The cast of 'Free Rein': Kerry Ingram, Manpreet Bambra, Billy Angel, Navia Ziraili Robisnon, Bruce Herbelin-Earle, Jaylen Barron, Freddy Carter, and Celine Buckens, Carla Woodcock. Image by Matt Squire / Netflix / Courtesy: Everett Collection.
Definitely more Enid Blyton than David Lynch, Free Rein was considered wholesome and suitable for tweens. The 32 episodes of this British drama series streamed in over 200 countries, collecting a couple of Daytime Emmys along the way.
‘FREE REIN’, TV series made for Foxtel (2017-19)
The series follows 15-year-old Zoe (Jaylen Barron).
“All the Free Rein
horses never stopped
getting film work…”
It featured a bunch of mostly unknown young actors, many of whom remain unknown to this day. Just a few were propelled to international stardom.
One became a voice in a video game, another landed some supporting roles in little-known movies… and a couple married each other. All the Free Rein horses, however, never stopped getting film work.
The series follows 15-year-old Zoe (Jaylen Barron) as she ventures from Los Angeles with her overprotective mother, Maggie (Natalie Gumede), and fashion obsessed young sister Rosie (Navia Robinson) to her grandfather’s island home off the English coast. (It was, in fact, filmed on the Welsh island of Anglesey).
It will be no surprise to Free Rein viewers that Zoe creates a unique bond with a handsome wild horse named Raven. She battles with smart-alec boys, struggles with thieves, and befriends members of a local riding school who include Rebecca Sidebottom (Kerry Ingram, formerly cast as Princess Shireen in Game of Thrones).
Zoe and Raven (Maca).
“We had stunt doubles
standing by for all the actors
but we only used them
very occasionally…”
There is the stable boy Pin (Freddy Carter) who is revealed in series two to be a duke, no less! After inheriting a fortune, he saves the cash-strapped riding school from closing down. He has a crush on Zoe and rides a showjumper called Elvis (real name Boysie).
And there are a lot of aerial shots of horses galloping along the beach – compulsory in shows of this calibre.
TRIVIA: “There’s one aspect of this show which isn’t predictable. Zoe, the main character, is Black. The equestrian world has a diversity problem and a big part of that problem is fuelled by the public’s perception of what the equestrian world is. I’ve seen dozens of horse movies and TV shows and out of all of these productions, I can’t think of a single instance where the main character wasn’t white – until now.” – Biz Stamm, Horse Nation, USA
Supplying and training all the horses was Steve Dent Stunts, which has been in the movie business for 80 years. Situated in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, close to Pinewood and Shepperton studios, it boasts a large collection of period tack, carriages, harness and equine armour, as well as a team of 87 equines of various colours, sizes and talents.
Pin (Freddy Carter) and Zoe riding Elvis.
Steve, daughter Sam and a bunch of wranglers worked on the series setting up scenes, preparing surfaces, rehearsing horses and, of course, teaching riding to the actors. At the preliminary auditions all claimed they could ride – they couldn’t. Not very well anyway.
But they quickly learnt the basics and would practise each day after filming. “We had stunt doubles standing by for all the actors but we only used them very occasionally,” recalled Steve.
TRIVIA: Freddy Carter (Pin) later married Caroline Ford who played Sam Myers in the series.
Initially Raven, the handsome wild one, was described as a chestnut. Dent only had two of that colour, both unsuitable, so the script was changed. “I’ve got white ones and black ones ready to work,” he told the director. The role went to Maca, a Friesian cross.
Another eye-catching member of the cast was a Gypsy Cob called Bob. He had been a rescue horse having been found starving in a dirt yard. After being nursed back to health the Dents introduced him to film sets. Despite being much younger than the others, he responded well to training and learnt many tricks such as head shaking on command, the Spanish walk, untying ropes and playing dead.
Free Rein is streaming on Netflix.
One of Free Rein’s episodes featured the inevitable stable fire. Bob opened his stall, let out the other horses and they all escaped from the perilous flames. He suffered smoke inhalation problems but was cured with help from the stable boy and a veterinarian.
This piebald gelding, real name Benji, has gone on to being a successful movie horse.
The series had its devoted followers, mostly riders themselves who knew what was real and what wasn’t. “I realise this is aimed at pre-teens but it can be added to the list of horsey shows clearly written by people with zero knowledge of horses: e.g. Zoe entering Raven’s stall where he’s standing already bridled with the reins hanging down,” commented one astute viewer. “Lines like: ‘Bob loves buttercups’ (they’re toxic to horses!); Zoe being selected for a show team after only two riding lessons!
“On the plus side, the horses look well kept, tack is appropriate and kids all wear helmets. The stable and the surrounding scenery is lovely. Maybe in future the writers will try a bit harder to get some advice and guidance from people who know horses.”
You can see more about the Free Rein horses on YouTube, Season 1 Backstage. EQ
Free Rein is streaming on Netflix.
Next time in Horses & Movies, Gone with the Wind (1939).
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