Parents need to know that this movie has some mild language, including insults like "idiot," "blow sunshine up your tail," and "kick your butt." A bad word is amusingly cut off by an animal's "baaa." There is some crude humor, much of it involving animal poop (which most children will find very funny). An animal parent is very harsh to his child. There is a scary fall and some off-camera violence, but no one is hurt. Some viewers may be concerned about the storyline concerning the death of Channing's mother in a racing accident.

Families can talk about why Stripes was so unhappy to find out he was not a horse. Why did Clara and Nolan have different ideas about what was important? Why do some people think "different is scary?" What does it mean to say "You can put your boots in the oven but that doesn't make them biscuits?" What made Nolan change his mind about letting Channing race? They should also talk about the importance of both skill and discipline, and both ability and heart. What can you tell about the way families can resolve differences by the way Nolan and Channing talk to each other?