John Wayne & Zip: The Horse That Chose Him

The true story of John Wayne and his loyal horse, Zip.

Ann Walters

6 days ago

John Wayne riding his horse Zip through a dusty Western town at golden hour.

They met in the 1950s. The horse was Zip—powerful, proud, and known for being difficult. On a previous set, he’d tossed a stuntman hard enough to make everyone keep their distance. He wasn’t mean. He was untamed.

So of course people whispered, “He’s the kind of horse John Wayne would ride.”

The First Meeting

When John Wayne stepped up to Zip, there was no show of force—no whip, no shouting. He rested a hand on the horse’s shoulder and said in that low, gravelly voice:

John Wayne gently patting his horse Zip for the first time on a western film set in the 1950s.

“Partner, if you ride with me… we’re gonna make something great together.”

Something changed. Zip lowered his guard. From that day on, the big horse shadowed Wayne like he’d been waiting for him.

On Set: El Dorado (1966)

Under a hot sun and a haze of red dust, the crew filmed a quiet moment: Cole Thornton riding through town on Zip. No dialogue. No music. Just hoofbeats and posture—the weary calm of a man who’d seen too much.

The set went silent.

John Wayne riding his horse Zip slowly through a dusty western street during filming of El Dorado in 1966.

Because it didn’t feel like acting anymore. It looked like two minds moving as one.

No one told Zip what to do. He just did it. It was as if he could feel the heartbeat of the cowboy on his back.

After the Cameras

Years later, when cancer began to wear Wayne down, he made fewer films and spent more time at the ranch in Arizona. Zip stayed. Strong. Calm. Familiar.

Wayne would sit with him—one hand on the saddle, watching the sun pour gold across the horizon. No big speeches. Just quiet company between two old partners.

The Whispered Wish

Near the end, people say Wayne spoke softly:

“If I’ve got to ride off into the sunset one last time… I want Zip to take me.”

An older John Wayne sitting by a corral fence at sunset beside his horse Zip at his Arizona ranch.

After Wayne died in 1979, Zip grew old and followed soon after. They buried him under the pines at the edge of the ranch, with the same saddle Wayne used in El Dorado.

They didn’t bury a horse.
They buried a partner.

And some evenings—when the light is thin and the wind leans through the trees—you could swear you hear slow, steady hoofbeats heading for the horizon.

What’s Known vs. What’s Told (Quick Notes)

Film & timing: El Dorado was released in 1966; Wayne died in 1979.
The ranch: Wayne spent time at his Arizona ranch in his later years.
The bond: Stories about Wayne and Zip are part fact, part film-set lore—passed down by crew and western fans. The details above reflect how many remember it.

Share This With a Friend Who Loves Westerns

Did you know about John Wayne and Zip? What’s your favorite Wayne horse scene—El Dorado or something else? Drop it in the comments.

John Wayne Western films