscally wise choices when face-to-face with that responsibility, knowing where the majority of these horses will end up. I find excuses to keep most all too long...fatal if you want to make money running horses. It's all very disheartening when you look too hard but in all honesty *I* don't know any other place to call home. Can't just shake out the rugs to clean house, like any home that relies 100% on money, but it's where I'm most comfortable.
PR is very important stuff to generate owners and patrons but equally important are humane solutions for handling the waste product, & it can't be addressed until honestly exposed, on as minimal a level as possible. Many people on the backside do love and care for their horses but even the majority of those will only grow an honest conscience on someone else's dime while doing what they have to do to earn a living with their own horses. Trainers know this the most.....spectators, owners, riders, assistants, grooms, hotwalkers, breeders and such don't carry that burden like the trainer does. Veterinarians are most likely to understand their position and even they can't agree w/in their organizations on what to do.
Sooooooo anywaaaay: It's a mess......best enjoy the occasional good story that pops out of it all, so to whoever started this thread I'd say enjoy the movie.

Edited to add: For those who focus on a breakdown as the ugly side of racing, I would offer the conclusion that it is actually the second best thing that can happen to a racehorse, following a *successful* placement/adoption upon retirement. What happens to a much larger % (including those bred for racing that go from a yearling sale directly to a kill buyer) is what bothers some of us. Include QHs & harness horses and the amount is staggering. As sickening as a breakdown can be, euthanizing one humanely doesn't bother me so much anymore (as long as I don't have to ride in the ambulance or spend more than the few minutes w/ one that it takes to put it down, lest I blubber up everytime).

ESG

Oct. 25, 2005, 02:50 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by katarine:
Ummmm....how much $$$ made off of Pretty Woman went to literacy education, counseling, and housing for prostitutes?

??????? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif

Jeez, people, it's a movie! For entertainment. There's precious little to feel good about these days, so let's take it where we can find it and not be so damned pi$$y. There are far more important things to get upset about than whether the popular perception of the Thoroughbred racing industry is or isn't being accurately portrayed in something obviously partly fictionalized. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif

MistyBlue

Oct. 25, 2005, 03:00 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> For all you realists out there, complaining about not seeing the horses "poop" - what was the last movie you saw where people pooped? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ummm, Sopranos had a capo die on the toilet while pooping.
Can't remember the name of the movie...but a Selma Hayek/kid from Friends movie had Selma Hayek on the toilet taking to him in a scene.
Meet the Parents had the guy pooping in a toilet, then flushing it and causing the septic to overflow....which then made an entire poop pool out of a backyard.

However...in Mel Brooks' movei Silent Movie...the carousel horse *does* indeed raise it's tail and poop in clear sight. http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif

archieflies

Oct. 25, 2005, 03:02 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by ESG:
Jeez, people, it's a movie! For entertainment. There's precious little to feel good about these days, so let's take it where we can find it and not be so damned pi$$y. There are far more important things to get upset about than whether the popular perception of the Thoroughbred racing industry is or isn't being accurately portrayed in something obviously partly fictionalized. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm with you, ESG... And, I'm trying to think of the last time I went to ANY movie that accurately portrayed anything, and I'm coming up blank. But I'm not about to stop going! Seriously, its not like they harmed anything in the making of the movie!

I'm sick of listening to people's anti-this, anti-that vendettas...

Mariequi

Oct. 25, 2005, 03:19 PM

I went prepared for sappy (which is rare for me) and enjoyed it for exactly what it was meant to be. I enjoyed the family and the good/bad relationships and the pure joy I get out of looking at Dakota's face. I've loved Kurt since The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, Elizabeth since Adventures in Babysitting and went many times during the summer to see Kris (and Rita) sing. Crazy about Luiz Guzman and David Morse, too - they cast great faces in this movie. Kurt/Kris as son/father - I could buy that. My family back in SC could enjoy the locales in 'my' Lexington. I'd love to see it again if someone would lend me some kids to go with. I went to The Lion King on Broadway alone and had grandpop on one side (not mine) and teeny kid on the other (also not mine) and we all giggled and clapped. Our theatre clapped for this movie. It was kinda nice.

Sandy M

Oct. 25, 2005, 03:25 PM

And let's not forget "the lawyer" in Jurassic Park... although I guess he was just hiding not actually "pooping."

