“And now it’s down to Camilla to do her thing” — a vague brief if ever there was one, but for Game of Thrones’ master of horse it seems the sky is the limit.
A behind the scenes video from the making of the “loot train attack”, shown on last night’s (7 August) episode of the show, reveals how the amazing entrance of the Dothraki hordes standing on their galloping horses was created.
The HBO show’s horse master Camilla Naprous, of The Devil’s Horsemen stunt team, explained her inspiration for the scene.
“I think there was a line in the outline that said ‘and now it’s down to Camilla to do her thing,” she said.
“I was like ‘thanks! Ok, where are we going to go now? Let’s think of some ideas — what can we bring that has never been seen on screen before?’”
Director Matt Shakman added: “[Camilla] said ‘what about as the Dothraki are coming down, they all just stand up on their horses and start shooting arrows?’
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“I thought ‘that sounds great, but that’s not possible’ and she said ‘it is, we’ve built some special stirrups and we can do it’.”
Stuntman Charlie Barrett, who plays one of the Dothraki warriors, explained the stirrup is like a “metal shoe” that the riders put one foot into, keeping them secure while they put the other on top of the saddle.
“It is like a wave rising from a still ocean — all these guys perfectly co-ordinated, rising up,” he said.
“It shows us that the Dothraki are horsemasters.”
Director David Benioff said he hopes viewers realise how much is actually done, rather than just being visual effects.
“It is real stuntmen standing up on horses with a bow and shooting arrows — it is an amazing thing to see,” he added.
Viewers will also be glad to hear that the actors, horses — and dragons — involved in Game of Thronesdo not suffer their graphic on-screen injuries in real life. This includes the horrific moment a horse lost a leg, which was done using special effects.
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
