Behind the Curtain: War Horse - Joey the Horse

[@SuperMarioJustin4]

Even though you can clearly see the puppeteers, the focus and emotion on the horse is so genuine-like! It's to the point you where you can no longer see those puppeteers!

[@mattmorales6660]

I saw the production of 'War Horse' earlier this year and it was amazing! The realization of the horses is absolutely incredible and it was a stirring tribute to those men and horses who lost their lives in the Great War.

[@Aumacsnigrand]

I saw War Horse at Playhouse Square in Cleveland. The horses seemed as real as the human actors on stage. One of the best plays I've ever seen.

[@monikaszymanowska5142]

Absolutely beautiful, ancient, primal, whatever... Wish I could watch the stage play.

[@liapinto7998]

it is ubelivable how realistc it looks.

[@Molly-gj5ou]

Looks really good. The only thing that seems wrong to me is that Joey moves around with his head a lot, even when he's just standing. Horses are really good at standing still and looking completely bored for a pretty long time.

[@sandfeathershe-cat_windcla3307]

Molly2471 he probably has lots of energy XD

[@annakaro9081]

They need to exaggerate the horse's behaviour to some extent, because it's easier for a real horse to look alive. Just like an actor need to speak loud enough for the audience to hear, even in the scenes where a character is thinking or whispering.

[@watchgoose]

depends on what breed he is as some are high strung!

[@monikaszymanowska5142]

With all this attention, he had no time to be bored:-)

[@angelique7618]

Yeah, you are correct. Not when they are on stage with some guy that is gesturing broadly with his hands. They are trained to act like a real horse. I know my horse, who is well trained, would be nervous on stage with daddy warbucks.

[@Sinner1660]

This is so fascinating, I love it. I study horse behaviour and psychology as a hobby- it's amazing where you can learn things!

[@phenixinfinityferrao5561]

If you keep on looking at him you end up forgetting that he's not a real horse. It's that fact that astonishes me till today.

[@WillyOrca]

What are you talking about lmao it's cartoonish

[@ShadowFoxSF]

Oh I never thought that the "handler" was part of the puppeteer work.. Holy hats that's cool

[@pressescnow8080]

How the hell do they manage this????

[@saraht5312]

Absolutely amazing. Watch the clip when it meets a real horse

[@RemiRatt293]

i would love to go watching this again!

[@SL-sd3sg]

Incredible!

[@kmart3453]

This scared me so much as a kid

[@kmart3453]

I’m back

[@ambrevigneron5911]

Yes, because it looks like a bloody horse coming from hell

[@lula9907]

@@kmart3453 does it still scare you

[@kmart3453]

@@lula9907 a little. The movement is unsettling

[@joshuawonfor6209]

That's so cool!

[@fernandabluntkrasinski9026]

I missed live theater

[@tejntanga]

I have found the uncanny valley of horses. o.O

[@anthonystark69]

Mind=blown!!!

[@melnew351]

How did this tailwork?! :O I will make a centaur cosplay with this knowledge but how have they done this tail movement?!

[@antlersev]

Lady Sforza old comment, but you can see the person in the back gripping a handle with their right hand :>

[@djosearth3618]

Uhkaay wait, at the end did he say that a human rider sometimes gets on the puppet which is ON the puppet masters backs? ohh kayy ... TODO:

[@HobbyOrganist]

Yes, a rider gets on top, there is an aluminum frame that supports the rider and the frame comes down the puppeteers' backs and attaches to a belt like harness they wear around their waist and that takes the weight- shared by both, so if a 130# rider is up there, each puppeteer is holding about 65# plus half the weight of Joey which is around 120#, so they are carrying about 125# each with a rider on top, not a whole lot if you are in shape, but trotting around with that weight added to you can get tiring fast.

[@SerryJeinfeld]

Those puppeteers are method acting that horse Lmfaoo

[@jpersonen98]

Very cool indeed

[@toothlesslightfury1788]

i want it so bad

[@SituationalSalad]

Cool!

[@ina7084]

He's beautiful, but the trot is so off.. I love how active the tail is

[@ina7084]

@Alexis Robacker The leg movement is completely wrong in trot. In canter it's accurate. The puppet is 8 stone.

[@ina7084]

@Alexis Robacker Also if they did the trot right, the pupet would be moving easier forwards on its own.

[@marinar17]

How much does it cost to create a puppet horse like Joey from the Hand Spring Company?

[@meggiekhantsis1589]

At least a million. Adding on to what Isatu Bangura said, its handmade, which means the production takes a longer time than if it's made by machine, and people want money for handmade things, so I wouldn't be surprised if Joey costs more than a million

[@tobyrutter3776]

Meggie Khantsis million is abit much considering how much full classic car restorations cost and the man hours. Maybe a few thousand depending on labour costs.

[@juliepaul2244]

@@tobyrutter3776 When I saw the play in London, it was possible to buy a copy of the little goose that appears in the 'farmyard' scenes. He was a life-size goose with wing and (I think) beak movement, and he was £5000.

[@ContentedBrands]

Hi there, I love this film. I am creating a short film about how horses help us. I really need a contact so that I can ask if there is any footage I can use in my film of the War Horse puppet.

[@LifeDanceEntertainment]

Hi guys i would like to know where can i buy this horse?

[@LeeDassin]

He was made uniquely for the stage show, you would not be able to buy him.

[@zelmoziggy]

Not as good as The Cow With No Country, but pretty good.

[@chappythehorsepuppet7080]

I LOVE IT, I WILL PAY 00.1$ FOR IT... :J jk

[@shellmora]

Thinklikeahorse might find these videos interesting.

[@Gusherki]

SUSSY

[@flaviahermo249]

So sad about Joey being a fake horse

[@rfw8791]

the breathing of the horse is not believable, any horseperson would not buy the up and down movement. Horse show signs of life by other small movements of shifting weight and the up and down breathing is just as fake as if a person (or human puppet would breathe up and down, hence bad idea.) and the person operating the backend, had the horse completely dis-engaged (hindlegs setting on the ground too far back) both of these things made the puppet look like it was being operated by people who don't know horses at all.

[@juliepaul2244]

Richard, when I saw the play I wasn't aware of the horse's breathing. I did think, though, that his movements, reactions etc were EXACTLY as I would have expected, as someone who has been around horses my entire life (nearly 70 years now). The responses when the two horses meet each other for the first time - neck arching, snorting, pawing, wheeling around and kicking - are perfect. At one stage the horse Joey is being broken to harness and is throwing a tantrum because he doesn't like it. I was in the front row and was quite concerned that I was in a prime location for being kicked - he was as convincing as that! All I can say is go and see it - it is a phenomenal piece of theatre and the operators have obviously studied horse behaviour extensively.