The 80s wasn’t just about big hair and leg warmers.
The decade that gave us the mix tape and Pac-Man also had some pretty good horse movies. A serious argument can be made that one of them, The Man From Snowy River, ranks as an iconic horse film.
Quarter Horse News (QHN) compiled a list of 5 of our favorite 80s horse movies for your enjoyment. The weekends get long, and QHN is here to help.
5 Horse Movies From The 80s
The Man From Snowy River (1982)
WHERE TO WATCH: Amazon & other streaming platforms
WHY WATCH: Based on Banjo Paterson’s poem, the saga of Jim Craig’s (Tom Burlinson) journey to manhood, struggle against Harrison (one of two roles played by Kirk Douglas) and attempt to capture a feral Thoroughbred stallion has to be one of the best-known horse movies of all time. It’s sequel, Return To Snowy River (1988), isn’t as good as the original but was still pretty good.
WEBSITE: Movie page on Amazon
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Lonesome Dove (1989)
WHERE TO WATCH: Amazon, Youtube, iTunes & other streaming platforms
WHY WATCH: Another epic Western film, this one starring Robert Duval and Tommy Lee Jones. The four-part television miniseries, based off Larry McMurty’s novel, follows a group of Texans taking a herd of cattle up to Montana. Also stars Danny Glover, Angelica Houston, Chris Cooper, Diane Lane, Steve Buscemi and Barry Corbin.
WEBSITE: https://itunes.apple.com/us/tv-season/lonesome-dove/id614607569
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The Black Stallion Returns (1983)
WHERE TO WATCH: Amazon, Youtube & other streaming platforms
WHY WATCH: Sequel to The Black Stallion, the 1979 hit based on Walter Farley’s novel, The Black Stallion Returns holds its own as a sequel. In it, The Black gets stolen to Africa by his previous owners and Alec Ramsey, the American who rescued the horse in the first movie, sets out to get him back.
WEBSITE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1j-XDseYEE
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Murphy’s Romance (1985)
WHERE TO WATCH: Amazon, Netflix & other streaming platforms
WHY WATCH: A spunky Sally Field and charismatic James Garner star in this romantic comedy about a divorcee who moves to Arizona to train and board horses. The spo
WEBSITE: https://www.amazon.com/Murphys-Romance-Sally-Field/dp/B001NJZLVU
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Phar Lap – Hero To A Nation (1983)
WHERE TO WATCH: Youtube
WHY WATCH: Like The Man From Snowy River, Phar Lap is an Australian film starring Tom Burlinson (who plays Jim Craig). Phar Lap was one of the greatest racehorses from Down Under, if not the world. It’s somewhat difficult to find the film online, but it looks like most if not all of it was posted onto Youtube.
WEBSITE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-dEajZi40I
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