The Ben Hur chariot race sequence always gets me - the horses start off the race then get sweaty and magically unsweat themselves at intervals throughout the sequence. Then they get sweaty again, and then unsweaty. I did an analysis of it once based in what I knew then about horse physiology - and reckoned they filmed all the walk & trot sequences AFTER all the galloping bits going by the sun angles. Over at least a couple of days - as the charioteers swap around and drive different horses in different chariots for different bits of the race. Always cracks me up to watch it.
they are such beautiful well trained horses and a joy to watch
"Due to the extremely hot weather in Rome, the horses were allowed to run around the track eight times per day. Cannutt’s careful method was aimed at teaching horses how to run as a unit and tolerate eventual crashes between them, without causing any damage. And while some of the actors or extras suffered minor injuries while filming, it is worth noting that no horse was damaged in the shooting of the impressive scene that even today, over 60 years later, still gives viewers goosebumps.
The shooting of the chariot race scene took five weeks. In order to follow the horses closely, cameras were placed on top of Italian cars.
The splendid horses seen in the movie were mostly Andalusian and Lipizzans, and were brought from Yugoslavia and Sicilia. The whole film featured around 2,500 horses, and all of them had carers, trainers, veterinarians, and stable boys, among other requirements. The four beautiful white horses – the Andalusians – that were given to Ben Hur by Ilderim, were named after stars in Arabic – Aldebaran, Altair, Rigel and Antares, all foals of the lovely mare Mira. Even Ben Hur was impressed by the charm of these horses."
Lips make sense in that context. For ‘hot blooded’ horses they are very level headed and trainable. Also about the right size and type to be plausible as the Nisaian horses that the Romans just loved for chariot racing. I’ve seen the stadium or what’s left of it at Arles, and yes it’s tiny compared even to Moonee Valley racetrack.
The Ben Hur chariot race sequence always gets me - the horses start off the race then get sweaty and magically unsweat themselves at intervals throughout the sequence. Then they get sweaty again, and then unsweaty. I did an analysis of it once based in what I knew then about horse physiology - and reckoned they filmed all the walk & trot sequences AFTER all the galloping bits going by the sun angles. Over at least a couple of days - as the charioteers swap around and drive different horses in different chariots for different bits of the race. Always cracks me up to watch it.
they are such beautiful well trained horses and a joy to watch
"Due to the extremely hot weather in Rome, the horses were allowed to run around the track eight times per day. Cannutt’s careful method was aimed at teaching horses how to run as a unit and tolerate eventual crashes between them, without causing any damage. And while some of the actors or extras suffered minor injuries while filming, it is worth noting that no horse was damaged in the shooting of the impressive scene that even today, over 60 years later, still gives viewers goosebumps.
The shooting of the chariot race scene took five weeks. In order to follow the horses closely, cameras were placed on top of Italian cars.
The splendid horses seen in the movie were mostly Andalusian and Lipizzans, and were brought from Yugoslavia and Sicilia. The whole film featured around 2,500 horses, and all of them had carers, trainers, veterinarians, and stable boys, among other requirements. The four beautiful white horses – the Andalusians – that were given to Ben Hur by Ilderim, were named after stars in Arabic – Aldebaran, Altair, Rigel and Antares, all foals of the lovely mare Mira. Even Ben Hur was impressed by the charm of these horses."
https://www.pololine.com/articles/the-horses-of-ben-hur-and-the-most-epic-scene-in-movie-history/
I’ve visited two ancient hippodromes, in Istanbul and Rome, they aren’t that much bigger than a footy field
Lips make sense in that context. For ‘hot blooded’ horses they are very level headed and trainable. Also about the right size and type to be plausible as the Nisaian horses that the Romans just loved for chariot racing. I’ve seen the stadium or what’s left of it at Arles, and yes it’s tiny compared even to Moonee Valley racetrack.