Steven Spielberg has of course hit on yet another blockbuster story in his movie, War Horse, but today, Channel 4 have revealed that they will air a documentary which focuses on the real story behind the film.

The press release about War Horse: The True Story, states that the documentary, “is the extraordinary and deeply moving story of the million British horses who served in WWI.”

Adding that the true story “is even more epic” than the film, it will feature rarely seen archive and equally rare archive testimony from WWI veterans who worked with the horses.

There will also be commentary and film footage from experts such as former RSPCA Chief Vet Mark Evans, historian Richard van Emden and British Army expert Dr David Kenyon, which will be combined with the latest historical research.

The Channel 4 film will begin with the mass call up of horses from every farm and country estate in Britain. Racing commentator Brough Scott will tell how his aristocratic grandfather, General Jack Seely, and his beloved horse Warrior – who would become the most famous horse of the war – showed enormous courage on the battlefield.

However, tragically, a quarter of a million horses died from shrapnel wounds and disease during the war, but the deep bond that developed between a man and his horse during the war helped both survive the hell of the Somme and Passchendaele.

Of the documentary, Channel 4 Specialist Factual Commissioning Editor Julia Harrington said, “I love a reactive piece – and this story has just such great social history behind it.

“Testimony’s film is a tear jerker but told with the real facts and incredible stills and archive.

“Look out for the horses having their heads bandaged behind the lines!”

An air date hasn’t yet been confirmed, but we’ll keep you posted.