Their Kingdoms for some 🐴Horses. . .where did they go?

[HLGStrider]

This has probably been addressed, as it appears to me to be a simple continuity problem, but I was noticing when watching the EE yesterday (it is apparent in the regular films too, but as the Mouth of Sauron scene is absent, not quite so blaring) that when Aragorn and his company approach the gate, they are on horse back. They gallop back on horse, and then POOF! All steeds are gone. I don't see them again the battle. Suddenly Aragorn is just facing the folk on the ground. They all RUN forward rather than ride forward.

I wouldn't have thought so much of it, but I was wondering why the Rohan soldiers were fighting on foot all of the sudden and how awkward they must feel doing so. I don't think, despite that I said it was apparent, I noticed in the first viewings because I never imagined any of the characters (besides the Eorlingas), fighting on horse back. The image of Strider on foot was always preferable, and I think the fight goes off better without the horses.

I think cinematically it also adds contrast between this battle and Minas Tirith where the majority of fighting occurs on a horse.

However, where did the horses go? Does anyone have an explanation?

I have one "sort of" explanation (as Roverandom would put it, I'm not sure my "explanation explains." . .but I have noticed that the Movie-Aragorn tends to send his horse off whenever he is going anywhere important. . .

 

[Gandalf White]

I've pointed out before (and I don't remember any purist shooting it down) that Tolkien's horses disappear as well; they're there before the battle, but gone afterwards.

It's not too hard to make up an explanation for the occurrence in the book, but in the movies it becomes much harder. I think it would have to fall under a purposeful "mistake."

 

[HLGStrider]

There would be ways to do this that would be a lot less noticeable, however. In the battle for Minas Tirith (with Rohan) everyone starts out on a horse and at the end of the battle I don't think one person remains on a horse, but in the course of the battle enough horses were shown dying or falling down or whatever, that you believe that.

For some, such as Theoden and Eowyn, the loss of the horse is for plot movement, but with Eomer, I don't remember ever seeing him lose his horse, and then all of the sudden he is without it.

In the battle before the Black Gate, you cut almost immediately to a view where you can see the whole army, everything about them for quite a ways, and not so much as a hoof print. It wouldn't have hurt PJ to throw a few horses into this mix. A scene where Aragorn dismounts his horse and faces the army would have been overkill, but with the airshots it is just too obvious that the horses vanished into thin air.

In reading the battles you can imagine all you want them losing the horses like at Minas Tirith or the horses simply being handed over to grooms or abandoned when the fighting gets too thick (you remember Gimli's complaints about fighting on horse back).

 

[Hammersmith]

I remember somebody saying something (maybe narrative) of how there were scarce enough horses left at Minas Tirith for even part of Aragorn's party to be mounted, as so many had fallen in battle. Well spotted error in the movie though. That aerial shot clearly showed the absence of them hosses.

 

[lamariaevenstar]

lol...you know I never even thought about it..it didn't even occur to me until you pointed it out. So here's my silly explanation: The horses were highly intelligent and went running to a high place where they could be safe at a distance