It was directed by Sergei Bodrov, written and produced by Jean-Jacques Annaud, narrated by Lukas Haas, and distributed by Columbia Pictures.

An Arabian mare gives birth to a beautiful chestnut foal during a voyage to Swakopmund for work in the copper mines.

Alone in the Namib Desert with Lucky, Richard encounters a 12-year-old girl named Nyka (Maria Geelbooi) who teaches them how to survive in the harsh landscape.

Another twelve years pass with Lucky presiding over his new herd before a 26-year-old Richard (Arie Verveen) returns to South-West Africa, now a South African mandate.

Screenwriter Jeanne Rosenberg had previously worked on the film adaptation of Black Stallion directed by Carroll Ballard.

The reviewer was disappointed in the filmmakers, given their previous accomplishments, and the fact that the film portrayed horses as "masters of the obvious who think and speak entirely in movie cliches".

Ebert called the human characters "one-dimensional cartoons" and criticized the plot for historical and cultural errors.

The site's consensus reads: "The narration in Running Free detracts from its beauty, and pushes the film to the point of absurdity.