It’ll really hurt

When working with horses, it’s not about if you get hurt, but when and how bad, according to two friends of an amateur horse trainer in the documentary Wild Horse, Wild Ride. The film follows their friend plus several other trainers—both amateur and professional—in 2009 for the Extreme Mustang Makeover, where they have 100 days to teach a wild U.S.-government-rounded-up mustang to impress in hand and under saddle for a two-day showcase and competition, which comes with a $5,000 prize and prestige. The day after the show, the horses are auctioned off to the public to avoid returning to the Bureau of Land Management’s mustang and burro internment camps, population 30,000-plus. Make no mistake, though: Mustangs, made by natural selection, are smart as a whip, and suffice it to say without being a spoiler, the feats that these horses have learned in such a sort time will astonish. That includes the bond that has developed between horse and human. But as the sale of the mustangs looms, trainers begin to realize that’s truly the “how” they’ll get hurt, if they have to part with their new friends. As one of the trainers said, “It’ll really hurt.” Wanna see a cowboy cry? Take away his horse. Friday, September 28, through Thursday, October 4; Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street; (916) 442-7378; Century 14 Folsom, 261 Iron Point Road in Folsom; (916) 353-5247; www.wildhorsewildride.com.