The film is not about a horse at all. The horse of the title stands for the dreams of people like the central characters of the film: an Anatolian peasant and his 12-year-old son. They have come to Istanbul, where they hope to make enough money to send the boy to school and give him an education his father never had.

But the cruel realities of the great city soon destroy their plans - there is no room for them in Istanbul, where they spend most of their time fighting bureaucracy and avoiding the police.

The " big city " aspect is beautifully captured; with his scenes and images of stunning authenticity, and without-standing performances throughout, the director produces in The Horse a compelling drama.