How to Ride a Horse

'How to Ride a Horse' is a nice animated short from Disney starring Goofy. From his 'How to...'-series this is one of the better shorts, although I still think it is not that special. The narrator (John McLeish) tells us how to ride a horse. He starts with clothes from the person who rides the horse. Step by step he tells everything from there and ends with jumping. What the narrator tells us is what we see Goofy doing. Of course things do not happen the way the narrator tells us, the horse is smarter than Goofy. The jokes are very predictable but sometimes the animation is so inventive it still gives us some laughs. This is a nice short, but don't expect too much.

How to Ride a Horse (1950)

*** (out of 4)

There's no denying that Goofy is the "How to" guy at Disney. Throughout the decades he has appeared in a number of shorts centered around how to do certain things. As the title suggests, this one here has him teaching us what the proper way is for us to ride a horse. Not only do we learn the proper way to ride but we also learn what we should wear. Obviously this is a charming film that doesn't take itself too serious. I wouldn't say it was a classic Goofy short but there are enough laughs that make it worth sitting through. If you're a fan of the series or Goofy then you'll certainly enjoy the short for what it is.

From the 1940s even up to recent years, Disney Studios made a ton of the "How To" films starring Goofy. Most are pretty good (especially the last one, "How to Hook Up Your Home Theater"), though a few (such as the drivers ed ones) are a bit on the preachy and annoying side.

"How to Ride a Horse" is certainly not among the better Goofy "How To" films, though it is good enough to merit watching it. In this installment, you find Goofy as a horseman--trying to demonstrate the correct way to ride a horse. Getting on the horse and riding it consist of almost all the film--and frankly there isn't enough material. I mean, just how funny can you possibly make such a relatively mundane subject?! Still, the animation quality is nice and it's not a preachy film--once again, like the drivers ed films.

Worth seeing--especially for kids. Not great but will provide a few chuckles.

Despite being released as a short in 1950, this was actually the very first in the Goofy 'How to' series. This was originally part of the movie The Reluctant Dragon, released in 1941. In that movie, this short is previewed for Robert Benchley by Disney animators. The cartoon features Goofy showing us the basics of horse riding. This includes mounting, trotting, and jumping. Amusingly, both Goofy and the horse are bored by the narrator's monotonous instructions. It's a nice short with lovely and colorful animation. The horse is a hoot. He has a great time messing with Goofy. Not the best of the 'How to' series but enjoyable.

Even when the How to...series is not at its best they are still fun to watch. If you want 7 minutes of entertainment, How to Ride a Horse will fit the bill nicely. It's not one of the best of the series, the story and a couple of the gags are quite routine and predictable and I agree that a little more material was needed with some of the middle feeling thin. How to Ride a Horse is a beautifully drawn Disney short with lots of lush colours and inventive visuals in the gags and how the characters express themselves. The music is very characterful and charming, and while there are funnier How to...shorts in the series the best of the gags here are very nicely done and amusing. The narration is droll and thoughtful, as ever managing to entertain and inform, and John McLeish narrates with energy and great sardonic humour. He was absent for a few shorts before this and was missed, which says a lot for how much he adds to the shorts. Goofy is instantly likable and funny and Percy the foil was a very well-contrasted supporting character, his reactions to Goofy's ineptitude and his response to the narrator calling horses dumb make for some really nicely-pitched comedy. Overall, solid and entertaining but not exceptional. 7/10 Bethany Cox