The drama isn’t just on the screen! A hilarious, but ultimately frustrating, rumor is circulating among the crew veterans of Ransom Canyon that the set was frequently held up by a bizarre, ego-driven standoff between lead actor Josh Duhamel (Jake) and his main equine co-star, an impressive stallion named “Storm.”
The story, allegedly detailed by a frustrated Animal Wrangler, suggests that Duhamel and Storm simply did not bond. While Duhamel is known to be an excellent rider, whenever the script called for a moment of quiet, intense connection—a scene where Jake rests his head against Storm, or gently coaxes the horse into a tight spot—Storm would reportedly refuse to cooperate.
The Wrangler claims Storm would frequently toss his head, walk out of frame, or even gently nip at Duhamel’s expensive costume. “It was like Storm knew Duhamel was the star and wanted the camera time for himself,” the source jokes. This led to multiple reshoots and entire scenes being rewritten. The most infamous incident was a scene requiring Jake to whisper a sentimental line into Storm’s ear; the horse reportedly let out a loud, distracting neigh every single time Duhamel started speaking.
The production team eventually had to resort to coating Duhamel’s hands and pockets with special apple-flavored treats just to get Storm to stand still near him. This bizarre feud highlights the unexpected challenges of filming a massive Western drama—sometimes, the biggest diva on set has four legs!
