12 Celebrities Who Love Horses

Plenty of us grew up loving certain celebrities. Hanging their posters on our walls or watching their movies over and over. Now, imagine finding out they are just as obsessed with horses as you are!

That’s right, plenty of celebrities are into riding. Some even compete at international levels and have won huge titles. Let’s see if some of these horse crazy celebs surprise you!

Celebs Who Are Horse Crazy

1- William Shatner

Best known for his role in the Star Trek series as Captain James T. Kirk, William Shatner is also a horse lover. He is an owner and exhibitor of saddle reds, quarter horses and standard breds. Shatner married horse trainer Elizabeth Anderson Martin in 2001 and together they have a saddle bred farm in Kentucky and a quarter horse farm in Los Angeles.

Shatner has shown in reining, western pleasure, five gaited and fine horses as well as roadster to bike divisions. He has actually won multiple Kentucky State Fair World Championship titles in the fine harness and roadster to bike divisions. Additionally, he has also received the NRHA (National Reining Horse Association) Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award.

2- Kaley Cuoco

You may know Kaley Cuoco as Penny on the hit show The Big Bang Theory, but did you also know she is an equestrian too? Cuoco competes as a show jumper and has been quite successful in showing. She also married an equestrian, Grand Prix rider Karl Cook. They even had their wedding in a stable. Together, she and her husband own two dwarf miniature horses named Smooshy and Blanco. Kaley is also the face of the FEI campaign, #ForTheLoveOfEquestrian!

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3- Bella Hadid

Bella Hadid comes from a long line of fashion models and equestrians. She has been riding since she was only 3 years old and spent the first 10 years of her life on a horse ranch. She was a competitive show jumper and recently began competing in equitation.

Her lifelong goal was to be a professional rider and even compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics. However, she had to put that goal on pause after contracting Lyme Disease in 2012. She was forced to give up her dream because her symptoms affected her ability to train. Additionally. Her sister GiGi and mother Yoland are also equestrians. Bella can still be found at that stable when she’s not traveling the world as one of the most famous models.

4- Madonna

Madonna the pop queen is also a horse lover, however her riding career started later in life when she was in her 40s. There is a notorious story of her being gifted a horse for her 47th birthday and was thrown off within a minute of getting on. Unfortunately, she broke 8 bones and couldn’t get on a horse for 6 months until she was healed.

Now, she rides her horses in the Hamptoms and has even ridden with David Letterman for a segment on his show. You can see Madonna on horse back in several of her music videos.

5- Mary-Kate Olsen

The child star Mary-Kate Olsen has been riding since she was just 6 years old. Horses have been a huge part of her life. Olsen competes in show jumping, even competing internationally since 2019. In her first international show she won a 1.25m two-phase show jumping class at Longines Global Champions Tour on her Belgian-bred gelding, Fatum.

Olsen owns the fashion house The Rowe and finds design inspiration from her equestrian lifestyle. Her show coats influence her blazer collections, she believes that comfort and fit are important both on and off the horse.

6- Julia Roberts

Best known for her many classic movies like Pretty Woman and Runaway Bride. In Runaway BrideI she gallops on a horse in a wedding dress. She is another celebrity who has been riding her whole life. Julia began barrel racing when she was just a child, even competing in rodeos.

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Roberts owns a ranch in New Mexico where she has several horses. She even went to Mongolia to film a documentary on the wild horses of Mongolia. There she lived with the nomadic people for several weeks studying their culture and relationships with the Mongol horses.

7- Johnny Depp

Super star Johnny Depp also rides horses both on and off the camera. After filming Sleepy Hollow he bought his one-eyed co-star horse! During filming of The Lone Ranger, Depp was almost trampled after a tack malfunction had him slip out of the saddle. The galloping horse nearly ran over him, luckily he was ok.

Depp also owns a farm in Kentucky called Betty Sue’s Family Farm, named after his late mother. On the property are 3 barns with 10 paddocks.

8- Victoria Beckham

Posh Spice and fashion designer Victoria Beckham loves horses. She has passed her love down to her children, Harper, Cruz, Brooklyn and Romeo. Even her husband joins in on the fun. She can be spotted riding her horses around LA and Italy. Victoria frequently shares cute family photos of them all riding horses together.

9- Lady Gaga

Known for her chart topping songs and incredible vocals, Lady Gaga is an avid rider as well. Her first horse Arabella was a Christmas present gifted from her label. In an Interview with V Magazine, she said that having a horse changed her life.

READ MORE: 7 misconceptions about horses in movies

She knew nothing about horses but decided to give it a go. She got on Arabella, grabbed her by the mane and rode bareback. Gaga was often spotted riding Arabella in Malibu and even got her boyfriend a horse named Trigger in 2016. Together the two horses had two foals of their own, Gracie and Sandy. Unfortunately, Arabella died in 2019 which caused Gaga to leave the Critics Choice Awards early to be by her side.

10- Morgan Freeman

Known for his many roles and is one of the most famous actors in the world, Morgan Freeman is also an equestrian. When he isn’t shooting films he can be found relaxing with his horses. He began riding as a kid, where he would get on horses and roam fields near his home in Mississippi.

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At 19, he rode a friends horse, Socks, who helped him gain confidence in the Saddle. While filming the movie Robin Hood Prince of Thieves he rode an Andalusian named Fury who taught him humility in the saddle. Later in life, he went back to Mississippie and bought a 124 acre ranch for his first quarter horse named Sable. In 2004 he added 7 more horses to his collection.

11- Kiefer Sutherland

Known for his many roles, Kiefer Sutherland is also another celebrity and competitive rider. He has competed at high levels, even winning the US Team Roping Championships twice. Sutherland has been in several magazines for his riding career alone. He has said that all his success comes from having good horses.

12- Queen Elizabeth

Lastly, the Queen herself is an avid equestrian. She has been riding since just 3 years old and got her first Shetland pony, Peggy, at 4 years old. By the time she was 18 she became known for her riding skills and rode in many royal events.

She has owned and bred many top thoroughbred race horses as well as Shetlands, Fell and Highland ponies. Queen Elizabeth hosts the Royal Windsor Show in Windsor Park where equestrians are able to compete. Even still in her 90s, she enjoys riding her 14 year old Fells pony, Fern.