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"Hi Kevin!"

LOL! Well, everyone here knows mine (Ruthy), so what's the sense in rehashing?

I can understand the reluctance to share personal information on a public website though. I just got to a point where I figured that anyone that hated me enough would find my name another way anyway so I'd better even out the odds and let my friends know it first!

Oh, back to the movie a sec. You know, when Galdalf and company rides into Edoras, I swear I could see Ian holding on to a saddlehorn under his robes. It was really quick, but since I was concentrating on seeing how he rode Shadowfax at liberty, I caught it.

Did anyone else see that?

Yes, he is in a saddle. Would have to have been for safety. I am going to guess that almost all of the riding was done by a double, and even then I am sure the double was in a saddle. Liberty horses are trained to respond to tiny shifts of weight by the rider and it would be too hard to have the kind of seat necessary to turn and stop the horse bareback. I don't know if the animal they used is really a stallion or not (I haven't been given an intimate look) but he does have the cresty neck, jowls and carriage characteristic of a stallion. Especially if it was a stallion, but even if it wasn't, Ian McKellan is not going to be skillful enough to be put on a horse with no means of control in close contact with other horses. I bet when the "behind the scenes" comes out, we learn that like Liv Tyler, Ian McKellan was never on a moving horse.

That said, Shadowfax was at liberty most of the time. One shot I did see a white line around his neck. Either the mood of the horse required it that day, or what they needed to do was intricate enough that they needed that, I have to see it again to see what else happened in the scene. It was a fleeting glimpse, and I forgot where.

... I swear I could see Ian holding on to a saddlehorn under his robes. It was really quick, but since I was concentrating on seeing how he rode Shadowfax at liberty, I caught it.

Did anyone else see that?

I Didn't see a saddlehorn, I saw a cheater cord- white- and stirrups- ugh! I know it was the horse trainer standin that really did the riding scenes, and I could easily see that when Ian had to be on the horse there was something he could hold, like I said, I did see a white cord and stirrups- however, I cannot imagine that they would use a "horned" saddle since it was not supposed to show at all. I would think that there was a jockey saddle, training pad or circingle to provide the stirrups??