Shadowfax

[Luinëcolloien]

I know this may sound nitpicky, but that's not really what I'm intending. I was just wondering if perhaps this was changed to make things look better---<P>In the movie, Shadowfax was white, correct? But in the book, he's supposed to be silvery-grey, right? Do you think they made him white in the movie to go with Gandalf's new brighter wardrobe? I was just wondering if maybe they did that on purpose to make things go better. Any thoughts? Thanks.

[Arwen Evenstar the Fair]

Hmmm... not really sure about that, but I think they did a really great job with Shadowfax, I just wish they could have done a little better.

[Manwe Sulimo]

He seemed plenty silver to me on top of that hill, jumping on two legs....<P>Well, what is a color that is close to "silvery-grey"? Probably light grey. So, since grey is black and white, it's close to white.

[Belsirithil]

I always thought he was black in the books. =/ Maybe it's because of the name. I think they wanted to make sure Gandalf still seemed on the good side, but I personally think they should have made the horse go with the book.

[mark12_30]

Partly this is a terminology issue... in English terms, a "grey" horse normally refers to a horse that is born deep grey, almost black, and gradually as he ages, fades to white. By the time a "grey" is fully mature, it is not uncommon for them to be white.<P>Lippizaners, for instance, are born black and by the time they are ready for parade/ dressage/ military service, they are mostly white, sometimes with darker points (feet, nose, ear tips...) So for Shadowfax to be mostly white with darker points is not incorrect at all. He still qualifies as a "grey". And his coat can also be interpreted as "silver"; if you tink about the color "silver", it is closer to white than anything else.

[Merigrin]

You never call a horse "white", you get grey, dapple grey, flea-bitten grey etc, etc. So Shadowfax is correct.

[Diamond18]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> I always thought he was black in the books. =/ Maybe it's because of the name. I think they wanted to make sure Gandalf still seemed on the good side, but I personally think they should have made the horse go with the book. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>But he wasn't black in the book. You said yourself that you just got that idea from the name. If a black Shadowfax showed up on screen most people would hurl their popcorn and soda in his direction.

[Nurumaiel]

Yes, 'white' is not a color in terms of horses. It's always grey or the like, as Meregin (sp?) said. <P>Shadowfax is an Andalusian in the movie, right? I always imagined him as an Arabian. I guess I was wrong... I mean, thinking that they'd make him be an Arabian. You can't ever imagine something wrong. (Unless your told otherwise.)<P>How many horsey people have we got here? <P>~Nurumaiel

Though many arguments can be made, Shadowfax was probably white - just look at the crest of Rohan: A white horse running over a green field.

[Morquesse]

I believe the horse who played Shadowfax is a Mustang, at least I heard that, and he looks like one (to me).<BR>In the books, he was called silver colored. Of course, what did Tolkien mean by 'silver colored'? My guess is a gray-like color that shines white, but appearently PJ thought it was just white or, technically speaking, light gray. So as for my opinion of Shadowfax, he looks fine to me, it's just an interpetation of what he looks like. <BR>See ya,<BR>~M

[Arwen_Evenstar]

In the movie, and this is only by memory so im probobly wrong, but when Gandalf rides, and then you see him looking down towards Mordor, and Orodruin is a-flaming, shouldnt he be riding Shadowfax by then? He is riding a brown horse. Im probobly wrong....let me know please!<BR>

[mark12_30]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Demero, the light grey Andalusian horse that plays Shadowfax <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>that quote is from this article:<BR><A HREF="http://www.ahafilm.info/movies/moviereviews.phtml?fid=7471" TARGET=_blank>horse TTT article</A><P>And yes, I'm a horselover too.

[Namarie]

Na uh. I;m a horsey person! YAY . Nope, Shadofax was an Andalusian, says so on the official LOTR site. <P>And Yeah horses (technically) arent white. No such thang as a white horse!

[the mortal elf]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> In the movie, and this is only by memory so im probobly wrong, but when Gandalf rides, and then you see him looking down towards Mordor, and Orodruin is a-flaming, shouldnt he be riding Shadowfax by then? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I don't think so. Gandalf got Shadowfax after being captured by Saruman, and that scene was quite a ways before Rivendell, just before Gandalf found out what the ring actually was.