Actually, that's often a question I've raised about many movies - "Don't these people ever have to use the john?" They never seem to, unless it's a criminal planning a break or to murder someone in the john, or someone hiding in the loo.....

In fact, the most "normal" bathroom break I've seen in a moving was in, of all things, Ian McKellan's "Richard III" where he concluded the "Now is the winter of our discontent..." speech while, um... using the men's room.

Mariequi

Oct. 25, 2005, 03:39 PM

And how come the people on soap operas (what! who watches those!) rarely have jobs!

ESG

Oct. 25, 2005, 04:43 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MistyBlue:
However...in Mel Brooks' movei Silent Movie...the carousel horse *does* indeed raise it's tail and poop in clear sight. http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Oh, I remember that! The horse pooped alphabet blocks, as I recall. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

Raven's Wing

Oct. 25, 2005, 04:57 PM

Ok -- I will be honest up front. I haven't read this thread cover to cover. But my general feeling is that anything that draws general public interest to horses in a positive manner is good for horses. Because if people are interested in horses they are more likely to start looking into them more and more. And if they are looking they are watching. And if they are watching they start to notice. And then it is harder for the bad guys and gals to get away with naughtiness.

So bring on the publicity. Get people interested in horses. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif And let folks bring their eyes and money with them.

I want people to come see and enjoy horses as much as I do. And if a movie like Dreamer opens their eyes to the wonders of horses then great.

And I go to the movies to escape myself. And I read ever book in the Black Stallion series three times minimum as a kid. Didn't mean I really thought (though i sorta hoped) that I was going to find a Black Stallion, tame him, end up with a big farm and live happily ever after.

royal1

Oct. 25, 2005, 05:12 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by imissvixen:
I don't object to its inaccuracy. I object to its exploitation of the horses for profit -- none of which will benefit the horses.

But every time I think about the racing industry I think about the TB mare I rescued this summer who is standing in a pasture in Southern Pines, barely 5 years old with a pin fired hock, bowed tendon, ankle chips, a hunters bump, and a sad look still in her eye. And I recall the first day we put tack on her and she ws so anxious that saliva poured out of her mouth in buckets. And I wonder about the person who named her after himself and then sold her to a backside buyer who was sending her to the slaughterhouse when I got her.

QUOTE]

ok I don't want to start an argument with you but I am a race horse person as are many people that post on this BB, I do not starve, run injured horses,abuse them or any other thing that you have mentioned, yes I understand that there are many bad people in the racing industry, but you can argue that about any breed or field. What about the quarterhorse hunters that use extremely heavy reins to get the "peanut rolling" Training? Or the reiners that tie the heads of their horses to their sides for hours and hours in a round pen while their mouths drip blood!! OR what about the saddlebred people that break the tails of their horses and put heavy weights on them to make them lift their feet!!(or quarter horses who nerve their horses tails to keep them down) Need I go on??Don't target one industry there are bad people in every single one! I know that there are bad people and i have personally rescued several thoroughbreds, one that I bought out of the meat pen for $400 has won well over $16,000 in less then two years of racing after that! He has a good owner and a new start doing what he loves. Thoroughbreds love to run and they are fighters, I am glad that you rescued one thoroughbred mare, and I thank God for people who do every day, but you cannot blame the whole racing industry for the actions of some of its participants.
Stacy Sliwinski
Fat chance farms

Alagirl

Oct. 25, 2005, 06:01 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by SeaOat:
Alagirl: Funny stuff, wasn't it?? Everytime I see a loud shirt or find myself passed out on the couch w/ a glass in hand due to years of desperately trying to drag my SO away from an OTB screen (just kidding, he wagers off the 'puter http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_razz.gif) I think of that one. Yeah, I liked it too! http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Or you go to an Atlanta Braves game in the *Chop Shop* the upper level resstaurant in the outfield: *Two spots by the rail please!* http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif

Whatever you do, don't bet on this horse... http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

philosoraptor

Oct. 25, 2005, 06:27 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MistyBlue:
2) Horses tend to either nicker or do screaming neighs everytime they enter the movie screen. So horses holler an awful lot.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Don't turn on the Saddle Club show! Darn those horses never shut up.

True though. Hollywood really doesn't care about any reality. Kind of a shame because some people do generalize based on what they see from TV/movies... maybe this is why people don't seem to have much common sense. The stuff that got them in trouble in the real world looked like a perfectly safe & good idea on TV.

