El Mokhtar (February 9, 1971 – December 31, 1983) was an

Arabian horse The Arabian or Arab horse ( ar, الحصان العربي , DIN 31635, DMG ''ḥiṣān ʿarabī'') is a horse breed, breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is ...

, and one of three black Arabian

stallion A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...

s used to portray "The Black" in the second ''Black Stallion'' film, ''

The Black Stallion Returns ''The Black Stallion Returns'' is a 1983 film adaptation of the book of the same name by Walter Farley, and is a sequel to ''The Black Stallion''. It is the only film directed by Robert Dalva. It was produced by Francis Ford Coppola for MGM/UA En ...

.'' El Mokhtar was imported by a syndicate of American Arabian breeders in 1975. El Mokhtar was of Egyptian Arabian bloodlines, rarely shown, and originally not even broke to ride because he was considered so valuable. The American Arabian enthusiast knew him from a few ads in magazines, but no super-hype promotion surrounded his breeding career.

''The Black Stallion''

Shortly after his arrival in America, El Mokhtar was seen by ''

The Black Stallion The Black Stallion, known as the Black or Shêtân, is the title character from author Walter Farley's bestselling series about the Arab stallion and his young owner, Alec Ramsay. The series chronicles the story of a Sheikh's prized stallion a ...

'' author

Walter Farley Walter Farley (born Walter Lorimer Farley, 26 June 1915 – 16 October 1989) was an American author, primarily of horse stories for children. His first and most famous work was ''The Black Stallion'' (1941), the success of which led to many ...

. An offer was made for El Mokhtar's services for the role of 'The Black' for the first ''Black Stallion'' film, but it was firmly declined by his syndicate. ''Black Stallion'' trainer Corky Randall also liked El Mokhtar, and, at Randall's urging, the movie studio bought out the entire 40-member syndicate in order to secure El Mokhtar for the second ''Black Stallion'' film. El Mokhtar was one of three black Arabian stallions used to portray the Black in the second film. The director loved his huge, expressive eyes, so he appears in several close-up shots. More important to the film was how El Mokhtar could run; he is the Black in the cross-country race. The native extras riding the other horses were urged to make a real race of it. The 'come from behind' win of 'The Black' is the product of a real race. El Mokhtar was also trained to do the 'courting' scenes with the gray gelding Talishma, who played the mare Johar in the film. Those scenes were scheduled as the last to be shot. Just prior to the filming date, El Mokhtar developed a severe case of

horse colic Colic in horses is defined as abdominal pain, but it is a clinical symptom rather than a diagnosis. The term colic can encompass all forms of gastrointestinal conditions which cause pain as well as other causes of abdominal pain not involving the g ...

. No modern veterinary facility was available in Morocco, making surgery impossible, and as a result, El Mokhtar was humanely destroyed on the set December 31, 1983. An

autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...

revealed a severe twist, and a rupture; even if surgery had been possible, it is very unlikely he would have survived. El Mokhtar was unusually tall for a purebred Arabian, and very 'Egyptian' in type with a long, clean-cut neck, small head, and fine boned for his size. El Mokhtar was not only a good athlete - the work in the Black Stallion film was strenuous and demanding - but he also had a very good nature and was a willing performer. Corky Randall said, "He just never did anything wrong."

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* {{Use mdy dates, date=August 2017 1971 animal births 1983 animal deaths Individual Arabian and part-Arabian horses Horse actors