User reviews

Saw this tonight in a theater full of horse people, and we all loved it. Scenic, accurate in terms of back country riding, well produced and filmed. I was pleasantly surprised, expecting a much rougher go-pro kind of thing, but this was slick, well edited and a lot of fun to watch.

Not much to say about it plot-wise, but you do get a little deeper look at the human dynamics of almost six months on the trail than you'd expect, not to mention a balanced look at the politics of preserving the Mustangs.

This is a documentary straight out of today's west, showing a lifestyle that's unfettered, offering a welcome relief from all the urban blow-em-ups and superheroes in movies now. It's authentic, even to the cowboy poet singing his own song about the ride. It's well worth seeing, and is one you could take kids to.

I had no real expectations before seeing this film. All I knew was that it was about a long trail ride. What I got was simply a great look into an adventure experienced by four recent college grads, but not in a Where The Boys Are scenario. These young men undertook a trek riding mustangs from the Mexican to the Canadian border through the amazing public lands of the West. The controversial management of the wild horse herds in America was looked at impartially from both sides. Beautifully filmed and edited, this film will be earning multiple honors if there is any justice in the world of cinema. It is one of the best made documentaries I've seen in years. Not a moment drags. The challenges faced and overcome with strength, friendship, humor, and guts should give us hope that the character of America's young people is still strong. One great movie!

Beautifully made documentary, with stunning scenery. Not many people will understand the trust it takes for a mustang to let a human sit on his back..so that alone is incredible. I loved the music, the scenery, the friendship, the scary crazy trails and the mustangs!!

A movie everyone will enjoy, you don't have to be a horse lover to like it. It is not one sided and talks to various people about the plight of the mustang. I could watch this over and over and I hope they release the score to the movie. It makes you want to get out into the wilderness, the footage from the Grand Canyon is absolutely breath taking.

The Cowboy Val is so like able and the donkey Donquita steals the show!! Thank you for letting us come along on this wonderful adventure.

There was much anticipation. Waiting for months for the film to be shown, purchasing a ticket without knowing whether there would be enough people to make it happen... then a main stream, big theater here in Madison full of horse people! Trail riders, dressage buffs, horse people and their curious friends and relatives, all with big expectations. What we got: Swiping, incredible vistas; real adventure; a look at the human side; great background about the REAL mustang situation (not the Facebook version...); funny situations, and more. The audience laughed out loud, gasped, sighed, 'awwed' and clapped in the end. What better testimonial? Do yourself a favor and go watch this.

I recently watched this movie on Netflix.

Although, this was a beautifully crafted film, I have to note that it was obviously underwritten by the BLM. What seemingly started out championing the superiority of the natural selection of mustangs, quickly turned into a propaganda piece promoting the removal of wild horses from public lands.

There were outright lies about the number of wild horses on the range, their breeding habits, and the effect they have on the ecology of the land. There are over 6,000,000 cattle grazing on public lands and approximately 50,000 wild horses. They want to reduce that to 20,000. It is cattle that destroy the land. Horses are always moving. As stated in the film, horses typically travel 26 miles per day. They never stop long enough to destroy forage. Cattle on the other hand stay in one place until they've decimated the landscape. They are then moved to another area where they do the same thing. The man who picked up the remains of a clump of prairie grass blamed that on the horses? No way.

The BLM's plan for removal and birth control will render the herds' breeding unviable. Under it, our American Mustangs will soon be extinct. This is what the BLM wants. They are in service to the cattle and mining industries.

At first glance to someone not familiar with equines, this is a very romantic and exciting film. But to any horse person, these young men were careless in their planning, and reckless in the execution of the trek. That resulted in some tragic consequences.

I am sorry if this film has any influence with the public over wild horse management. It doesn't represent the truth on this issue.

I have already viewed this film multiple times & I, personally was impressed. Yet I see multiple other written reviews from clearly soft handed city folk.

As stated in the film, wild mustangs are always moving, the only difference is the encroachment of modern society which inhibits their natural migration not to mention horses also are meant for traversing hundreds of miles. The amount of complaints from non-horse people is laughable.

Their plan was not 100% perfect, nor was the terrain a smooth, leisurely ride but it wouldn't have been 300 years ago.

I understand the concern for the horses, & it goes without saying that they do deserve to be treated & handled properly but their journey wasn't "unnatural" by any means.

For those of whom lack the ability to apply logic & reasoning, as well as realizing horses are built for tough work & long journeys. I have owned horses since I was a youngin' & nothing I seen in this film was bad enough for me to denounce their actions.

Calm down you scrawny nags.

Told in complete chronological order, this trail ride is a 16x9 presentation of our mass-population's ignorance, and a very small portion of the rest of us who will get off of our half-moons and participate in a solution.

Its not a popular solution, it may not even BE a solution, but it is a trip on the way to MANAGEMENT. Like the trail ride, the experience of the trip creates its own progress. No one should expect a silver bullet bringing the problem of over-grazing by horses to a close in 30 days. It just will not happen. Maintaining a balance by a long-term management of resources, curtailing herd sizes, rehabilitation of some horses into markets needing pleasure riding or breaking horses for the experience, they all come together to MANAGE.

If you're not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. If any one component of the solution is criticized, the critic becomes the problem.

I want to do this therapeutic in so many ways!! I gotta find a way to do this...

