Ha Ji Won Shows a Special Love for Horses on "Empress Ki"

Actress Ha Ji Won was born in 1978, the Year of the Horse, so it’s no wonder that she has a special bond with horses.

Ha Ji Won has spent a great deal of time with horses on MBC Monday-Tuesday drama’s “Empress Ki,” having had many horse-riding scenes in the early part of the drama. She recently got back into the saddle five months after her last horseback ride last September.

On the February 24 episode of “Empress Ki” (Episode 32), Ha Ji Won’s Seung Nyang went on a horse riding date with Ta Hwan (Ji Chang Wook) to practice for a hunting competition. She showed off the results of special horse riding training she had received at a riding club, drawing her bow while riding her horse quite professionally.

Action scenes require quite a great deal of practice, and while actors may sometimes choose to use a stunt double to minimize risk, Ha Ji Won generally prefers to choose her own scenes. She was required to ride at a galloping speed across the beach during filming in September, and she did do for over 12 hours. Ha Ji Won’s athleticism allowed her to quickly pick up horse-riding skills and gain familiarity with the bow and arrow.

That isn’t the only reason for Ha Ji Won’s excellent riding skills though. Another reason is a horse named “Talent.” According to a representative, Ha Ji Won and Talent work extremely well together, so she has decided that she will only ride this particular horse. While there are animal trainers in charge of the horse, Ha Ji Won devotedly visits the horse during her breaks from filming to embrace it and give it food.

Ha Ji Won’s side stated, “Riding uses the legs and waist a lot, and after filming on horseback for a long period of time, it is difficult to even walk. However, horse riding is fun, and she has been able to meet Talent for a long period of time, so filming has been an enjoyable experience.”