Cowboy Take Me Away! A Summer Movie List

When it's too hot to hit the saddle, I seek some shade and saddle up with my favorite cowboy movies. If your idea of a summer action flick involves cowboys and horses then, boy oh boy, do I have a list for you. 

​Here's my top 10 cowboy movies. All of them have a healthy dose of horses and handsome cowboys. I'll watch them on DVD or Netflix when I stay indoors during the hottest part of the day. Cowboy take me away!

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​1. Flicka

I loved this movie and the soundtrack. I have fond memories of seeing this in the theater with my dad because he somehow secured the huge movie poster of Katie riding Flicka for me. It was an awesome surprise!

Flicka is a feel good family film about a headstrong, horse loving teenager trying to find her way in life. Katie McLaughlin (Alison Lohman) forms a bond with a wild horse she names Flicka. Her cowboy and ranch owner father (Tim McGraw) insists she not ride Flicka. Katie follows her heart anyway and sets out to prove that she can tame Flicka.

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2. ​The Longest Ride

Scott Eastwood is cowboy perfection in this romantic drama based on Nicholas Sparks' bestselling book. The story centers on a young couple who make a fateful connection that changes their lives forever. Eastwood is pure cowboy eye candy!

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3. ​Buck

"The horse is a great equalizer, he doesn't care how good looking you are, or how rich you are or how powerful you are -- he takes you for how you make him feel." - Buck Brannaman ​

While Buck Brannaman is incredibly quotable, the above are his words of wisdom that touch me most. BUCK is a must see and follows the story of Buck Brannaman, a real life horse whisperer. The film chronicles his abusive childhood to his successful approach to horses by teaching people to communicate with their horses through leadership and sensitivity, not punishment. ​

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4. Hildalgo

Like action flicks? This movie is like Indiana Jones reinvented for horse lovers! Hildalgo is the story of cowboy Frank T. Hopkins and his mustang as he becomes the first American (and non-Arabian horse owner) to compete in the toughest endurance race the world has ever known, 

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5. ​Wild Horse Wild Ride

This documentary is a spur jingler for sure! Wild Horse Wild Ride takes you through the Extreme Mustang Makeover Challenge. You'll be on the edge of your seat ...err saddle ... as 100 people across the country attempt to tame a wild mustang in 100 days. 

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6. The Man from Snowy River

This is a classic. On an Australian cattle ranch, a young man (enter brooding handsome cowboy-type) fights for his honor, falls for a powerful ranch owner's feisty daughter and is accused of losing a prized horse. I remember seeing The Man From Snowy River at the movies. I loved it so much that my mom asked for the movie poster from our local theater and had it framed. The poster hangs in my home today. A must see for any horse lover!

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7. Return to Snowy River

Yeehaw! There's a sequel! The outback cowboy from Snowy River is back and still fond of that feisty ranch owner's daughter, but upon his return he finds a lot of things have changed.   

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8. Legends of the Fall

An epic summer movie starring Brad Pitt. He is on horseback a lot! Legends Of The Fall is a sweeping story of a man and his three sons, growing up in the last frontier of Montana and the beautiful woman who impacts all their lives. Be sure to keep your tissues near though because this one is a tearjerker. Sniff.

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9. Unbranded

Another film from the producers of Buck, Unbranded is a documentary that follows the 3,000-mile journey of four cowboys who ride on horseback from Mexico to Canada hoping to inspire the adoption of mustangs and burros in holding facilities across the United States. 

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10. The Horse Whisperer

Watch a very young Scarlett Johansson reconnect with her beloved horse after a tragic accident damages them both. Oh yeah - Robert Redford plays a cool cowboy, horse whisperer, too!

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Ready for Your Next Cowboy Crush?

Are you crazy about horses and cute cowboys? If so, you'll definitely want to get to know Cowboy McKennon Kelly from cowboy romance novel, In The Reins. Meet him in this mini-movie. Get ready to curl your toes in those cowgirl boots! 

Passionate, captivating, and full of equine epiphanies, this is a cowboy love story sure to touch your inner cowgirl. In the Reins is available now in Paperback and eBook on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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Want more cowboy flicks? Check out the rest of my favorite cowboy movie trailers in my "Top 10 Cowboy Movies" playlist on YouTube. Happy viewing!

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