Uploaded March 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This tutorial shows how to animate lifelike horses in Adobe After Effects, using the 'Horses' template. Learn more at creationeffects.com/horses. Find more animals at CreationEffects.com !
The Horses template for After Effects allows you to quickly and easily create custom horse animations. Included are five 2D horse puppets of various coat colors. With the easy-to-use controls, you can “program” your horses to do almost anything (keeping a profile-view). Assign any combination of the ten “primary actions”, such as graze, gallop, or jump, and smoothly transition from action to action. Use the “secondary action” controls to animate the head, hoof positions, mouth, tail, ears, eyes, breathing and more. You can animate one horse, or create an entire herd, and insert it into your motion graphics or 3D scenes.
This template is compatible with CC 2019 and up. No plugins required. Music and 3D scenes from video are not included. Unicorn not included, but the horn is (attachable through motion-tracking of horse). Bridle and reins (but not saddle) are included. Find additional custom animal effects (part of the 'Beast' Series) at https://CreationEffects.com.
Watch the Horses Demo video here: youtu.be/WdUDNE-jaPA
How it works
These incredibly lifelike horses use the Advanced Puppet Pin tool in After Effects on high-resolution images to create the complex and realistic movements. With the easy-to-use controls, you can “program” your horses to do almost anything (keeping a profile-view). Assign any combination of the ten “primary actions”, such as graze, gallop, or jump, and smoothly transition from action to action. Use the “secondary action” controls to animate the head, hoof positions, mouth, tail, ears, eyes, breathing and more.
The preset movements, called “Primary Actions”, range from walking to galloping to rearing up. You can assign any combination of primary actions to a horse with a few clicks of a mouse. You control the timing and duration of actions, and you can smoothly transition from action to action. Each horse is on a single layer, so once you have chosen your primary actions, all you need to do is animate your horse layer’s position to move across the frame.
“Secondary Actions” offer even more control, allowing you to make custom movements of the hooves, head, tail, mouth, and more. Secondary actions have easy-to-use controls, so you can keyframe the different properties. Twitch the ears, blink the eyes, sniff the nose... even adjust the intensity and speed of the breathing. For animators who need even more control, the pins on the horse can always be adjusted manually.
00:00 - Intro to Horses
07:14 - How it's made
10:00 Rules for duplicating horses
16:10 - Primary actions
21:13 - Secondary actions
25:20 - Helpful tips
This tutorial shows how to animate lifelike horses in Adobe After Effects, using the 'Horses' template. Learn more at creationeffects.com/horses. Find more animals at CreationEffects.com !
The Horses template for After Effects allows you to quickly and easily create custom horse animations. Included are five 2D horse puppets of various coat colors. With the easy-to-use controls, you can “program” your horses to do almost anything (keeping a profile-view). Assign any combination of the ten “primary actions”, such as graze, gallop, or jump, and smoothly transition from action to action. Use the “secondary action” controls to animate the head, hoof positions, mouth, tail, ears, eyes, breathing and more. You can animate one horse, or create an entire herd, and insert it into your motion graphics or 3D scenes.
This template is compatible with CC 2019 and up. No plugins required. Music and 3D scenes from video are not included. Unicorn not included, but the horn is (attachable through motion-tracking of horse). Bridle and reins (but not saddle) are included. Find additional custom animal effects (part of the 'Beast' Series) at https://CreationEffects.com.
Watch the Horses Demo video here: youtu.be/WdUDNE-jaPA
How it works
These incredibly lifelike horses use the Advanced Puppet Pin tool in After Effects on high-resolution images to create the complex and realistic movements. With the easy-to-use controls, you can “program” your horses to do almost anything (keeping a profile-view). Assign any combination of the ten “primary actions”, such as graze, gallop, or jump, and smoothly transition from action to action. Use the “secondary action” controls to animate the head, hoof positions, mouth, tail, ears, eyes, breathing and more.
The preset movements, called “Primary Actions”, range from walking to galloping to rearing up. You can assign any combination of primary actions to a horse with a few clicks of a mouse. You control the timing and duration of actions, and you can smoothly transition from action to action. Each horse is on a single layer, so once you have chosen your primary actions, all you need to do is animate your horse layer’s position to move across the frame.
“Secondary Actions” offer even more control, allowing you to make custom movements of the hooves, head, tail, mouth, and more. Secondary actions have easy-to-use controls, so you can keyframe the different properties. Twitch the ears, blink the eyes, sniff the nose... even adjust the intensity and speed of the breathing. For animators who need even more control, the pins on the horse can always be adjusted manually.
00:00 - Intro to Horses
07:14 - How it's made
10:00 Rules for duplicating horses
16:10 - Primary actions
21:13 - Secondary actions
25:20 - Helpful tips