Nuguum

Oct. 25, 2005, 07:20 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">believe some movies are made for entertainment purposes, not to educate the masses. People want to go to a movie and forget their problems at home and at work. There are plenty of documentaries and movies that show the darker side of racing but this movie is supposed to be inspiring, not depressing. There is "wine and roses" in racing...it's not all broken-down horses and jockeys let's not forget. As with any sport, there are good times as well as bad.

What is it going to do if you boycott the movie? What is it going to prove to anyone? The movie has been made and it's going to make it's money and the actors are going to be paid so what's the point of it all? Why not just sit back and enjoy a movie about a horse who got a second chance? Why waste your energy on something you can't change? Use that energy to save a horse or donate to a jockey's fund if you're that concerned.

Just my 2 cents. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I completely agree with toomanymares.

Although if you are feeling real bad and think money needs to be donated to rescue efforts, feel free to send money to Whidbey Island Rescue for Equines. <grin>

Aggie4Bar

Oct. 26, 2005, 06:06 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MayS:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MistyBlue:
2) Horses tend to either nicker or do screaming neighs everytime they enter the movie screen. So horses holler an awful lot.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Don't turn on the Saddle Club show! Darn those horses never shut up. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Hmm... methinks perhaps the Cosmo Kramer gelding has been secretly sneaking out to watch TV. Not only does he never shut up, but his vocalizations are almost exclusively screaming neighs.... too often right in my ear. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif Just goes to show that even the most benign shows can be a bad influence. http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif

teal tea

Nov. 3, 2005, 10:19 PM

I watched it for the third time this past Tuesday. It's a great movie. Yes there were "inaccuracies" but sometimes you have to get past those, unless you're determined not to have a good time.

In my first post, I just said I watched it. But even back then, I felt that it showed the inequities that humans display towards their fellow humans. They bring up the fact that most of the time it's how much money you have that determines how you're treated. Look at how the man who keeps Cale from going into the owners sitting box tells her- not in a very nice way. Then there's the way David Morse's character keeps referring to the hispanic men as "the Mexicans". Kurt Russell's character is right, they are men and they have names.

So is this movie worth watching? I say yes. It's not going to win an Oscar, though Dakota Fanning and Kurt Russell should be nominated for best female and male performance. The second time I watched it, I took my nephew. In that screening, the other people watching cheered when Sonador crossed the line at the Breeder's Cup. The last time I saw this at a horsey movie, was during Seabiscuit. So I loved it b/c of the horse theme. But I also loved it b/c it showed that sometimes it doesn't matter how much money you have to win. This is in addition to spotlighting the way people judge others by the amount of money they have.

Dreamer took me back to my childhood, a place where life always had a happy ending. Is is realistic? No. But I think many adults forget the way they used to see life (in not such a jaded manner). I also have to say, that the actor who played Prince Sadir is so handsome. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif The movie soundtrack is also a great buy. It includes a solo by Joshua Bell.

LessIsMore17

Nov. 4, 2005, 09:45 AM

To those who have seen the movie:

Do you think Sonador got even one bite out of those popcicles? I kept picturing her taking a bite and the whole thing falling to the ground... http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_razz.gif

Mariequi

Nov. 4, 2005, 10:27 AM

Sure were clean sticks, weren't they? http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

Timex

Nov. 4, 2005, 12:54 PM

it's nice to see that some people have so much spare time on thier hands that they can write diatribes on why they're not going to do x,y or z because it's 'exploiting horses' or whales or whatever. or googling an actor's name. if you have all this spare time, go out and DO something about the abuse that you are so sure is taking place. and you won't have to go very far, LOOK around you! there are disreputable trainers owners and barns ALL OVER THE PLACE! hunter barns, dressage barns, western barns, racing barns, you name it. so get off you hind end and GET INVOLVED. at the very least, WRITE A CHECK. do what you claim these actors are not (and how the heck would you know, anyway? google isn't going to show you all the donations i've made to various charities, why would you assume that it would show what groups anyone else has donated to?) and give of yourself, be it you time or money. but to boycott a cheesy little movie?? what do you really think that's going to accomplish? your $10 is NOT going to counter all the $$ spent by the parents of horse'crazy little girls who want to see the horse movie. Do what someone else suggested, set up a table and distribute good, factual information that show the reailities of horses (and i don't mean the shady side, i mean the realities of horses and the joys of riding and owning, as we NEED these kids to get interested and involved NOW).

but above all, RELAX. it's a MOVIE. geez. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif

Sebastian

Nov. 4, 2005, 03:09 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Drakaina16:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I'll never forget when I saw "Spirit" lapping water. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'll never forget Spirit having eyebrows! That bugged me through the whole movie and ruined the whole darn thing for me! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Oh man, I almost forgot about Spirit lapping water...that was a "D'oh" moment, eh?

