Maryland horses get 'big break' in Taylor Swift video

When Taylor Swift needed horses for her recent music video, the pop star filled the blank space with two stallions from Mount Airy.

The two horses from Spring Fever Farm, named Chico and Paco, were featured in three scenes of the hit music video "Blank Space," including one where Swift and co-star Sean O'Pry ride the horses.

Diana Beuchert, the horses' owner, said she received the call for her horses to be in Swift's music video last September, a welcome surprise after trying to break into the animal talent industry for years.

"Three times over the last two years, I got offered a job, put in a bid, and didn't get it," Beuchert said, recalling how close one of her horses came to appearing in a commercial about George Washington riding a white stallion.

But this was Beuchert's "big break," her agent said, swearing the horse owner to secrecy.

"She said, 'You cannot breathe a word of this to anyone; it's Taylor Swift and it's her music video,'" Beuchert recalled her agent saying. "I just about dropped the phone."

Two days later, Beuchert and one of her employees working on the farm loaded Chico and Paco into a horse trailer at 12:30 a.m. and drove until they reached Long Island, New York, six hours later.

"We got there at 6:30 a.m. and we waited, and waited, and waited," Beuchert said, noting that the first scene with the two horses was filmed at 11 a.m.

In that shot, Swift sings "got a long list of ex-lovers, they'll tell you I'm insane" while riding Chico through the driveway of Oheka Castle in Long Island as O'Pry rides Paco next to her. Beuchert said Chico took a liking to Swift during the filming of this scene.

"She was talking to him and petting him," Beuchert said.

After the scene, Beuchert walked Chico around the courtyard grounds to keep the horse busy when the director called her over.

"The director said, 'Tie the horse to that tree and get out of the way,'" Beuchert recalled.

The horses were scheduled to be in only two scenes — the driveway and bedroom — but Beuchert followed his instructions, and backed away.

Crews filmed Swift hitting a tree with an ax, destroying the place where her character carved the lovers' initials in the music video. Although Swift was only acting, Chico, who stood tied up to the tree, was disturbed by her violent outburst.

"When (Swift) started beating that tree, he was very upset," Beuchert said.

The horses and caretakers waited on the set well into the evening, readying for the final scene at about 9:30 p.m. Soon after, Swift "and her entourage" walked onto the stage, which was a bedroom where Swift would sit in the bed as Chico stood next to her, Beuchert said.

"Chico stood there bare naked for one hour while they shot (the) scene over and over," Beuchert said. "It was really interesting, but very tiring."

After the final shot, the director declared "Cut, and that's a wrap," Beuchert said, and Chico walked out of the room as if on cue.

"Chico, who was on the carpet, turns and walks to the door," Beuchert recalled. "It was hysterical. I ran after Chico ... (but he) was like 'I'm outta here.'"

After staying awake for almost 44 hours, Beuchert and her employee readied the horses for the six-hour drive home and hit the road, struggling to stay awake.

"I drank more coffee in that 44 hours than I have in my whole life, and I'm 55 years old," Beuchert said, laughing.

After the filming, Beuchert eagerly awaited the music video's release, knowing she could not tell a soul.

"The most torturous part was waiting for the video to come out," she said.

The video was filmed over three days in mid-September but was not released until Nov. 10.