Wild Horse Wild Ride
The award-winning film Wild Horse Wild Ride featuring the HorseTenders LLC Co-founders and Trainers Kris and Nik Kokal is now available on DVD from Amazon.
- New York Times Review!
- Horse&Rider
- Variety – Film Reviews
- The Equestrian News
- The College Movie Review
- Waterfront Film Festival
- Henry’s Western Roundup Blog
About the Film
Being home schooled in rural New Hampshire, Kris and Nik Kokal developed an affinity for horses and developed truly unique abilities to both communicate and train horses. At the age of 13 and 11, Kris and Nik co-founded HorseTenders LLC, a family run and operated business. At HorseTenders, they developed their highly successful and totally non-punitive, “Developing Mettle, without Metal” tm training approaches and methodologies which continue to garner both national and international acclaim and recognition.
Although achieving success at their local level, Kris & Nik decided to test their skills and unique approaches on a national stage. They applied and were both selected to participate in the Extreme Mustang Makeover (EMM) where only 100 trainers are selected to each train a wild American Mustang in only 100 days and then compete in a national competition at the prestigious Will Rogers Equestrian Center in Ft. Worth, Texas. Nik and Kris were the first competitors to ever train and compete without the use of any bits, shoes or spurs and Nik at 18 years of age, was the youngest competitor to ever participate at the top elite professional legends division.
Wild Horse, Wild Ride is a captivating and empowering film that follows the plight of the American Mustang and their trainers as they try to develop partnerships in preparation for the 2009 EMM. Kris and Nik Kokal are featured along with five other trainers, and five other distinctive training approaches, all captured in stunning cinematography. Film makers and producers Alex Dawson and Greg Gricus combined their remarkable talents to develop an amazing film which received rave reviews, unprecedented awards and great acclaim at international film festivals throughout the world. The film has made its national theatrical release in New York City in August of 2012 and continued with the national distribution to theaters throughout the country. DVDs were made available through national and international distribution on December 4th, 2012.
Scroll down to read what people are saying about the film!
-Stephanie Kokal
Kris and Nik, I just watched wild horse and wild ride and I am amazed at your wonderful ways of training those horses. I have learned a lot on how to work with my own horse 🙂 . I wish that you lived closer so that I could Learn more from both of you.
I watched the Wild Horse/Wild Ride DVD last night, and again today, and I feel compelled to write to let you know how special your boys are ( I know you already know this!)….I was very fortunate to have received my horsemanship training as a “greenie”, late in life, but from some of the best horsemen and women out there, and my life has forever changed. After watching the movie, today I had the best ride of my life. Of course, it was me, not my horse. He’s always been great, just waiting for a consistent leader…….I hope to meet your boys down the road one day. Just want you to know there are others out there who are proud of your boys!
First i just wanted to say wonderful work on the wild horse wild ride, its amazing to see such beautiful horsemanship and all for a good cause. You said you come to Canada sometimes, do you ever go anywhere near British Columbia? It would be lovely to see a clinic and meet the two of you.
I am watching Wild Horse Wild Ride and just LOVE the way you two young men handled your horses!!! I am so impressed with your methods.
Just watched Wild Horse Wild Ride (three times) and every time was great. I will be ordering more, from your site, as gifts.
Dear Nik and Kris Kokal, Happy new year! I recently watched the film Wild Horse, Wild Ride and I LOVED it! The work all of you trainers put in to the mustangs was amazing and you are true inspirations. Ranahan and Sioux were incredible horses and I hope that I can have the same trust they had in you with my yearling, Pumpkin. I was just wondering how you got to that level of trust with your mustangs and if you had any other advice about working with young horses?Thank you and I am a huge fan, you both are amazing trainers!
Just wanted to say how thrilled I am that you have put this foundation together. I have watched “Wild Horse, Wild Ride” twice now (and thanks to my husband, I now own it) and I was incredibly moved by the training and bonds the two boys Kris and Nik formed with their mustangs. I have to admit I cried when I saw their tears when auctioning off the horses they worked so hard to train. I thought to myself, “those boys have an amazing gift”, so I’m incredibly happy that they are using their skills to help the plight of our Mustangs, both wild and caught. Too many of these amazing animals are bought cheap by inexperienced people who aren’t familiar with the unique makeup of wild horses and the horses end up being shuffled from one home to another, often ending up at a sale auction and slaughter. I applaud your whole family for what you are doing and sharing your gift to help these wonderful animals.
Just in case you are unaware, there is quite a nice buzz on EquineSite over the showing of “Wild Horse, Wild Ride” in Concord. I understand the theater has added showings for this weekend as well 🙂 I went up with my friend Lin to see it and, wow, so awesome. The stories of both horses and humans are inspiring. Tears in my eyes a couple of times…
Watched the documentary last evening with my husband–OMG, how wonderful!! You, Stephanie and Andrej, must be bursting with pride at having raised such talented and caring sons! It was such a treat, thank you again for the gift of it. Can’t wait to watch it again with my horsey girlfriends.
I was watching Wild Horse, Wild Ride a few weeks ago and saw the gentle and respectful way you two worked with the those mustangs. It was lovely to watch and I loved seeing someone else out there working bitless! The main reason for my email to you is to congratulate you both on some really nice work with those mustangs as well as to thank you for your contribution to the horse industry.
Nice to meet you. My name is Lisa and I had to write to you after seeing you last night in the film. I cried for your hearts. You are such gifted people.
Just recently watched “Wild Horse Wild Ride”. It was so refreshing to see you two working with your horses without bits and spurs! Both of you should have won the contest based on your approach over the trainers who were utilizing harsh bits. It’s unfortunate that so many riders/trainers still believe that pain, on any level, is needed to direct a horse into submitting to what they want. I hope that you can continue educating people on how incredible the mustangs are and how with trust they can become a devoted partner.
This Mustang program is WONDERFUL, I did not expect Mustangs being trained here in NE! I just saw the NH Chronicle piece – just love your philosophy and work for the mustangs. Your program sounds so gentle, sweet and must create some wonderful horse/human relationships. No Metal is amazing; I always hated putting a bit in a horse’s mouth. And shoes seem rather unneeded.
I’m sure you two get a lot of fan mail so I’ll keep this short but I would just like to let you know that I was moved by your work with the mustangs in the new documentary and from what I can see on your website. I was always glad to see it was your turn in the movie and was equally inspired due to your natural horsemanship but also to see young men with such gentle and caring demeanors in everyday life. It’s good to know that not all young cowboys these days are rough and rowdy. Thank you for all you have been doing for the horse world, you guys are true horsemen.
Just read through your site. You guys are awesome! I learned shoeing and sweet feed back in the seventies…so wrong! Was born in Connecticut and live in Texas now. Very much into Natural horse and Natural Hoofcare and desperately trying to convert these hard-headed cowboys. It ain’t gonna happen anytime soon…Anyway, thanks for a great read and my wife and I are looking forward to the movie…