And, if it's any consilation, the eyebrows were not originally part of Spirit, in fact, Jeffery K. was quite adamant that Spirit look like a real horse. But, alas they were added because the animators were having a VERY difficult time creating any kind of expression/emotion on the "pure" horse face... So, the concession was eyebrows.

As for boycotting "Dreamer" because it's not realistic...??? If a movie is required to be "realistic" -- NONE could be viewed. Ever sat through a hospital drama with a Doctor? Or a cop show with a Police Officer??? It ain't pretty...

Seb http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

hitchinmygetalong

Nov. 4, 2005, 03:52 PM

Haven't seen it yet, but want to point out one HUGE inaccuracy in Seabiscuit (a great movie, btw).

Remember the scene where the "six month old" weanling that would be Seabiscuit was being taken from mamma and loaded on a trailer?

HA! If that "weanling" was six months old I'm dumber than I look.

Scootie

Nov. 6, 2005, 08:00 AM

Yeah, I wondered about the popsicles too.

I have this picture of Sonador getting it behind her teeth and giving this powerful SLU-U-U-U-U-RRRRRRRR-P! Leaving behind that perfect, unchewed stick.

That scene really bothered me, as I tried and tried to figure it out. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif

Equinetech

Nov. 6, 2005, 11:36 AM

SeaOat

Go troll somewhere else.

Your negative comments are not appreciated here. Learn some manners and at least TRY to be civil.

MistyBlue

Nov. 6, 2005, 01:27 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Originally posted by MistyBlue:
However...in Mel Brooks' movei Silent Movie...the carousel horse *does* indeed raise it's tail and poop in clear sight.

Oh, I remember that! The horse pooped alphabet blocks, as I recall. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

LOL ESG...that's right! I remember the horse pooping something square and thinking, "Well, that can't feel good!" http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif

Midge

Nov. 6, 2005, 06:57 PM

Then there was Mel Gibson's wife in Braveheart who squatted and audibly peed next to the lake.

All I could think of was, 'Man, they probably drink that water.'

imissvixen

Nov. 9, 2005, 04:37 AM

I am surprised to see that this post got as much attention as it did. Usually my posts die a quick death.

Of course none of us have changed our opinions because of this. But I do want to clarify that in this circumstance I object to Dakota Fanning and Kurt Russell et al making so much money when so many horses are at risk. THat's why I am boycotting the movie. There aren't that many ways I can live up to my principles and as you all know I did rescue an OTTB from Finger Lakes so I don't have any money anyhow -- now she turns out to have suspensory issues.

(You know, at the end of the Lord of the Rings series Viggo Mortensen bought the horse he rode and provided for it. THat's a start anyhow,)

I also don't plan to shop at Walmart anymore. It may not change anything but I want to live more closely to my principles. That's all. And if I can figure out how to do things to help make things better for people and animals that are exploited and oppressed that is more than just me boycotting something, I hope GOd gives me the strength to do it.

Wendy123

Nov. 9, 2005, 07:01 AM

We went with a bunch of people from the barn and had a great time. The adults liked it as much as the kids did.

The little girl is an incredible actress and I have seen her in a couple of movies. She does great in all of them!

I think people need to get a grip and not turn everything into a freakin crusade.

YoTambien

Nov. 9, 2005, 09:22 AM

Just FYI - The Exceller Fund sent a letter to Dreamworks to ask if they would consider forming some sort of association to spread the word about the plight of ex-racehorses in need and The Exceller Fund would likewise help promote the movie to the extent desired by Dreamworks through our public relations materials and gift shop.

They were not interested, and said we were the "wrong" kind of charity for them to donate any money. I have lost all interest in seeing this movie.

**sigh** We are working on our year-end holiday fundraisers. Between the huge increase for transportation costs, one very high vet bill from a clinic that has me in serious doubt about the ethics of certain vets, and the drop in donations following Hurricane Katrina, things are not looking rosy for the immediate future. TRF has recently announced they cannot take any more horses unless the horse is accompanied by a $2,500 donation. This means very bad news for any Thoroughbred racehorse or that is not highly prized for breeding, or who is lucky enough to find a private buyer.