Ordered the DVD from our local library on suggestion of a friend who knew I loved horses especially the Wild Mustangs and advocate for them being Wild and Free. Having been around horses all my life from a kid riding my little mare to our summer Bible camp to breaking, breeding, riding competition trail rides, barrell racing, doing 4-h exhibition at rodeos in our drill team on horseback I was so interested to see this film. I was not disappointed at all. Just wishing I was younger and could have gone with them! A well done film from beginning to the end. I was so impressed at the strength and durability of those wild mustangs under saddle on some really treacherous terrain! Gorgeous country they traveled, funny stories and incidents that happened along the trail. So neat to have had that elder man assist them too in housing and trailering them when necessary. Ben really planned the ride well, course unexpected issues happened but all in all its a film that deserved all the awards received for sure! Like looking back in time of the days when horseback was mode of travel and just totally awesome how well the young fella's eventually all got along, did for one another in spite of some issues at times, took such good care of those mustangs. A film kids should see for sure. Its definitely an inspiration that when there is the will to do, it can be done! The ending is so special. I jumped for joy too when they were so elated hitting the Canadian border. I felt like I rode it with them. See the film folks, you will want to own a mustang! What an awesome breed of horse. cudos to the whole story.

Never got bored. Amazed at what these guys were able to accomplish.

Watched this on a flight to Dallas (seemed fitting) and loved every bit of it! Spectacular views and scenery, brotherhood, challenges and overcoming obstacles. I love the West to begin with, but this makes me wanna move out there right now and become a cowboy.

I really loved this movie, couldn't help but feel a little jealous of the adventure. Beautiful scenery.

I do want to touch on one thing--Powers is a producer and I think had much more say in how this movie was put together than the other three. The editing suggested that to me, and with research I'd say it's true. I think it's a shame that any of the drama was portrayed in this movie. If it added to the story, I'd say fine, but it seemed more an excuse to show how mature Powers was in relation to everyone else.

The guy at the end who left a mile was blown up beyond what it needed to be. It was poetic in a way and should be every man's journey. The fact that Powers kept calling them "his" crew and "his" horses left a bad taste in my mouth. His melodramatic comments made him look egocentric and false.

I don't think the other riders were showcased nearly as much as they needed to be, and I think Powers was showcased a little too much, but that is my only gripe. The movie was pleasant to watch, inspirational, and I have to hand it to all of them.

If you love horses or animals in general, you will be appalled by the reckless disregard of the horse's safety. Some have called it...more a "horror" movie than a adventure movie. These negative comments come from animal lovers and horse owners which includes those who own large horse farms. The "adventure" became so disturbing I could not finish it. Yes, the photography was breathtaking, but the seeming narcissistic carelessness of these young men spoiled any value this movie might have had.

What the puck is wrong with this people? the part when group was near a mountain, they decided to run over the mountain, not go around it. One of the horses felt and hurt himself, his name was Luke i think. I hope they never repeat it again.

Please save mustangs.

I can't believe that this film is suggested by Monty Roberts, a teacher and espouser of natural horsemanship. My dismay grew as I watched the film as they continued to treat the horses as tools and their flippant attitude when horses were injured. When one left a halter on the horse, after being warned by another rider, and the rear muscle was Popeyed, his comment was, "I could've killed Violet... I just wish it wasn't my best horse." I had to stop watching the film as their lack of planning took them over a mountain unsuitable for riding. I could not watch as a horse fell down the mountainside all because these selfish and entitled riders wanted to make a (BLM Propaganda) movie about themselves.

It's disturbing to watch these guys injure their horses due to their minimal knowledge and stupid pranks/races. Real cowboys are cringing all over the world.

There's no reason to endanger these horses just to see if these young whippersnappers can go from point a to point b no matter how challenging, obviously they don't know what they're doing, if they loved horses they wouldn't treat them how they do, they represent devolution and ignorant arrogance masquerading as cowboys, I wish I could say how I really feel and what I'd really like to do to them!

From the very beginning you want this to be something more. It is about 4 privileged college kids taking time off to get 16 horses from Mexico to Canada. There is a far more serious problems that they should be addressing about wild horses being destroyed by greedy ranchers and overpopulation of humanity. But no, they embark on a bucket list dream to ride a few wild horses 3000 miles with provisions left along the course be the same ranchers that are slaughtering the horses. It's like people being entertained by circus animals and rodeos where the animals are treated horribly. No wild horse wants to be rode, and only subjugated horses want to be rode, somewhat like a Stockholm Syndrome. This documentary is like MTV meets CMT. No real thought went into it. It lies about its manifesto of saving wild horses. Thousands upon thousands of horses are in danger, yet you get 4 rich kids to ride horses to take 16 horses to be broken and ridden for entertainment. Aren't we advanved enough to know better? Too bad Netflix can't remove its head from sphincter to make intelligent content. They're saying hey America, we are going to shove every foreign language, obscene, liberal, mockumentary, low budget fecal fest at you and not give you any content worth watching and make you pay for it. This is low. This situation has been going on for decades with wild horses and many things have been done with more people involved to correct the situation, and still the govt. allows the destruction of these horses. These 4 clowns are doing nothing but getting their name up in lights. Nothing is going to change with this documentary. It will just give liberals an awe shucks we better do something moment until the next I phone comes out 5 seconds later.