Alas, there is a scarcity of animated equine transformation: the media world is fixated on were-wolves. Very sad.
The cupboard isn't entirely bare however and here are some offerings that may be of interest.
I've taken the liberty of adding a few non-equine transformations that appealed to me, and one or two other sequences that may appeal.
This page uses embedded YouTube videos, and as such, some videos may occassionally be deleted or altered.
Please feel free to let me know if something here isn't working or, much better, if you find a new video I ought to know about.
Equine Transformations
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Animorphs
From the TV adaptation of K A Applegates sci-fi series of the same name (See here). Cassie is the first to experiment with the alien morphing technology, becoming a horse.
I always liked Cassie.
Beastmaster
An interesting centaur transformation, where two people merge with the horses they are riding to become centaurs. Centaurs like this can also be found in David Gemmell's novel Dark Prince.
Carpatina Advert
This most amazing and beautiful advert was drawn to my attention by Silao. The product is a Romanian mineral water with the slogan "untamed water".
Casper Meets Wendy
One of the live-action adventures of Casper the Friendly Ghost. This transformation is a tiny clip and seems to go entirely unnoticed by any of the protagonists - there is no indication that the two boys ever get changed back. There should be more happy endings like that.
The entire film, which also features quite a good goat transformation, can be located on YouTube.
The Wild Thornberrys
I've never watched this cartoon, but this is apparently a dream-sequence. If someone is familiar with the episode and wants to fill me in, I'd enjoy hearing from you:)
Fairy Tale Police Department
Two contemporary police detectives work to solve cases in Fairy Tale Land. There should be a live-action of this one! Transformations are frequent, but this one was obviously relevant.
Search YouTube under FTPD for more extracts.
The Magic Heart
From an anime series of calssic Grimm fairytales comes the story of The Magic Heart, also known as Donkey Lettuce. The story is that a young hunter, down on his luck, acquired some powerful magical artifacts, and was then tricked out of them by the beautiful daughter of a witch. Swearing to get even he comes across a field of cabbages. Half-starved, he easts some, and is startled to find himself transformed into a donkey. Then he finds a second field of different coloured cabbages that change him back. Seeing a means of revenge, he takes some of each cabbage, and tricks the witch and her daughter into eating one of them. As soon as they both become donkeys, he pays a local farmer to look after them. Because he has a soft spot for the daughter, he tells the famrer to treat the younger beast gently but to use the older beast as harshly as he wishes. It isn't long before the witch drops down dead, and the hunter relents and restores the daughter to her human form whereupon they fall in love and live happily ever after.
Click the YouTube link to access the transformation scenes.
Series Two, Episode 22: Deedee is playing Pony Princess with her friends, but this isn't enough for her, so she begs Dexter to use his lab to turn her into a real pony. The transformation technique is innovative: impressive gadgets descend from the ceiling and begin to wreath Deedee in strange lightning - at which point two huge "horse-moulds" slam together: voila! Deedee is a horse. Then however, Dexter reveals his plans to use her for his experiments, and her friends just want to ride her all day. Deedee is forced to gallop away to freedom.
A huge thank you to Justin, who located the episode here: Series Two Episode 22
Please note that Deedee's Tail is the second of three short stories, and commences at 7mins and 24 seconds.
The Last Unicorn
A beautiful movie which I urge you to purchase. Whilst searching for the secret of what became of her race, the last unicorn in
the world is transformed into a human woman by the
well-meaning but
slightly-less-than-competant wizard, Schmendrick, in order to escape the attention of the creature known as the Red Bull. She cannot prevail against the Bull in human form
however, and is gradually losing herself as
her thoughts and feelings become human. Schmendrick eventually manages to turn her back. Hats off to the animators at Topcraft (who went on to become renowned Studio Ghibli
of Spirited Away fame)
for managing to ensure that her transformation is as graceful as the character should be.
Bugs Bunny - Knight-Mare Hare
A horse transformation in Bugs Bunny? Yep! Our hero returns, Connecticut Yankee style, to the time of Camelot. After various misadventures, he encounters the magician,
"Merlin of Monroe", who changes Bugs into a pig. Bugs being Bugs however, he simply opens a zipper and steps out of the "costume" as himself. He returns the favour by turning Merlin into a horse (and a very sorry-looking nag at that).
Having seen how Bugs escaped, the magician tries the same trick, unzipping a horse costume - but he's still a horse underneath! Unzipping several more costumes has the same result, and the magician is forced to remain that way... I'd love to see a live-action version of this trick using modern CGI effects!
This is the middle segment of the episode where Sabrina and her class visit Walt Disney World (which, incidentally, really is the most magical place in the world).
Two of Sabrina's classmates are transformed into Zebras after she carelessly leaves a potion unattended in her room in that time-honoured fashion that has led to so many happy accidents in TF fiction!
Cinderella
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo! That wonderful sequence from Disney's Cinderella where the Fairy Godmother sets up Cinderella's night at the palace. True, this doesn't feature people being turned into horses,
but as the mice are strongly anthropomorphic and wear clothes, I figured it counted.
Pinocchio
Of course, no collection of equine tf videos would be complete without Pinocchio's transformation on Pleasure Island. Since most people have seen the Disney film
(and disappointingly, Disney altered the story so that Pinocchio escapes full transformation), I thought I'd include this German adaptation. I don't think a translation is needed.
