My path into the world of horses began with Black Beauty. I fell in love with the novel as a little girl, and asked my parents for riding lessons, aged seven, so I went full circle when I got the opportunity to write and direct the film.
I became a screenwriter, with a body of work, and at a meeting with the producer Jeremy Bolt, he asked what inspired me.
I blurted out everything I love about the beach scene of the 1970s film The Black Stallion. It's five minutes, set to music and no dialogue, about the beautiful, mysterious communication and connection you can have with a horse.
He said he'd been wanting to remake Black Beauty for about a decade; 10 days later I sent him a 40-page pitch, reimagining and modernising it, and at the producer's request, making Beauty female.
The first day we arrived in South Africa for filming, we dropped our bags at the hotel and went straight to the stables to meet the four Black Beauties and our liberty trainer, Cody.
Liberty training is based on kindness, and the horse has the liberty to accept or reject what you're asking of them.
Denne historien er fra November 30, 2023-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
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Denne historien er fra November 30, 2023-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
'Sorry, but I wasn't feeling it'
Fresh from the opening meet, Tessa Waugh hasn't quite yet been bitten by the hunting bug. Without the crisp autumnal air and cheek-pinching cold she hoped for, it's a sluggish start
New pair pull off a win
A former European Championships pony is on form with his new rider, while elsewhere former showjumpers and eventers take ribbons
Lording it over the rest
Horses who have returned from injury, a second generation homebred and a long format specialist score on the final weekend of the British season
Smith hits flying form
A \"her way or no way\" mare helps Zoe Smith to an impressive ribbon haul and a rider beats his own boss to the top spot
Jankorado hits the jackpot
Paul Sims is triumphant despite his interrupted jump-off preparation and a borrowed horse comes up trumps
Peanut
From \"dangerous, scary\" to hedge-hopping brilliance, hunting has been the making of this unstable but very lovable equine character
She's a corker
Communication, says long-standing and highly respected Belvoir master Lady Sarah McCorquodale, is the key to all, as Catherine Austen discovers
Access all areas Cavalier Centre
The Cavalier Centre is a fully accessible, state-of-the-art equestrian centre designed to improve lives through horse-based activities. Ellie May Forrester pays a visit
'Use it or lose it'
Not everyone wants to reach for the pipe and slippers at a certain age. Becky Murray speaks to some veteran horse-and-rider combos for their secrets of human and equine longevity
A new way forward
Worm control in horses is vital, but established methods will not remain effective for much longer. Tim Mair FRCVS explains why and how we need to change
