Pet of the week: Spirit, the beautiful horse who inspired the animated movie is turning 29

Spirit, the majestic Kiger Mustang stallion who inspired the animated DreamWorks film, is celebrating his 29th birthday. The beautiful horse lives in Santa Barbara, California, at the Return to Freedom sanctuary. 

Better known for inspiring the 2002 installment Spirit: Stallion of The Cimarron, Spirit is a symbol of protection of wild horses. Spirit has been enjoying his time at the sanctuary, where he spends his days around the 300 acres of pasture.

Sprit was the muse and model for the Oscar-nominated movie, directed by Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook. The filmmakers were searching for a horse who embodied the characteristics of an adventurous and brave character.

© Kimmerlee Curyl/Return to Freedom

"The filmmakers chose Spirit because of his beautiful conformation, wide-set eyes, and his thick, wavy, and multi-colored mane and tail — a perfect example of genetically and historically rare 15th-century Spanish Barb horses," the sanctuary explained. 

© DreamWorks

Born in 1995, Sprit receives visitors of all ages to this day. "Animators observed him closely to create a horse character with accurate, realistic movements that could communicate without speaking," the sanctuary added. "Spirit the stallion continues to inspire many to learn about — and advocate for — the thousands of nameless wild horses and burros whose survival on our public lands remains in jeopardy."

© Irene Vejar/Return to Freedom

After the movie was filmed,  DreamWorks selected Return to Freedom’s American Wild Horse Sanctuary as the perfect home for the stallion. However, his fame continued with 'Spirit: Riding Free,' which has run for eight seasons on Netflix.

He also has incredible recognition for his role as an ambassador for Mustangs. "The EQUUS Foundation and the United States Equestrian Federation inducted Spirit into the Horse Stars Hall of Fame in 2018."