The Transfiguration of Harold Maines
This short film explores the odd disappearance of husband and father Harold Maines - or has he disappeared? Those who knew Harold testify to his strange obsession with wishing to become a horse, and some believe he achieved this aim. It isn't a dramatisation: it's a mock documentary, in which friends and family are interviewed and Harold's life is explored in detail. The full film is available from Midsummer Movies.
I found this wonderful little pencil-sketch transformation on YouTube.
L'ane et le Cheval
Thanks to Silao for this gem! Unfortunately, we can't find an online copy, but Silao sent me some wonderful screen shots.
L'ane et le Cheval (The Donkey and the Horse) is the ninth episode of an animated series named Les Contes du Chat Perché (Tales from the Perched Cat). The eponymous narrator tells the tale of two sisters, Delphine and Marinette, who live with their parents on a farm inhabited by talking animals. Their parents love their children but are bluntly pragmatic towards their livestock, whilst the girls are sympathetic and often conspire with the animals against their parents.
In the episode of interest to us, as they go to sleep one night, Delphine comments how nice it would be to be a donkey, while Marinette is of the opinion she would rather be a horse. They are startled the following morning to discover their wish has come true. Their parents, startled at first, soon grow accustomed to the idea, and see no reason why the two new animals should not work for their living! The two girls transform back at the end of the episode.
The series is based on a series of books by Marcel Aymé. There is a German version of the animation called Der Märchenkater Erzählt, episode nine being named, .
American Dad - Don't look a Smith Horse in the Mouth
In order to save his SUV from the credit crunch (and his wife), CIA agent Stan acquires a race-horse in order to make a quick fortune. The horse has Issues however, and is psychologically unable to race. No problem: a quick visit to the CIA brain-swapping lab, and Stan is now in the body of the race-horse, while his own body is now eating hay in the garage.
I haven't included a direct link to this episode, partly because many online copies are regionalised, and partly because the humour is decidedly adult, but a quick Google for AMERICAN DAD DON'T LOOK A SMITH HORSE IN THE MOUTH should yield results rapidly. For reference, this is episode 10 of season 5.
Petrang Kabayo
This is a Filipino television drama of (so Silao informs me) fairly typical fair for the Phillipines, which is to say, rather silly and over acted. Nevertheless, this wacky piece of cinema does contain several good equine transformations, some rather nicely animated.
Peter, the protagonist, is driven from his home when his father discovers his homosexual tendencies. Pitied and cossetted by a wealthy woman who owns a race track, he is adopted and on his benefactor's demise, inherits her estate. However, spoilt by the unaccustomed luxury, Peter soon begins to bully his friends and staff, and manages to irritate Diobayo, god of horses. The deity places a curse on peter so that if he loses his temper or mistreats others, he turns into a grey pony named Petra. It's wild and wacky and dreadfully ham-acted, and only in Filipino, but worth struggling through, even if you turn the sound off. One tf, a precursor dream of an event to come, occurs right at the begining (the character is actually male, which I didn't immediately realise).
The video was removed from YouTube but may be available on other sites.
Krabat
This German language animation is the screen adaptation of Otfried Preußler's novel of the same title (often retitled in English as "The Satanic Mill"). It tells the tale of a young vagrant named Krabat, who finds his way (or is he summoned?) to a mysterious mill where eleven jourmeymen slave away for the mysterious one-eyed Miller. It is soon revealed that this is a school of the Dark Arts, and that for the Miller to remain in power, one of the men must die each year.
There are numerous transformations in the story: two of them equine. In the first, Krabat and fellow Journeyman Juro have been despatched to the market where Juro is to turn himself into a horse so that Krabat can sell him and Juro can then escape and return to the mill. Juro doesn't think he can pull it off successfully, and so Krabat offers to change places. However, nothing escapes the notice of the Miller, and angry that his precise orders have not been obeyed, he masquerades as a buyer, lepas upon Krabat's back, and rides him until he drops.
The second equine TF occurs as part of a story the Miller is telling his men - except that the story becomes real throughout the telling. The story is of how the Miller rescues the Marshall of Saxony from the Ottoman Empire, by turning the officer into a horse and riding him away. The Miller gets Krabat to play his own part, whilst his friend Juro is cast to play an enemy sorcerer, in an attempt to get Krabat to kill his friend.
Krabat was also turned into a live-action film, but only one raven transformation is depicted, and it is reckoned a poor adaptation. Why do film-makers so often go to so much trouble to acquire the rights to a book and turn it into a film, only to completely alter it into something barely recognisable? Sigh...
The video was removed from YouTube, but may be available on DVD or elsewhere on the web.
A wonderful piece of animation with a Native American theme.
Anime Cat Transformation
The young lady is Heckett, and this is from the anime series Princess Knight. I just love the cuteness of this transformation. I don't have the patience necessary to draw animation, but I'd love to produce an equine version!
That's So Raven
An edited version of the episode, Don't Have A Cow, in which Raven and Chelsea accidentally transform themselves. If you're interested, the entire episode is often available on YouTube.
The hunter discovers the cabbage.
