In old, and even recent, Westerns we often see someone riding a horse, then the horse is shot and takes a big tumble. In battle and chase scenes they frequently show horses falling or stumbling.
But when a horse breaks a leg in the movies, they have to kill it. How can they film such violent spills, with horses rolling and crashing to the ground, when the consequences of an injury are so serious?
How do they do the horse stunts in Westerns without injuring the horses?