Horse People with Alexandra Tolstoy

In Siberia, Alexandra spends three weeks living with a group of herders, whose long-haired Yakut horses are specially bred to survive the extreme cold. The horse herders live in basic huts in sub-zero temperatures. Their lives revolve around looking after their horses. While they care for them, ultimately they breed them for food. Alexandra has to face up to the brutal reality of how they butcher their horses, which later up on the dinner plate.

Alexandra Tolstoy journeys to the area around Jerez in Andalucia, where she discovers a world behind the tourist image of Spain. She has a lesson in dressage technique, which she says is the best hour she has ever had horseriding, and meets a family who excel in fighting bulls from horseback. Alexandra also learns how artificial insemination and even surrogate motherhood are now used in horsebreeding.

Montana is a classic 'cowboys and Indians' country. Alexandra sets off to explore the vibrant horse culture of this area and finds that both communities still share a passion for the horse. She lives on a ranch with a cowboy family and joins in the daily tasks including rounding up and branding cattle, and breaking in horses. Native American Kenny introduces her to bareback riding and the fast and furious world of Indian relay racing. She arrives in time for the Crow Fair - the largest gathering of Native American peoples - and finally faces up to the challenge of taking part in a professional rodeo.