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Greg Powell one of the
most reputable horse trainers in Australia displays his passion for feral
horses and the process of breaking them in. Starting at the beginning of the
video, Greg narrates explaining the nature of these wild animals in the
Tinderry ranges. Roaming free, the last remaining horses are slowly tamed for
use. Powell displays his respect for the animals by slowly wearing them in
and getting them accustomed to the presence of man. So is the feature any
good? In my opinion, some may find it interesting whilst others may generally
dislike it. The handling of the horses is done gently and carefully but it is
so slow and dull in execution that if one were not a horse aficionado, would
not appreciate.
Coming from a farming
background including horse riding, which was forced onto me at a young age
seeing this feature was seen to be more a threat than its intended appeal as
an entertaining experience. Seeing the film from a horseman’s point of view I
would understand that it would be an interesting and insightful study into
horse behaviour and interaction between man and animal. After a slow start
that involved the creation of some yards for breaking in the wild horses. Greg
rounds up the horse “Snowy” a spirited and strong horse which Greg pointed out
as having the most potential out of a mob of five. With care and
non-threatening demeanour he slowly brings the horse to yield and bring about
it’s eventual succumbing to the reins of the horse Handler (Powell). The aim
of “breaking in horses” is to show the horse that the trainer is the leader
regarded with equal respect and reverence.
The part where Greg trains
Snowy is interesting and illustrates the art of horse handling to people keen
on this discipline. Snowy being a highly spirited animal that she is took a
few days to tame. After all when she was in her herd she took the lead in the
pecking order even over the stallions of the mob. Powell tells the story blow
by blow and tells exactly what is going on in the horses mind. His task is to
unlock the secrets of the horse’s mind and surface the potential, hidden by
the feisty exterior.
The extras are a little
hit and miss. The show at the Equitana where Greg is showing the animals
trust in him by attempting potentially dangerous manoeuvres such as crawling
between the horses legs and running around with a tarpaulin brandishing it to
the horse including the audience watching. The amusing part is where Greg is
trying to control a Kelpie called “Bruce”, which mischievously does not do
what it is told. Greg explains to the audience that “Bruce” is a working dog
but watching him perform I’d doubt he’d be much use on a farm. With a sea of
admiring onlookers laughing at Bruce it is understandable his given
behaviour.
The other Extra “Preparing
to start (to break in a 2 yr old)” is an interesting addition especially for
those who identify with this field of work.
Overall if you are
interested in Horse husbandry definitely see this, you will be amazed at the
precision of control that Greg displays. Anyone else who is horse crazy as
some people are, would undoubtedly love this feature. People who are not
appreciative of these animals would not enjoy it, personally I thought it was
not as appealing as a dog training video or anything smaller with personality.
The slow direction and sleepy production values may turn some people off.
Lucky the main feature is short about 46 minutes so if viewing the film with a
horse enthusiast the pain is short lived.
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The Horse
Handler Features |
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