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Twisting in Air: The Sensational Rise of a Hollywood Falling Horse
Twisting in Air brings to life the era when an extraordinary group of horses learned to fall on cue to make Western movies seem more realistic, chronicling how one of them, Cocaine, overcame a debilitating injury to become the fastest falling horse.
228 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2024
4 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Carol Bradley
9 books9 followersBefore turning to books, I spent many years as a newspaper reporter in my home state of Tennessee, New York, Washington D.C. and Montana.
My family had a couple of dogs when I was very young and adopted a number of stray cats, but I really became interested in the lives of animals after my husband, Steve L’Heureux, and I acquired two Shelties. I was fascinated at the intelligence and emotional complexity of those beloved dogs.
I began to write about horse slaughtering and animal hoarding and – after covering an egregious puppy mill bust – my interest in the underbelly of the animal world deepened.
I studied Animal Law as a Nieman fellow at Harvard in 2004 and afterward began work on my first book: Saving Gracie: How one dog escaped the shadowy world of American puppy mill (Wiley, 2010.)
Last Chain on Billie is my second book.
I live in Great Falls, Montana with my husband and three very colorful dogs.
My family had a couple of dogs when I was very young and adopted a number of stray cats, but I really became interested in the lives of animals after my husband, Steve L’Heureux, and I acquired two Shelties. I was fascinated at the intelligence and emotional complexity of those beloved dogs.
I began to write about horse slaughtering and animal hoarding and – after covering an egregious puppy mill bust – my interest in the underbelly of the animal world deepened.
I studied Animal Law as a Nieman fellow at Harvard in 2004 and afterward began work on my first book: Saving Gracie: How one dog escaped the shadowy world of American puppy mill (Wiley, 2010.)
Last Chain on Billie is my second book.
I live in Great Falls, Montana with my husband and three very colorful dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 15, 2024
It had me when I knew it was a book about horses. It gripped and held me when it went way beyond that. A lot of research went into this. It goes behind the scenes of movies and movie making. Reveals the lack of empathy by some and the extraordinary measures taken by others to protect animals and actors. This is Not a children's book and in some places, not for the weak. There are some pictures that might be considered disturbing, but I'm so glad photos were included. Made the stories come to life.
Fascinating and a good read.
Fascinating and a good read.
September 29, 2024
If you grew up watching Westerns in movie theaters or on television, like I did, you're bound to find Twisting in Air fascinating. Carol Bradley's book is an absorbing look at the early dark history of stunt horses in movies, to its heyday, and on to the present day. I've been a horse lover my entire life, and I'm glad I didn't watch those early Westerns before the Hollywood Production Code's ban on cruelty to animals.
I learned so much about the training and development of falling horses, but-- as usual-- it was the relationship between rider and horse that was key. The relationship explored the most in Twisting in Air is between stunt rider Chuck Roberson and his horse Cocaine. Roberson was the inspiration for the TV series "The Fall Guy," and he doubled for John Wayne many times.
This book explores the entire history of stunt riders and horses, from the early days of the Wild West shows to now. Once the Hollywood Production Code and the Humane Society began to have an increased say in how animals were treated, I knew it was only a matter of time before uncaring, miserly film producers found a way around the rules. (Countries outside the U.S. didn't have those same laws.) What about movies being made today? Computer-generated imagery is a wonderful thing.
Twisting in Air was a valuable read for me because it filled in so many gaps in my knowledge of the movies and television shows I loved to watch in my youth (including the true meaning of animals' facial expressions). Stunt men like Chuck Roberson and horses like Cocaine worked hard to bring a safe kind of realism to Westerns. They really were teams that cared for one another, and I'm glad I now know more about them.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
I learned so much about the training and development of falling horses, but-- as usual-- it was the relationship between rider and horse that was key. The relationship explored the most in Twisting in Air is between stunt rider Chuck Roberson and his horse Cocaine. Roberson was the inspiration for the TV series "The Fall Guy," and he doubled for John Wayne many times.
This book explores the entire history of stunt riders and horses, from the early days of the Wild West shows to now. Once the Hollywood Production Code and the Humane Society began to have an increased say in how animals were treated, I knew it was only a matter of time before uncaring, miserly film producers found a way around the rules. (Countries outside the U.S. didn't have those same laws.) What about movies being made today? Computer-generated imagery is a wonderful thing.
Twisting in Air was a valuable read for me because it filled in so many gaps in my knowledge of the movies and television shows I loved to watch in my youth (including the true meaning of animals' facial expressions). Stunt men like Chuck Roberson and horses like Cocaine worked hard to bring a safe kind of realism to Westerns. They really were teams that cared for one another, and I'm glad I now know more about them.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
October 18, 2025
Excellent history of how horses were used in falls in Westerns.
It was not in a humane way most of the time. The trainers and people involved in these early movies used very inhumane ways to trigger the fall and many horses perished because of what they did. The author was very good about doing a deep dive with the people who had used some of the techniques she wrote about and was very good at having talked to people that fought for more humane ways to train the horses to fall.
I found it very engrossing.
It was not in a humane way most of the time. The trainers and people involved in these early movies used very inhumane ways to trigger the fall and many horses perished because of what they did. The author was very good about doing a deep dive with the people who had used some of the techniques she wrote about and was very good at having talked to people that fought for more humane ways to train the horses to fall.
I found it very engrossing.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews