5 Famous Horses From Western Film

A lot is known about the famous actors who starred in old Western films, but what about the horses? The movies would not have been the same without the horses that helped shape them. Meet five of the most famous Old Hollywood horses!

1) Trigger: Trigger is arguably the most famous equine star of all time. Known for being “The Smartest Horse In The Movies,” Trigger starred alongside Roy Rogers in many Westerns. While it is said that the original Trigger appeared in all of Roger’s films, there were other Triggers who were sometimes featured.

2) Buttermilk: Dale Evans must have felt pretty lucky having Buttermilk by her side! The buckskin Quarter Horse has a fascinating history. As a colt, he was rescued by a farmer on route to a slaughterhouse. After his rescue, he was trained for both roping and cutting horse competition. He was eventually bought by Glenn Randall, a legendary Hollywood trainer. Randall later loaned Buttermilk to Dale Evans…and the rest is history!

3) Pie: Jimmy Stewart rode Pie for a total of 22 years. The chestnut colored gelding was Jimmy’s favorite horse, and he tried to purchase him on multiple occasions but was unable to persuade the owner to part with him. The actor referred to Pie as his friend, and never shied away from talking about how amazing his hoofed costar was.

4) Dollor: The uniquely named Dollor was much loved by John Wayne. The famous Western film actor even rewrote the script for The Shootist in order to mention Dollor’s name more frequently. Dollor was never owned by the famous star, but his contract stated that he could only be ridden by Wayne.

5) Tony: Tony was known as the first “Wonder Horse.” He performed spectacular tricks that left audiences in awe. Tony appeared in many films alongside Tom Mix, and was the first horse to receive equal billing with a human costar.