This is such a heart-warming story we wanted to share a 'remember when' article!
When Robert Redford filmed "Pete's Dragon," he took time out of his busy filming schedule to rescue a neglected horse.
When Robert Redford traveled to New Zealand to film "Pete's Dragon," he probably never imagined that a horse rescue would be part of the deal. But as it turned out, there was a neglected horse which was tied up to a fence near a freeway. The horse was right along the route that the movie staff took to get to the set, so Redford saw the horse on a daily basis. Staff would report on the horse's condition, monitoring it for food or any sort of attention.
When the horse's condition appeared to worsen, Robert Redford found a person to go along the road and ask neighbors if they knew who owned the horse. No one was able to identify an owner for the horse, and it didn't appear that anyone was caring for the animal.
Once Redford received the disturbing news that no one could identify the horse's owner, he coordinated with a local rescue to get the horse out of its terrible situation. Working with the organization, Redford ended up rescuing the horse himself. You can bet that the horse is now receiving quality care.
Redford, now 79 years old, is reputed to be an excellent horseman. He starred in "The Horse Whisperer" and did much of the work with the horses himself. Redford also collaborated with Buck Brannaman to ensure that the horse training scenes in the movie were as accurate as possible. For many years, Redford bred Quarter Horses on his ranch in Utah. He's also known for being an environmentalist and actively opposes horse slaughter.
The rescue horse is sure lucky that Redford came along, and that the busy actor took time out of his schedule to make sure that the horse was received the care it deserved.
Redford is such an avid horse lover. The neglect of these beloved animals is heartbreaking. We appreciate his dedication to this beautiful creature and the work he does to support rescue groups and animal welfare groups. Wild horses need everyone's support and we all need to stand up against horse slaughterhouses.
