Horseland

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Giddy, girly 'toon doesn't quite hit full stride.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this perky cartoon series will appeal to most horse-loving tween girls (and probably a good portion of those who aren't on a pony kick, too), but many boys will probably roll their eyes and dismiss it as a "girl show." Some of the characters are a bit boy crazy and otherwise one dimensional, but young viewers will still walk away with a few decent life lessons.

  • The show offers some decent lessons about cooperation and the importance of respecting and caring for animals, but many of the girl characters are fairly shallow and predictably "girly" (boy crazy, into makeup, etc.).
  • Not applicable.
  • Some of the girls are a bit boy crazy.

What's the story?

HORSELAND, which started life as a homemade computer game in 1994 and eventually became a bona fide Web hit (millions of users have signed up to create and care for virtual dogs and horses), is now a full-grown TV colt. The series chronicles the adventures of a group of friends and their beloved horses; together they go on camping trips and other expeditions. Whenever trouble arises (and it inevitably does -- episodes have featured predicaments such as getting trapped in a forest fire) the friends rely on their horses to help save the day.


Is it any good?

 

Many of the human characters are, unfortunately, a bit stereotypical -- the girls are obsessed with boys, makeup, and wisecracks. But they treat their horses with care and respect, which sets a good example for young viewers. And even though there are times when the horses shake their heads at human carelessness, when it comes down to it, they respect the girls right back.

Horseland doesn't exactly break any new tween cartoon ground, but it's a harmless show that kids (especially those infatuated with horses) can relate to, and it always offers a decent lesson or two.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about human and animal behavior. How are the humans and animals in Horseland similar? How are they different? How do humans and animals work together in real life? For kids who use the Web site: Why do you think the producers decided to make a TV show? What do the show and the site have in common? What is unique to each?


This review was written by Deirdre Sheppard
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
maybe not.
I watched it for 2 weeks, and quit. It has a good message for kids, and is a good show, but it's not really for teens.

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
It's a silly, underdeveloped, cliched, irritating show. Personally, I find it ridiculously childish, even for children. The characters are not all exactly the best role models, the plots are extremely unoriginal and very predictable. It's definitely a brain-drain. I suppose for really young children it would be acceptable, since there is no action whatsoever and just some talking animals with strong morals. Anyone over the age of 9 should avoid at all costs or risk an intelligence meltdown.

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Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
 
I loved it

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Teen, 18 years old
April 9, 2008
 
Tarnishes the ood name of horseland
It's a good show, it has its flaws, but it's really been a dissapointment to loyal Website players. I've been playing for over a year. when i started the home pgae was neat and proffessional. Now when you go on you hear "let's go to Horseland..." as an obnoxious song and you are bombarded with pretty ponies and unrealistically skinny characters. The characters are not very fun or relateable, but the fact that there are horses make it more enjoyable. They aren't very good at teaching lessons and so try to use the lame pig-dog-cat thing to sum it up at the begginning and end of each episode. Liek I said, the characters are very skinny and all around unrealistic. Yound kids may like it but it's just another of those cartoon shows on Saturday morning, nothing special. I DO however suggest that if your kid likes the show that they join HL online. The JR game is great for little kids and the HL world, though it may have some mean people that play, is thoroughly enjoyable and has entertained me everyday for about a year. I also suggest, that, if your kid like the game, that they upgrade, it's well worth the money. :)

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Parent
September 13, 2011
 
Entertaining, but...
I like the care shown to the horses by the kids. And the emphasis on friendliness and life lessons... but the aggressive bears may give my daughter the wrong message about the great outdoors. And I really have issue with how skinny the female characters are (with huge round heads), while the male characters are noticeably closer to proper proportions.

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Teen, 15 years old
August 2, 2011
 
The Horseland Review Team

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Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
 
You need to watch this show....even if you don't love horses!
I really like this show and I play both sites for it. It's isn't girly, and the girls aren't gah gah about boys I haven't seen one episode with that stuff in it. Same with the makeup.

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Kid, 10 years old
April 6, 2011
 
good for kids and family
it is a good show for kids and family it has horses and people and the horses are talking it is a good show$$$***

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Parent of 5, 5, and 6 year old
February 5, 2011
 
Cute show for kids, but not true to real horsemanship
This is a fun show for my kids to watch and they're four and six. The animal characters are great, and there are some good messages in the show. I would think with all the money that producers spend on these cartoons that they could actually show the kids riding correctly...even something as small as the kids holding the reins correctly. As a riding instructor, I am very disappointed in the horsemanship part of the show. I am watching it right now with my kids and the riding instructor just got off the wrong side of the horse! So it's not a show for kids to watch who actually want to learn about riding...but it could be if the producers paid attention and hired an actual horseman to help.

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Parent of 3 and 6 year old
January 16, 2010
 
my 5 yr old loves this show it bettre than other shows for her age to be watching
love it my daughter really loves it too it teaches good team work andother great things about frindship and hard work

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This review was written by Deirdre Sheppard
This review was written by Deirdre Sheppard
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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