Dexter Sol Ansell (Egg) recalls how the horse playing Thunder improvised a scene on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Sometimes the most magical moments on set come from unexpected places — or in this case, from a horse. On the official Game of Thrones podcast, Dexter Sol Ansell shared a behind‑the‑scenes story about filming with Thunder, the horse who plays Goraccha. Ansell described how he bonded deeply with the animals during production, and one particular scene in Episode 3 left everyone wondering if Thunder had improvised a perfect reaction.

Quick read

• Dexter Sol Ansell bonded with the horses on set.
• Thunder (playing Goraccha) seemed to nod during a scene.
• Crew debated whether it was trained or spontaneous.

Egg’s bond with Thunder

Ansell explained that working with horses was one of the highlights of filming. He said he developed a “true bond” with them, describing the connection as “so weird” but genuine. In Episode 3, Egg trains Thunder in the morning, delivering a speech to the horse. To everyone’s surprise, Thunder appeared to nod along, as if responding to Egg’s words. The moment felt so natural that it sparked a debate among the cast and crew about whether the horse had been directed to do it or had simply improvised.

Dexter Sol Ansell recalled: “I love horses. And I made, like, a true bond with them. It was, like, it was so weird. And actually, one of the scenes, I was with Thunder — who’s Goraccha. And I—this is episode three, and I’m, like, training him. Because I go out in the morning, and when I’m giving him this speech, it’s like he’s nodding to me.”

Did Thunder improvise the nod?

The nod became a point of fascination on set. Ansell said they couldn’t tell if Tom from the horse department had trained Thunder to nod at that exact moment, or if the horse had simply done it on his own. The uncertainty turned into a running discussion among the crew, with everyone marveling at how perfectly the gesture fit the scene. For fans, the anecdote adds a mythic layer to Egg’s bond with Goraccha — a reminder that even the animals of Westeros can steal the spotlight with a single, well‑timed move.

Ansell added: “And we couldn’t realize if Tom, one of the people at the horse department, we can’t tell if he made the horse nod, or the horse just did it on their own. So we have, like, a massive thing, like, ‘Ooh, did he do it or not?’”