[Arathiriel]

Speaking as someone who recently got into horses I thought the horse playing Shadowfax was perfect and very much how I had imagined him to be!<P>Make no mistake, that horse they used was gorgeous ad I just got chills when Gandalf and Shadowfax lead the charge into the horde of orcs at Helm's Deep!

[Namarie]

I know! I would die for a horse like that! But I have a QH Palimino and I'm very content, Neway those Andalusians start at 20,000 if you want a properly trained one.

[Iarbariel]

I think that the horse that is Shadowfax isn't exactly the prettiest PRE I've seen..but he is good enough :-)<BR>As for another horsey thing ...the horses of Rohan, shouldn't they be grey? Or is that just my imagination? They would probably have problems finding 500 grey horses anyways ;-)<BR>Anyhoos...would have been fun seeing Leggsie riding without saddle and bridle as well as Gandalf..he is an elf and should do so..or? Any suggestions?

[Namarie]

yeah. I was wondering about that too...but I think they would have needed a hell of a lot of Natural horseman training to get the horses to obey without saddle and bridle. lol

I thought Shadowfax was a beautiful horse and he sutied the part well. I had always pictured him as silvery grey, too, but the white looked better to me. He was so big and glorious! You could almost see the wisdom in his eyes.

[Iarbariel]

you got that right, Namarie lol Imagine Aragorn, Gandalf and Legolas + Gimli riding over the fields of Rohan..suddenly a rabbit pops out from a bush and Aragorn finds himself alone lol he just sees a cloud of dust after Leggsie's horse and Shadowfax *grin And the riders are spread over the fields

[Susan Delgado]

Did Gandalf's arrival at Helm's Deep (just before Eomer and the Rohirrim ride up behind him) remind anyone else of the Lone Ranger? I could almost hear Gandalf saying, "Hiyo, Shadowfax, away!"

[Luinëcolloien]

Well, thanks for all your thoughts. Didn't know we had so many horse people here at the 'Downs.

[ReededGoat]

I have to say that I cried when Gandalf first called Shadowfax...I think that was one of the most beautifully done things in the film.

[Namarie]

Yeah...horses are so beautiful...except whem you have to go outside in the cold and clean there stalls! <P> <p>[ December 25, 2002: Message edited by: Estelyn Telcontar ]

[Hawkeye]

I agree with you there, ReededGoat. The part where Shadowfax comes over the hill was one of my favorite parts. Beautiful!

[Merigrin]

I don't know why but I always pictured Shadowfax as a Unicorn. Some thing like this;<P>

[doug*platypus]

Alls I know is that movie-Shadowfax looked more like a shampoo commercial than a horse, when he first appeared. Gandalf's whistle was one of the greatest details of the film, though, it's attention to things like that that make up for a lot of the films' shortcomings.<P>There definitely are a lot of horsey-people out there - does anyone know what gender Moviefax was? I don't know horses, but it looked pretty feminine to me. The Shadowfax in my head is definitely a little more silver-grey, and larger, fiercer and much more intimidating.<P>With the bridle/no bridle thing, I think they should've been more consistent. If Gandalf rides elf-fashion, why doesn't the elf? Or conversely if you're gonna put a harness on Legolas' horse, why not just forget the whole thing and put one on Gandalf's? And how does Legolas know about the <I>mearas</I> anyway?!?!?!

[Dark Shadow]

Well Legolas did get the horse from the riders of Rohan and in my opinion it would have been impractical to take off the saddle and bridle. But Shadowfax is a wild horse (am I correct) and wouldn't be wearing saddle and bridle in the wild, so it would be pretty stupid if Gandalf just produced them for the horse.... I don't know, it's just a thought.<p>[ December 28, 2002: Message edited by: Dark Shadow ]

[Schmendrick]

Nurumaiel, I also pictured Shadowfax like an arabian horse in my mind! But I thought he looked great- very majestic- in the movie!And I guessed that he was andalusian, by the way he moves the first time he comes to Gandalf...take a careful look at that !

[Magician of Nathar]

Well, the horse they used was fine, but I imagined Shadowfax even more handsome. Like someone said before, almost like an unicorn. And I do think the horse they used is a little too white, a shade of grey would be nicer. But I guess you really can't find a "silver" horse. And is it just me or does that horse looks a little stout? More like a dwarf horse to me. Arwen's horse in FOTR definitely looked better. The moment that Shadowfax really looked divine was at Helm's Deep, but then again there was computer modulation.

