Horse TV Shows For Kids
If you love television shows about horses, chances are your kids do too. While some of the most popular horse shows on TV today may be geared toward adults (I’m looking at you, Yellowstone), there are plenty of wholesome and entertaining options for younger audiences as well.
What are some of the best horse TV shows for kids? Horses have fascinated kids (and adults) for generations, and there are plenty of horse-centered TV show options that are approved for audiences of all ages. Organized by targeted age, nine of the best horse TV shows for kids are:
- My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
- Spirit: Riding Free
- Horseland
- The Ponysitters Club
- Free Rein
- The Saddle Club
- Ride
- Mystic
- Heartland
Below you’ll find more information on these family-friendly series, including the basic plots, integrated lessons, and where they can be streamed.
Kid-Friendly Horse TV Shows
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
My Little Pony is a favorite among horse-obsessed youngsters, particularly those from preschool age and up. While a version of this show has captured the hearts of children for decades now (having grown up on the show myself, I can attest to that), today’s most popular version is called My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. This is an animated show centered around the magical pony Twilight Sparkle and her friends in the village of Equestria.
Some of Twilight’s friends are unicorns, like the fashion-designing Rarity. Some are pegasi, like the timid and endearing Fluttershy. And some are regular horses (or ponies, to be more accurate), like the outspoken farmer Applejack and her family. My Little Pony is a fun show that teaches social values like friendship, conflict resolution, and compromise.
All nine seasons can currently be viewed on Netflix. And if you think that My Little Pony is only for children, think again – there is somewhat of a cult following among adults as well.
Spirit: Riding Free
Spirit: Riding Free is an animated television series based on the 2002 Disney movie “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron” in which a Mustang stallion is caught and confined to a ranch until he breaks free after refusing to be broken. In the television series, a city transplant named Lucky meets and bonds with Spirit Jr., the son of the original movie’s stallion.
When Spirit Jr. is captured, Lucky sets him free. The show centers around Lucky and Spirit Jr., Lucky’s two new friends, and their horses.
The show has been running for eight seasons and is especially popular among kids between the ages of six and ten. Spirit: Riding Free teaches lessons around courage, confidence, and standing up for what you believe. You can stream the show on Netflix, in addition to the Spirit holiday specials and mini-series spin-offs.
Horseland
Horseland is another sweet animated series revolving around six friends and their horses at Horseland Stables. The show is narrated by Shep, a farm dog, who introduces and closes each episode by relating the events of the story to a specific lesson, such as the importance of cooperation and how to show someone respect.
Horseland is most popular among kids between the ages of six and ten. The antics of the friends are entertaining, and the lessons are well-received, and many younger kids love the colorful horses with their neon-highlighted manes.
Though it was well-loved among its followers, Horseland was unfortunately not renewed after season 3. You can find all three seasons on Amazon Prime and Tubi, or you can rent it from Vudu.
The Ponysitters Club
There is a new Club in town, and it doesn’t revolve around babysitting – the Ponysitters Club is a delightful Canadian television series that first aired on Netflix in 2018.
Based on the book series of the same title, the show centers around the main character Skye and her friends as they help tend to horses and other barnyard friends on the Rescue Ranch.
Though the show only ran for two seasons, it is worth watching as it offers a plot that focuses not only on riding and showing but also on rescue and rehabilitation. It teaches lessons in empathy, courage, and responsibility. It is popular among upper elementary kids and tweens, and can be streamed from Netflix.
Free Rein
Free Rein is a British television series that ran from 2017-2020 and focused on the main character Zoe Phillips and her friends at Bright Fields Stables on an English island.
Zoe immediately develops a connection with Raven, a black horse at the stables that is too wild for anyone else. Free Rein is a wholesome drama that captures the attention of tween and teen viewers, with some mature yet family-friendly plotlines.
Because the show is geared toward middle schoolers and older, it sprinkles in many lessons around the social hardships that teens face, including feeling left out, being treated poorly by peers, and how to navigate conflicts. The show can be streamed on Netflix.
The Saddle Club
The Saddle Club is a family-friendly show that is geared toward teens and teenagers, though it is generally safe for younger children to watch as well. In the series, the three friends, Carole, Stevie, and Lisa, form “The Saddle Club,” where they practice and train to compete in equestrian events at Pine Hollow Stables.
A rival equestrian, Veronica, frequently antagonizes the three friends, which leads to lessons in perseverance, friendship, and teamwork. The series ran for three seasons and can be streamed on Amazon Prime or Peacock. You may also be able to view the show for free on Pluto or Tubi.
Ride
Not to be confused with the 2023 television series of the same name (though that one is also worth watching), the family-friendly drama “Ride” to which we are referring is the 2016-2017 television series that originally aired on Nickelodeon.
The series follows the main character Kit who moves from the United States to England, where she enrolls in the elite equestrian boarding school Covington Academy.
As one can imagine, a teenager moving across the globe and enrolling in an elite boarding school of any kind can face enough social adversity to fill a number of seasons.
This show, unfortunately, only ran for one season but is full of tween and teen-friendly drama and social lessons that are both entertaining and educational for youth. It can be streamed from the Roku Channel, Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime, or Vudu.
Mystic
Based on the book series Pony Club Secrets, Mystic is a television series targeted to an adolescent and teen audience. The series is set in New Zealand and revolves around the main character Issie who, together with her friends and their horses, do what they can to save their beloved island from environmentally-unfriendly developers. The series teaches courage, perseverance, and eco-conscious values.
Mystic first aired in 2020 and has produced three seasons. As of this date, it is uncertain whether a fourth season will be developed or not. You can watch Mystic on Amazon Prime, the Roku Channel, and the UP Faith & Family network.
BruceK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Heartland
Currently in its 16th season, Heartland is a wholesome television series that is entertaining for the whole family. It follows sisters Amy and Lou as they navigate life and its ups and downs on their family ranch in Alberta, Canada.
The show focuses on family values, persevering through hardships, and hard work. Heartland is one of the most popular horse television series of all time and is the longest-running 1-hour series in its home country of Canada.
Heartland is considered a family drama, and many parents love it just as much as their children. It may not appeal to the youngest of audiences, as it is not animated (and the episodes tend to be longer than the attention span of a preschooler), but it is a show that is safe to watch in the presence of just about anyone.
You can stream the show from several different sources, including Peacock, Pluto, and UP Faith & Family.
Which Kid-Friendly Horse TV Show Will You Be Tuning Into?
While the shows listed here are targeted to younger viewers (or are at the very least family-friendly), you may find your adult-self entertained by the content here as well. Horses delight people of all ages – they are an animal that seems to be both accessible and mythical at the same time.
Depending on where you live, you may see them just about anywhere, and yet they still seem magical and special. If you’re interested in watching shows that center around horses, you and the younger people in your life will enjoy any of the above shows, from the preschooler-friendly My Little Pony to teen-drama Free Rein and all the way up to Heartland with its mature yet wholesome content. Let us know which show is your favorite!
