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I just read your article about Bucephalus. I have been thinking about Bucephalus since I saw the "Alexander" movie. I wondered what kind of horse they would use in the movie. It looked like it had spanish blood, maybe andalusian. Due to their conformation and ability to collect well they would make good war horses. I thought the article was very good, how true it is a horse knows immediately if you can ride or not, and if not will take advandage of the situation. I am a new member looking forward to learning here.

Greetings,Welcome to Pothos!Briefly, the horse used in the movie was a Friesian. This breed developed in Friesland as a knight's horse but the breed was "lightened" for trotting races later on. They are still used as cart and carriage horses in Europe for the most part, though the lighter ones are also used in dressage. They are not as fast as some breeds (in the movie and trailers, if you watch closely, you will see many of the other riders reining their horses in so Alexander's horse can be at the front)but they are elegant and have a high-stepping vertical action, which can be easily felt when riding them. A Friesian was also used in the movie "Ladyhawke". The Dutch registry does not allow (or at least has not) crossbreedings, and the Friesian has remained a "clean" line until recently. Sadly, the German registry began allowing outcrossings in America and there is beginning to be an over-abundance of high-priced crossbreeds there. I predict the American market will flood and in a few years, you will be able to buy them for less at the horse auctions. This is what happened to the Arab breed- and some fantastic bloodlines ended up going for meat in Europe. Stepping off my soapbox now... In reality, this would not have been the horse of choice for the type of battles Alexander fought
(also, they were not in existence in this form at the time)Regards,
Sikander

Hi Sikander ---Shouldn't we add your excellent reply as a last bonus paragraph to the article?Regards ---Nick

Greetings,Halil suggested the same thing, so yes, if Andrew is okay with that, it's fine. I don't need "credit", maybe it can be just added as an addendum entitled "Colin Farrel's Horse" so it does not detract from the historical Boukephalos? Regards,
Sikander

Greetings Kyra, this is some info I found on the web. Take it for what its worth.
Colin Farrell trained outside of LA Ca., Spain and then Morocco.
In Morocco Spanish horses Andalusia's were used said Jared Leto, (Oliver Stone & Jared Leto on Alexander, Source: Andrew Weil, November 25, 2004) Colin's was a three-generation horse. This is the remainder of Leto's interview: "Then we went to Thailand and we used the Thai Army horses or something and they were very young and skittish, and some of them were running right into trees at full speed. "You wouldn't think a horse would do that but run right into a tree. They would be maybe injured for a little bit. But people would, every single take, every take, someone would come off a horse. So we'd do a take; we're galloping through, you have to gallop full speed, and it was so precarious and you wouldn't know what your horse is going to do, and you're holding on for dear life. And you're going through the trees and not only are the elephants up there and they are scaring the horses and the elephants are scared of the horses, but people were falling off, breaking legs, arms, shattering ribcages and everybody went down. It would be after every take on loudspeaker, "OK, everybody." And you'd see a horse, running off without its rider."

Ricardo Cruz Moral and his *Spanish team* first trained the actors on saddles before moving them to bareback. Also trained by Cruz Moral was 13-year-old Connor Paolo,(Ricardo's son?) who was cast by Stone to play young Alexander.Having grown up in New York City, Paolo had no prior experience on horseback. Cruz Moral trained him every day for two months, and by the time the cameras were ready to roll, he rode like a true Macedonian prince.The Royal Moroccan Army, which had contributed several hundred personnel (many of them cavalry) with the full cooperation of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
Regards, Andrew

Greetings Sikander,

Here's some interesting information on the Andalusia horse.




Regards, Andrew
PS. Notice the horse hair behind the hooves on Colin's horse.(front) Do you know if some Andalusia's have this distinguishing quality?

Sikander,
Do you know from what stable is this horse from? The owner's name? Thanks, best regards-also I need to re-group on the web address, sorry.
Andrew

Greetings Sikander,I agree! And you should take the credit.Best regards, Andrew

Greetings Andrew,Yes, if you pay close attention to the horse trailers and the movie, you will see the horses "change" from Andalusians and related types to other types in different scenes! In fact, there is one scene in one of the trailers where I am certain I saw not only Farrell on a Friesian but at least three others in the crowd. There were definitely Andalusians in the movie cavalry in some scenes.. Farrell rides a Friesian in all his scenes, I believe.I know the feathering (the hair behind the fetlock)is always found in the Friesian (as in most but not all draft types, also) but apparently it sometimes shows up lightly in the Andalusians, Lusitanos and related types also.. as well as the Skyros pony! Because the British Dale and Fell ponies are related to the Friesian, you find this same feathering in them,also.Regards,
Sikander

Apologies that this is off topic - but the scariest thing I ever saw
coming towards me in combat (re-inactment) was a horse... I was
told afterwards it was an Ardenne Heavy Horse (?) but armed with
just a wooden shield & a 7ft spear, I'm afraid I just wanted to be
elsewhere....

Greetings,I can imagine that *was* a sight! I've heard people say that "it cannot be *that* terrifying to see horses charging at you" and I chuckle to myself.. because even smaller animals, in a direct head-on chrage, are enough to frighten even the bravest. The Ardennes is a reverse creation- the old type used to be lighter, today they are quite massive (unfortunately in part not only due to the need for a heavier horse but because they, like the Boulonnais.. quite a beautiful animal...are bred for human consumption)Regards,
Sikander

Hello!I believe Bucephalus was a Fresian .... or at least a cross of this breed. You may be right about the Spanish blood ....

I saw this week the trailer and i noticed that Alexander was riding on a Friesian Horse!! For information about this Friesian horse see http://www.fps-studbook.com. It also in English.
I live in Friesland, speak the Friesian language en i am proud of being a Friesian.Best regards,
Hans

Hallo meneer Melles,Ik zou wel meer willen weten over het Friese paard in de film Alexander. Kunt u me er meer over vertellen?gr. Birdy

Which stable is the horse from? Who trained it? Does anyone know?