Like these other films, The Horse Thief shows Tian's fascination with China's ethnic minorities, and in particular the Buddhist ceremonies that these peoples practice.

[1] Derek Adams from Time Out gave the film a good review: "It offers the most awesomely plausible account of Tibetan life and culture ever seen in the west.

[2] Janet Maslin from The New York Times gave it three out of five stars, concluding: "The Chinese film The Horse Thief is best watched as pure spectacle, since it unfolds almost entirely without benefit of dialogue.

[3] Jonathan Rosenbaum writing for the Chicago Reader praising the film, saying: "Tian's originality and mastery of sound and image communicate directly, beyond the immediate trappings of the film's slender plot (a horse thief expelled from his clan) and regional culture (Buddhist death rituals), expressing an environmental and ecological mysticism that suggests a new relationship between man and nature.

[4] In 1988, The Horse Thief won the "Distribution Help Award" (tied with Yeelen) at the Fribourg International Film Festival.