Parents' Guide to

Walk. Ride. Rodeo.

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Inspiring true story of teen recovering from severe injury.

Movie NR 2019 100 minutes
Walk. Ride. Rodeo. Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 9+

Based on 7 parent reviews

Mama Fray
Mama Fray Adult
July 7, 2020
age 7+

Great movie & message with some language and unsettling, realistic scenes to be aware of with younger/sensitive viewers

The crash and subsequent flashback scenes are very visually and auditorily realistic, so most kids and sensitive viewers will need to be prepped for them ahead of time. The review says that language is limited to “butt” and an instance of “hell”, but there is definitely at least one “d-mn” (possibly more) in a main conversation. The nurse says to Amberley that she’s about to lose her d*** mind after she leaves Tuck’s room. It was very much in passing, but still worth noting in case you want to watch this movie with certain audiences where it might be an issue (like in classes or youth groups). Overall, we really enjoyed this movie. It’s a great story of overcoming negative circumstances with a can-do attitude and a lot of hard work. Amberley is really an inspiration.

This title has:

Great messages
2 people found this helpful.
Erwin W.
Erwin W. Parent of 11-year-old
June 22, 2019
age 12+

Engaging movie

My daughter and I really enjoyed this movie. My daughter loves horses and horse riding. But I would never have watched this movie with her when she was younger because the message would have missed the mark. Also, the hospital operation room scenes made her look away. The main character goes through all stages of human suffering (victimhood, anger, striving for wellbeing, fear) and learns that she has the power to deal with them differently. Which is a good message for sure.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
1 person found this helpful.
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Amberley Snyder (Spencer Locke) is a very lucky girl as WALK. RIDE. RODEO. opens. She has wonderful parents and loving siblings and is looking forward to college. But what matters most to Amberley is riding. She's been riding horses on her parents' ranch since she was a very little girl. Amberley's good at it, so good that she's found great success as a barrel racer in rodeo competition with Power, her own special horse. A tragic accident changes everything. Thrown from her truck in an accident, Amberley sustains life-altering injuries. Paralyzed from the waist down, Amberley and her family are devastated. It isn't long, however, before her parents, Tina (Missi Pyle) and Cory (Bailey Chase), discover that Amberley is not to be defeated. With their help and the committed care of medical professionals, the teen determines not just to ride horses again, but also to compete in the rodeo. It's a daunting challenge, with serious ups and downs, but one that Amberley faces with courage and heart.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7):
Kids say (5):

A feisty, true-life heroine and beautiful horses offset this predictable message-driven story about accepting adversity and the power of determination and courage. Solid performances balance some of the rockier ones, and the efforts to create an honest re-enactment (guided by Amberley Snyder) are admirable. Stories like hers deserve to be told, and what makes Walk. Ride. Rodeo. special is the awareness that Snyder does all of the stunt riding herself. Snyder, seat-belted in the saddle (sadly she wasn't wearing such a belt when the truck overturned), insisted on riding because the method she's adapted is unique and couldn't be imitated by anyone. Fine for family viewing, especially for girls who love horses and stories about good people who "give up, give in, and give it their all."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what movies like Walk. Ride. Rodeo. teach us. Clearly this story is about conquering a life-changing accident and accepting one's limitations, but how can the messages it delivers be valuable for everyone? Think of a situation in which you might have used a concept like "Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."

  • How did Amberley's story illustrate such character strengths as courage, perseverance, communication, and teamwork? Besides Amberley, who are the role models in this film? Why?

  • Over the course of the movie, Amberley says, "We don't always choose what happens to us, but we do get to choose what we do next." Give some examples of situations where you have found this statement to be true.

Movie Details

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