An animated movie from 2002, "Spirit" was about a mustang stallion who was captured by cowboys and sold to the Navy. The horse escapes with a young child, and the two have several adventures that form the rest of the story. The movie was a huge hit, earning $73 million. Critic Roger Ebert wrote in his review that it was "surprisingly moving": "It elevates the story from a children's fantasy to one wider audiences can enjoy."
The central protagonist, who is named Black Beauty for his shiny jet-black coat, recalls his life and the hardships he faced as he grew up. The 1994 film was based on Anna Sewell's book of the same name. The story also covers relationships between men and women. In his "New York Times" review, Roger Greenspun called it an "...uncommonly interesting, handsome and sometimes marvelously inventive" movie.
The first of the animated films to feature the popular children's toy, "My Little Pony" from 1986 starred the voices of Danny De Vito and Madeline Kahn. A group of little ponies celebrating the arrival of spring catch the attention of the evil witch. When her daughters fail to ruin the party, the witch turns the area into a wasteland. The ponies appeal for help from all the magical creatures in the region. "My Little Pony" earned just under $6 million.
"The Young Black Stallion" grossed just under $7 million in 2003. It's about a young colt that rescues Neera, an Arabian girl, when she is separated from her family. Neera later enters him in a grueling horse race to help her father begin a breeding farm. The rest of the story traces Neera's victory in the race, and the horse's reunion with his mother.
This 2006 movie was based on the book "My Friend Flicka." It dealt with the relationship between a 16-year-old and a wild mustang named Flicka, who were both rebels in their own way. "Flicka" starred Alison Lohman as the girl, Katey, and country singer Tim McGraw as her father. "Flicka" earned just under $21 million at the box office.