9 Horses Used in Yellowstone TV Show [+ Cool Videos]

If you're like me, the Yellowstone show has you glued to your TV screen.

I have to admit; that I'm a big fan of anything that has to do with nature and animals.

So obviously, I was fascinated by the horses in the popular show, and I knew I had to learn more about them.

Turns out, the horseback scenes are shot right here in Montana. The Yellowstone show horses!

Read on to find out more about how horses were used in the Yellowstone tv show.

READ MORE: Best Movies About Horses

Who Owns the Horses on Yellowstone TV Show?

Who owns the horses on the Yellowstone TV show? The Yellowstone horses are owned by Taylor Sheridan, a two-time ranch owner and reining and cutting competitor. 

Sheridan (1) even says himself, “As far as horses go, I supply most of the horses to Yellowstone, “my tv show.”

Bobby Patton from Rocking P Ranch allowed his famous stallion, Metallic Cat, to be featured in season 4 of the show.

Custom Made Gun, a champion reining horse owned by Maria Cecilia Fiorucci, was featured in season 1, episode 5 of the show, and so on.

There are so many horses on Yellowstone, and the owners must be proud knowing their horses are tv stars.

Is Taylor Sheridan a Real Cowboy?

Taylor Sheridan is a real cowboy. He rides and competes with his horses when he is not working on Yellowstone. He also owns two ranches and gets up every morning before work to brand cattle.

Sheridan grew up on a ranch, and working in Yellowstone is a chance to return to his cowboy roots for a living. He was even inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2021.

CHECK: Best Netflix Horse Show

Who Are the Horses in Yellowstone TV Show?

Yellowstone is a hit horse show on TV about a family-owned ranch in Montana. The characters in the show rely on horses to help them with the day-to-day tasks of running the ranch.

But who are the horses that play such an essential role in the show? The horses on Yellowstone are a mix of breeds, including mustangs, quarter horses, and paint horses.

Each horse is carefully chosen for its personality and ability to work with the actors. 

Here are all the horses that have made an appearance in Yellowstone as part of the animal cast.

TRY CHECKING: How Many Acres Is Yellowstone Ranch?

1. Metallic Cat

Metallic Cat (2) is a famous reined cow horse owned by Bobby Patton at Rocking P Ranch. He is the 2009 NRCHA Horse of the Year and was inducted into the NRCHA Hall of Fame in 2010.

He is also 2016, 2017, and 2018 NRCHA Sire of the Year. High Brow Cat sired metallic Cat out of Cher’s Shadow. His parents have ties to Peppy San Badger, Smart Little Lena, Peptoboonsmal, and other well-known rodeo horses.

The NRCHA has named Metallic Cat their first five million dollar sire, and his sons and daughters have earned their owners' hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Metallic Cat appears in season 4 when Jimmy heads to the 6666 Ranch to chase his dreams of becoming a cowboy and living the cowboy lifestyle.

Additionally, in season 4, episode 6, when John is looking to purchase a new horse, Travis Wheatley tells him about Metallic Cat, and they become his owners along with Rocking K Ranch.

Here is a video of Metallic Cat in action:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/371210302?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=8dc7dc

2. Dun It Chexinic 

Dun It Chexinic is Taylor Sheridan’s prized reining horse that has won over $32,000 in the sport. He is a 2007 bay Quarter Horse gelding. He has had a long and prolific show career.

Here is a video of Dun It Chexinic in action:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/_QW4fK6H_z4

3. Walla Walla Starbuck

This is another one of Taylor Sheridan’s reining horses. He has earned over $50,000 in the sport and is featured in season 1, episode 5. 

He is a 2012 red dun stallion sired by Walla Walla Whiz out of SilvernStarbuck. His most recent title is winning the 2019 AQHA Reserve World Champion Senior Reining Horse.

The 2022 breeding season will be the first time he will stand at stud for public breedings and allow hopeful breeders to book him for their mares.

Here is a video of Walla Walla Starbuck in action:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ha02V8UU2jA

READ MORE: Where is Seabiscuit Buried?

4. Lil Joe Cash

Lil Joe Cash (3) is a 2008 sorrel stallion and NRHA million-dollar sire. He is sired by Nu Chex To Cash and out of RS Lilly Starlight. His foals are and continue to be top competitors in the reining arena.

His most recent achievement is coming in 3rd place in the 2019 Run for a Million $100,000 Shootout, and he was the champion of the 2014 NRHA $75,000 Shootout.

Even though he was only in the reining arena for one year, Lil Joe Cash proved himself repeatedly and is now one of the top reining horse stallions and sires.

Lil Joe Cash is owned by Lil Joe Cash Inc and stands at stud at Tom McCutcheon Reining Horses.

He is featured in season one, episode 5 of Yellowstone and is owned by Russell Giles; and he appears in the NRHA futurity with trainer and rider Andrea Fappani. 

Here is a video of Lil Joe Cash in action:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/371210302?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=8dc7dc

5. Custom Made Gun

Custom Made Gun is a 2011 palomino AQHA/APHA stallion sired by Colonels Smoking Gun and Custom Made Dun It.