Alagirl

Nov. 9, 2005, 09:56 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">They were not interested, and said we were the "wrong" kind of charity for them to donate any money. I have lost all interest in seeing this movie. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sorry to hear that, but you need to consider that they probably get hundrets if not thousands of letters begging for their attention/money. They may or may not have read your proposal, but even their pockets are not infinetly lined with greenbacks to give everybody what they are asking for...

Glimmerglass

Nov. 9, 2005, 11:08 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted:
[QUOTE]They were not interested, and said we were the "wrong" kind of charity for them to donate any money. I have lost all interest in seeing this movie. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not to cast doubt on your summary, but I'd interested in seeing the actual letter from Dreamworks. Being so directly dismissive is not in keeping with studio PR folks who are generally more vague in their replies.

I still have to wonder why someone holds a studio or actors accountable to having to donate money to a cause related to the subject of a film.

As cited by another - I don't recall Pretty Woman results in scholarships for call-girls to better their lives. (If anything the successful flix romanticized the otherwise ugly business and profession.) How about Million Dollar Baby or Cinderella Man, did Clint Eastwood or Ron Howard, respectively, have to give money to retired boxers who are indigent?

Anyhow the movie at this point looks to one which will top out at maybe $35 million in domestic first-run theatre revenue. Profitable? Nope. The production cost while tidy at $30 million is joined with an added $8 million costs for promotion expenses, media buys, et al.

It will make money in the end with the overseas take and DVD sales but not like [I]Seabiscuit did.

YoTambien

Nov. 9, 2005, 11:23 AM

I can FAX the letter to you, or scan it and send a copy to you by e-mail. The letter is a typical "sorry and good luck" type of rejection. The more blunt words were in telephone conversations.

I had two telephone conversations with them. In the first phone call, I was told we weren't the right kind of charity for the studio donations. The studio prefers charitable organizations that deal with ill or handicapped children.

The studio indicated that People Magazine might be interested in doing a story on the horse that inspired the movie (Mariah's Storm), and the second phone call informed me that People will not be doing a story and had no interest in doing a story on Thoroughbred Rescue groups. The exact words from the studio representative was "we're done here."

ThirdCharm

Nov. 9, 2005, 11:35 AM

Hey, how about a list of all the shows we should boycott..... I'll start....

The Courage of Lassie... one of my faves!.... but a dog with post-traumatic stress disorder thanks to serving in the armed forces, miraculously recovering thanks to the love of a little girl.... not good....

Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken (explanation not required I think!) (excellent movie alas)

Forrest Gump exploits a 'challenged' character.... how unrealistic that he ends up a millionaire, too! Bad bad.

Pretty Woman has already been mentioned....

The Accused! Good god.

Law & Order SVU.... exploiting rape victims and abused children for our entertainment.... at least its kind of gritty, but still....

Wanderluster

Nov. 10, 2005, 02:31 PM

Sorry but this thread backfired.......I took my two working students yesterday since it was cold and wet here. We all loved it and it was probably rhe most enjoyable afternoon break I've had in a while.I was prompted to go see it just because of the ridiculous "boycott". http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

Lupine Aura

Nov. 10, 2005, 03:12 PM

The funny part about this "boycott" is that some people seem to be angry that Dakoda Fanning is not donating any of her supposed millions to charities for ex-racehorses. The girl is 11 years old! She probably isn't even old enough to make real decisions about this money. Who knows, maybe this movie has made her a horse-crazy girl and she will be involved in the sport down the line.

Additionally, I do think it is a shame that Dreamworks etc was not interested in becoming involved with donating to help racehorses, but a large company like that probably has x amount of dollars or x percent of income fixed that they donate. Is it really our place to judge if they choose to donate to children's groups and not horses?

TB or not TB?

Nov. 10, 2005, 03:42 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by imissvixen:
(You know, at the end of the Lord of the Rings series Viggo Mortensen bought the horse he rode and provided for it. THat's a start anyhow,) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Viggo is awesome - He spent hours and hours of extra time bonding and riding the horse, and worked with the trainers to do the scene where the horse finds him and lies down to rescue him. I've heard he's actually an avid horseman and this is typical behavior for him. He purchased the horse he rode in Hidalgo, too.

