Spirit Riding Free

[LadyMoondancer]

To be honest, I think it's appalling that they are taking a story about a horse who fought so hard for his freedom and suddenly making him (or his descendant or whatever) eager to tote around this random girl.

The character designs of the humans also look completely out of place for the 1800s.  People "back in the day" always have that slightly gaunt look, unless they were super rich.  Probably due to not getting a lot to eat in hard times.  Also, these girls are wearing skinny-jeans??

[Leave a Whisper]

To be honest, I think it's appalling that they are taking a story about a horse who fought so hard for his freedom and suddenly making him (or his descendant or whatever) eager to tote around this random girl.

The character designs of the humans also look completely out of place for the 1800s.  People "back in the day" always have that slightly gaunt look, unless they were super rich.  Probably due to not getting a lot to eat in hard times.  Also, these girls are wearing skinny-jeans??

Every horse is different. Rain was a mustang and she was very well trained and happy to carry around and interact with humans.

Its not as though all mustangs are wild and untameable. They are after all, descendants of escaped domestic horses and technically a protected, invasive species like brumbies and chincoteague ponies.

That's why they have the BLM Adoption program to thin out the herds. I've only been around one mustang who was in fact adopted from the program. Mojave was a very sweet and laid back girl.

[brightberry]

I think the show is suppose to be "modern day" and the horse is Spirit's far-future descendant.   It does look kind of cute, but really confusing because of the show's name.  They could have called the show something else and given the horse a different color.

[LadyMoondancer]

I thought it was set in modern times at first too, but when I looked up more info it's supposedly set in the 1800s.

[Thunderwing]

I thought it was set in modern times at first too, but when I looked up more info it's supposedly set in the 1800s.

Yep. To quote the website...

Riding Free takes place in the 1800s and illustrates the timeless themes of friendship, finding yourself and coming of age. The main character, Lucky, is a 12-year-old girl who is unhappy about moving from the city to a frontier town with her father, leaving her old friends and the life she knew behind. But along the way, she meets and befriends Spirit, the wild buckskin stallion. She also forges friendships with Pru and Abigail, two similarly adventurous young girls. Together with their horses, the three girls find their place on the frontier.

While Spirit Riding Free is very much inspired by the Oscar-nominated 2002 film, the titular character is not the same horse, despite the similar coloring, attitude, and name. The artists behind Netflix’ Spirit gave him a white blaze, distinguishing him from the film’s solid buckskin. And unlike the film’s Spirit, who is never truly broke, this Spirit seems to enjoy rides with his human buddy—albeit only without saddle or bridle.

Another difference? While the film was narrated by Spirit himself (voiced by Matt Damon) the new series is primarily from the perspective of Lucky. The horse keeps his talking limited to equine vocalizations.




...  So the horse is NOT the original Spirit. And it doesn't say there that he is a descendant. The girl is the main character, with two others (of all mixed races, which totally is plausible for that time period...) about as plausible as a girl taming a wild horse with an apple.

Anyway. It is probably aimed at six year old girls, so no need to overthink it.

[rearing_palomino164]

I agree with the animation looking bad. I didn't think of the new model horses and things Breyer would be releasing with the series. I'm so nosy, I'll have to watch it just to see how it is when it's released.

[brightberry]

Oh! Not modern day?  Then nothing about this show fits together.  How weird????

[invaderhorizongreen]

This is becoming a big fat NOPE for me, I am not even gonna watch this.

[Leave a Whisper]

Oh! Not modern day?  Then nothing about this show fits together.  How weird????

Very weird

[Majesty]

I love the movie too and the music.  I'm not loving this new series.  It doesn't seem like a Spirit themed show, they just call it that, because they have a horse that looks like Spirit but doesn't truly represent Spirit.  I'm not sure if that makes sense.

[Leave a Whisper]

I love the movie too and the music.  I'm not loving this new series.  It doesn't seem like a Spirit themed show, they just call it that, because they have a horse that looks like Spirit but doesn't truly represent Spirit.  I'm not sure if that makes sense.

It does make sense.

[Koudoawaia]

Okay so as you can see in this thread, I was nay saying this show with the best of them. I just got done watching the pilot though and would like to post my thoughts to everybody under a spoiler. It is better than I thought it would be.

Spoiler

I still think the clothes Lucky and her friends are wearing look to modern for the 1800s but other than that, I have a much more positive outlook for this show. Spirit does not just become Lucky's lap dog for no reason. She watches him get captured from the train she and her dad and aunt are on. Later in the town, she sees him in the corral looking really dispirited and nonplussed with his situation and their friendship seems to start with both of them understanding each other in that neither one feels that they belong in that town. Their friendship starts when Lucky gives him her apple and shows him some kindness and understanding. While she's at school, there is a scene with the wranglers trying to ride Spirit and true to himself, he's having none of it and bucks them and the saddle all off.  I'm glad I gave the show a chance. Overall, I think Spirit is still true to himself and I'm still hoping due to the sudden blaze that this is a descendant of his with the same name. It seems legit the way he and Lucky bonded. It wasn't just magically out of nowhere and I think everyone else should give it a chance too now.

[True]

Okay so as you can see in this thread, I was nay saying this show with the best of them. I just got done watching the pilot though and would like to post my thoughts to everybody under a spoiler. It is better than I thought it would be.

Spoiler

I still think the clothes Lucky and her friends are wearing look to modern for the 1800s but other than that, I have a much more positive outlook for this show. Spirit does not just become Lucky's lap dog for no reason. She watches him get captured from the train she and her dad and aunt are on. Later in the town, she sees him in the corral looking really dispirited and nonplussed with his situation and their friendship seems to start with both of them understanding each other in that neither one feels that they belong in that town. Their friendship starts when Lucky gives him her apple and shows him some kindness and understanding. While she's at school, there is a scene with the wranglers trying to ride Spirit and true to himself, he's having none of it and bucks them and the saddle all off.  I'm glad I gave the show a chance. Overall, I think Spirit is still true to himself and I'm still hoping due to the sudden blaze that this is a descendant of his with the same name. It seems legit the way he and Lucky bonded. It wasn't just magically out of nowhere and I think everyone else should give it a chance too now.

Ehh I still am not sold, and I think they kinda did bond "magically out of nowhere" because there was that moment when lucky is at the back of the train watching him and they have that hallmark "disney bond at first sight" moment when they lock eyes and acknowledge each other, xD the horse even looked worried at her being pulled back by her aunt, despite the fact that he had ropes around his neck, pretty sure he would have been more worried about the more immediate problem, than some girl he locked eyes with for 5 seconds lol. I mean I know blah blah its a kids show yadda yadda, but paired with the animation, it just isn't great, and the story is all over the place. (personal opinions of course) I don't want to seem like I'm picking on anyone. >.<

[Bekuno]

I went ahead and watched it all, it's only six episodes. There's nothing all that special about it to me, and Spirit has absolutely no relation to the previous Spirit.

Spirit: Riding Free is to Spirit as Skylanders is to the Spyro franchise

[Ponyfan]

If the Spirit of Riding Free is a descent of the original Spirit and Rain where is the original Spirit? DreamWorks official character bio for the new Spirit says he is the leader of the herd so does that mean the original Spirit and Rain are gone?

Ponyfan