[My Cat Sasha]

Maybe Shadowfax was white because Gandalf is Gandalf the White. It makes sense. He was REALLY white, though. They must have bleached him or something!

[Liriodendron]

Maybe he got a buttermilk bath, like the pig in Charlottes Web!

[Alex Chamois]

I thought I read somewhere at Sir Ian's site that two horses played Shadowfax, but I could be wrong.<P>And since Tolkien seems to have modelled Rohan on Scandinavia, the horses should have been stout and shaggy, not delicate and graceful like an arab or even andalusian... Shadowfax is an exception though, I suppose <P>I was trying to check the gender of Moviefax (there's an Australian film called "The Silver Brumby" about a wild stallion that is played in the film by a mare, so darn funny) but failed to glimpse anything conclusive

[doug*platypus]

That is pretty funny, but Australia is Down-Under, so maybe...?? Cheap movie people. How come noone's as picky as us? I really hope they didn't 'have a mare' for TTT.<P>Arod's harness might have been a hassle to get rid of, but Legolas could've returned it to the Rohirrim for them to use on another horse. Also, the Elves really do love animals (if it gets cold enough), and maybe Legolas would have seen a bit and bridle as somewhat cruel. I know I do. You're right, though, Mr. Scary Nazgul, since Shadowfax was so untameable, it would have been a much greater transgression to put a harness on him for the movie. Next to that the Arod thing is very minor.<P>I liked the way that the movie made Shadowfax seem like a god - "Lord of Horses", the way that even Gimli bowed his head towards the horse. Even in the book he is a very similar character to Huan. Nice touch, PJ.

[Ar-Gilien]

I don't know, I have to say that one of the best scenes of the movie, was the timely arrival of Gandalf upon Shadowfax. I mean, were I there fighting that battle, I'd want some symbol of hope and victory to appear out of nowhere, upon dawn's horizon, so that I'd know my fighting throughout the night was not so in vain. When a Horselord in Rohan battling for victory, what better symbol, could there be, than a great horse bearing an even greater wizard!

[Purple Elf]

Mayhaps Legolas had a saddle 2 stop Gimli from falling off! Dwarves arn't 2 good on horses and i think Gimli shoes that in the movie!

[Minyaharmawen]

i think Alex Chamois is right it does looklike two horses in the movie if you look at the shadowfax's nose the last time you see him at the end of the moive it has more black then it did the first time .<BR>

[The Silver-shod Muse]

There were two horses that played Shadowfax, and two men that played Gandalf - McKellan had an extra that rode on the younger Shadowfax.<P>I had imagined Shadowfax silvery, and much bigger and more wild and kingly, though Demero (that's the horse that plays Shadowfax) is certainly a beautiful animal.<P>There are gray Andalusians, but they're usually dapple. Look at this:

[doug*platypus]

Nice picture, yeah, but Gandalf's extra looks <I>nothing</I> like him! I don't know how I missed that in the movie.

[Alex Chamois]

Found this thread again at last. I found the answer to Moviefax's gender, so, in case anyone ELSE cares:<P>"Peter Jackson has cast a white 16 year old Andalusian stallion called Domero who, standing at 16 hands is more than up to the part, at least as far as looks are concerned. His alert ears pivot above his noble skull, his mane is thick and in no need of the false hair that some of the other horses, including Bill, wear in the film.<P>My trouble is in riding him, as Shadowfax spurns bridle, bit, reins and even a saddle. This might all be safe enough with stable lads and lasses at the ready but often enough I am carrying a hobbit in front and clinging to a three foot six hobbit isn't safe. I am very happy for Basil Clapham (my riding double) to do the galloping in my stead. Indeed the first authentic image of Gandalf that has been broadcast across the Internet (although not from this site) was not me at all but Basil urging Shadowfax toward Helm's Deep - actually not Shadowfax either but his fast galloping double 12 year old gelding called Blanco. When I mount Domero he is generally required to be stationary. Even so the shift of haunches whenever he pulls his weight from one back leg to another can feel seismic aloft and once Fon (doubling for Pippin) and I slowly and safely slid to the soft grit of the lava field surrounding the volcano of Ruapehu. "<P>- from the Grey Book at <A HREF="http://www.mckellen.com" TARGET=_blank>www.mckellen.com</A> <P>