Oh, and something I think shows class beyond belief: does anyone remember the beautiful grey that Arwen/Liv Tyler rode in the first movie when she rescued Frodo? The studio bought that horse for the film and hired a trainer to work with it (I think it was like barely greenbroke?) and she did an awesome job and bonded with it and stuff. When the trilogy was finished, the horse was for sale for $30,000, which she couldn't afford.... so Viggo bought it for her because 'they belonged together.' http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/sadsmile.gif

Zaboobafoo

Nov. 10, 2005, 03:54 PM

TB, I had seen that. And if you watch all the special features on the ROTK extended edition DVD, the training crew very carefully managed the selling of all the horses they had bought for the movie. They had several that lasted through all the movies and pick-ups, and they offered them to the crew at the end.

It was neat that they were so thoughtful to where the animals ended up. They have the stories of where 4 of the horses ended up on the DVD, and yes, the story about Liv's horse, Florin, (who was ridden in a lot of the scene by the trainer, Jane) made me cry, LOL.
editted cause this inspired me to go watch that part of the DVD again....god I love those movies!

YoTambien

Nov. 10, 2005, 05:25 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Lupine Aura:
The funny part about this "boycott" is that some people seem to be angry that Dakoda Fanning is not donating any of her supposed millions to charities for ex-racehorses. The girl is 11 years old! She probably isn't even old enough to make real decisions about this money. Who knows, maybe this movie has made her a horse-crazy girl and she will be involved in the sport down the line.

Additionally, I do think it is a shame that Dreamworks etc was not interested in becoming involved with donating to help racehorses, but a large company like that probably has x amount of dollars or x percent of income fixed that they donate. Is it really our place to judge if they choose to donate to children's groups and not horses? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm not angry with Dakota Fanning. I'm not angry with the studio per se. I was just disappointed with being summarily dismissed even though the "selling point" of the film is the horse, how she was so close to being killed and came back and triumphed.

It knocked the wind out of my sails as far as any desire to go see the movie.

I'm not sure if that's the same as a boycott. I have no desire to eat brussel sprouts, but I don't consider that I boycott them.

mst

Nov. 10, 2005, 06:43 PM

If they didn't get paid that money to do this movie, it would have been another. At least the horses in the movie had a second career.

Raven's Wing

Nov. 11, 2005, 07:49 AM

Oh I don't if it has been noted yet but as a result of making this movie Kurt Russel bought Dakota Fanning a horse named Goldie (irony) and she now dresses the gelding up in lots and lots of pink according to the interview I heard Mr. Russell give. Maybe a little horse loving activist in the making. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Glimmerglass

Nov. 11, 2005, 08:25 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by YoTambien:
I was just disappointed with being summarily dismissed even though the "selling point" of the film is the horse, how she was so close to being killed and came back and triumphed.

It knocked the wind out of my sails as far as any desire to go see the movie. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I still don't understand as to why the positive subject of the story can't be celebrated without need to annex (or disappointment in failing to obtain) an additional message regarding post-racing career horses?

Jockey George Wold (aka The Iceman) (http://www.secondrunning.com/GeorgeWoolf.htm) died in real life while racing and he was one of the many colorful characters in Seabiscuit - does the fact that no money from that film was donated to any jockey welfare organizations take the luster off what was a good movie?

As for Dreamworks they have their own woes:

DreamWorks post 3rd Quarter loss (11-10-05) (http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=industryNews&storyID=2005-11-11T013544Z_01_FLE082285_RTRIDST_0_INDUSTRY-MEDIA-DREAMWORKS-EARNS-DC.XML)

Jumping Gypsy

Nov. 11, 2005, 03:18 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Yo Tambien:
Just FYI - The Exceller Fund sent a letter to Dreamworks to ask if they would consider forming some sort of association to spread the word about the plight of ex-racehorses in need and The Exceller Fund would likewise help promote the movie to the extent desired by Dreamworks through our public relations materials and gift shop.

They were not interested, and said we were the "wrong" kind of charity for them to donate any money. I have lost all interest in seeing this movie. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

and: <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The letter is a typical "sorry and good luck" type of rejection. The more blunt words were in telephone conversations.

I had two telephone conversations with them. In the first phone call, I was told we weren't the right kind of charity for the studio donations. The studio prefers charitable organizations that deal with ill or handicapped children.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Interesting that the PR people at DreamWorks don't rememeber your encounter that way http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/uhoh.gif

JG