It should be noted while some sources said that the horse is actually Spirit's son, I believe that's far from the case as I don't think we'll ever see the characters from the original film appear on this show. This is definitely meant to be a complete rewrite of Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. I can see fans of the film won't be happy about this.
On the other hand, it's a kids show so of course things will be watered down. In this show, Spirit becomes semi-tamed (not completely tamed thankfully). He starts out as a wild horse but forms a connection with the girl Lucky, who still allows Spirit the freedom to go to and from as he pleases. And they never put a saddle or bridle on him.
As someone who loved the original film, you better believe I'm disappointed with the changes made. As far as the show goes though, it's okay. It's about as much as you would expect without getting cringey. Season 1 has a mix of good, meh, and bad episodes. If you're a horse lover, you might like the show good enough. If the writers are willing to take more chances with future seasons, it does have the potential of being a decent kids show.