He is the 2019 RFAM Co-Champion and the winner of a bronze medal at the 2018 World Equestrian Games as a part of the USA reining team.

Here is a video of Custom Made Gun in action:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/9JZcd35NHWY

6. High-Class Trash

One of the other horses used in the Yellowstone tv show is High-Class Trash. He is sired by Gunnatrashya, 2009 NHRA Futurity Open Champion, and out of Taris Little Vintage, a member of the NRHA Hall of Fame.

She is a filly who has just started her reining career but has won a title in all her starts. Tracer Gilson rode her in the 2018 National Reining Horse Association Futurity and was a finalist in the open and intermediate open division.

High-Class Trash is owned and bred by Loren Booth of Orange Grove, California. 

7. Smartly Starstruck

Smartly Starstruck (4) is a 2012 dark bay stallion sired by Very Smart Remedy and out of Katie Starlight, who was the first winner of the World’s Greatest Horseman competition and came from a long line of veteran bridle horses.

He is the 2021 NRCHA Stallion Stakes Bridle Spectacular Champion and the 2020 IRCHA Futurity Open Bridle Champion, along with winning several other prestigious awards.

Smartly Starstruck is trained and ridden by Todd Bergen and has made over $80,000 in his career as a bridle horse. McSpyder Ranch owns it.

Here is a video of Simply Starstruck in Action:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/m9T5u0k3t1U

8. Metallic Memorey

Metallic Memorey is a 2016 sorrel American Quarter Horse Association stallion sired by champion stallion Metallic Cat and out of Memorey, who has earned over 70,000 dollars in the NCHA.

He has earned over $30,000 as part of the NRCHA with his trainer Corey Cushing. Metallic Memorey stands at stud in Minnesota on top of competing and is owned by Wildfire Farms.

Here is a video of Metallic Memorey in action:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/l0LN7IBizq0

9. Not My Day Job

Not My Day Job is a 2015 red roan quarter horse gelding sired by Smart Zenolena and out of Shining Sprats Vanna. He is a member of the NRCHA and a winning reining horse.

He has dabbled in just about every Western horse event and has earned over $16,000 since his career began in 2008. He is owned by Dana Avila and trained by Bob Avila.

Now you have an idea of what kind of horses are in Yellowstone. Whether they are champions in their sport or newcomers just getting started, they all contribute to the show's realism.

Make sure to also check out our list of great Netflix show about horses.

Who is the Real Horse Trainer in Yellowstone?

Brent Krajsnitsky was hired as part of the Yellowstone crew to help the actors build a relationship with the horses on the show and get them ready for their time to shine.

Krajsnitsky (5) is best at solving problems that horses are having, and he helps them overcome their challenges by listening to them.

He says the key to working with horses is to understand why they are behaving in a certain way and understand their needs to the best of your ability to gain a fresh perspective.

Horses are never willfully bad; they usually act out because of discomfort, pain, or stress. Krajsnitsky begins his sessions by discovering the horse’s foundation, and then he makes a game plan depending on their reaction.

He purposely searches for the moments in time when the horse is relaxed and enjoying themselves to help them gain confidence and channel positive energy.

Any moments or activities when the horse looks distressed are added into the training plan so that he can help the horse improve those areas.

He says: “When a horse gets frustrated and is unsure of anything, there’s fear. When a horse is afraid, it leaves…escapes. So, I’m always looking for the horses to be soft and supple towards me. If there is any resistance, that’s where I encourage them to soften towards me or towards the idea of what we are doing. They will start to give themselves so that they will start to turn loose and relax.”

Curiosity in a horse helps build confidence, and rewarding with positive reinforcement or treats, encourages them to keep doing the right thing.

Taylor Sheridan also helped train the horses for the show, considering that several of his geldings make appearances.

FAQs 

Are they riding horses in Yellowstone?

Some of the cast members for this horse show or tv can ride horses in real life, while others went to Utah for training before filming.

Are Yellowstone actors real cowboys?

Some of the actors on Yellowstone, like Taylor Sheridan, who plays Travis, are real cowboys, but not all of the actors are. Those who are not going to cowboy camp to learn all about the cowboy lifestyle and life on the Dutton ranch

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed learning about the horses used in Yellowstone. It’s amazing how much work and care goes into finding the perfect horse for each role on the show. I know I'm definitely impressed!

What's your favorite horse in Yellowstone? Let me know in the comment section.

References 

• 1. Shea J. “Yellowstone” TV: Taylor Sheridan’s Own Horses Star in the Paramount Hit Series . Outsider. 2021 . Available from: https://outsider.com/entertainment/tv/yellowstone/yellowstone-tv-taylor-sheridans-own-horses-star-paramount-hit-series/
• 2. Metallic Cat – 33 Million Dollar Sire . Available from: https://metalliccat.com/
• 3. HOME - . liljoe.cash. . Available from: http://liljoe.cash/
• 4. Our Horses – McSpyder Ranch . . Available from: https://mcspyderranch.com/horses/