A John Wayne question ?

[Lorraine L]

Well, its horsey ;D

I was watching a bit of a John Wayne film today (love the oldies) and i always thought that he was a very big man - big set and over 6ft ? (Feel free to tell me if I am wrong )

Anyway, I was wondering what size horse he rode ? Given that there are always loads of cowboys in his group as it were, surely they weren't all big lads riding very big horses ?? No one bloke seemed any smaller on their horses etc.... All looked in proportion.

He never looks under horsed and yet most American bred horses aren't particuarly huge are they ?

Questions - questions .... someone please put me out of my misery .... ;D

[easyrider]

Goes away to find a John Wayne movie to watch it and take a neddy!!!!!!! so to speak.

Never actually noticed before, but then I can't remember the last time I saw a john wayne film either! ha ha

[pip]

I think John Wayne used to ride a big thoroughbred, certainly in his later films I have a feeling that he always used the same horse. The quarter horse and morgan horses are generally around 15hh but they are quite wide - have to be to be strong enough to carry the weight of an adult man and the saddles, etc.

[fin]

My 1/4 horse is 15.1 and he dwarfs me (I'm 5'7). My son's getting on for 5'10 now and he looks about the right size on him....Bigger quarter horses are built like tanks

[jinglejoys]

I thought there was more on this subject ib my Movie horses book but can only one referance to John Wayne and that is a horse called Steele.He was chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail white blaze and was in the movies between 1940-1950. It doesn't say what breed he was though.
(You could always ask Monty I bet he'd know)

[eileen]

just trawled the internet for you dearie and he was......6ft 4 1/2" crikey i knew he was tall but not that tall!!! Funny enough my dad was driving through London many years ago and saw The Duke standing on the corner of Oxford Street and he said he just had an aura about him and he stood out in the crowd, well he would at that heighth i suppose! LOL! eileen xxx

[circusdancer]

John Wayne is Big Leggy! Cha cha cha cha cha John Wayyyyne. Bring back memories me old duck?

My favourite JW film is A Quiet Man and although not a western, he did ride so I'll check it out but I'll bet it was an Irish Draught!

Sorry no idea how big his horses would have been! Helpful lot aren't we? ;D

[maz]

I love john Wayne films, I think I read somewhere that he did use the same horse in some of his films, a big chestnut called beau.

[breezeocean4tray]

He did use the same horse called beau, i loved his films, but kinda went off him when he ducked out of his national service...it was good enough for Elvis lol

I also loved the Quite man, but us Irish women have progressed since then......just ask my hubby lol

I love ur coloured maz, my horse(s) are my life, my life is my horse(s) i 110% agree with u, i got 2 girls (mares)lol

[JW]

Howdy Pilgrims,

Yup...John rode big horses...I definitely remember his horse Beau that he rode in all of his later movies. I don't believe there is a John Wayne movie that I haven't seen at least 20 times!! LOL!! Pathetic, though it may be...I even have a John Wayne commerative 30-30 rifle! LOL!

[Val (Toons&co)]

I think a lot has to do with how good the rider is too: my instructor's reining mare (reining Qh's are smaller than pleasure Qh's) was about 14.2 and my instructor, altho skinny, was tall (1m80, get your converters out). When she got on, the first feeling was she was too big for the horse but the minute they started working together, it was pure magic and size no longer mattered.

[sulasmum]

another John Wayne fan here due to my Mum's love of westerns. Have to agree with CD though loved The Quiet Man, and of course True Grit and the Searchers.

[mal]

Don't forget The sons of Katie Elder...

[sulasmum]

Ooh yes mal, another great film