Red Stallion in the Rockies

One night in the Colorado Rockies, Dynamite, a wild stallion, escapes from a corral and joins a herd of wild horses. The next day, Thad Avery and Talky Carson, two out-of-work circus performers, are driving their circus wagon down a country road and, spotting the wild horses in the distance, talk about catching and training one of the herd. Meanwhile, on the Honeymoon Ranch, young Cindy Smith is feeding some animals while her grandfather, Matthew Simpson, castigates Dave Ryder, his nephew and foreman, for shirking his duties by claiming he has strained his back. Martha, Cindy's grandmother, has made her a colorful dress for a dance, but Matthew, who is very strict with Cindy due to her deceased mother's rebellious youth, disapproves of it. Later, Matthew hires Thad and Talky, who are anxious to finance their return to Chicago, to help with the harvest. Neighboring rancher Andy Davis tells Matthew that the local Indians are having trouble with a herd of wild horses, led by a ghost horse who "glows" in the dark. Davis is concerned that his horses may be able to join the wild herd as his fences are weak, so Matthew sends Dave to ride night watch for him. Later, while Thad and Cindy get to know each other, the herd raids the Davis ranch, causing a fight between Dynamite and Davis' stallion over a mare. The next day, after Matthew and Davis try to figure out where Dave was during the commotion, Matthew returns to his ranch and finds Dave signing up migrant workers. Furious, Matthew gets into a fistfight with Dave and when the harvest begins, the humiliated Dave plans revenge against Matthew. After placing rocks in Matthew's jacket, Dave has Cindy's pet elk, Hannibal, sniff it, then beats him with it. Meanwhile, Matthew again forbids Cindy from going to a dance but Martha defiantly makes her a dress from circus costumes that Thad supplies. At the dance, Cindy and Thad dance while Talky sets up a dice game using crooked dice. Dave breaks in on the dancing couple, saying that the sheriff is aware of Talky's game and is confiscating his winnings. As Dave and Cindy dance, Matthew and Davis show up, and Matthew orders Cindy to wait for him in his truck. Just then, Martha runs in with news that the wild herd has wrecked their ranch, and is headed toward town. As Dynamite leads the herd past the hall, Talky realizes that Dynamite is his former circus horse who supposedly died in a fire. Although Thad protests that Dynamite was a red stallion, Talky says that he had applied phosphorescent paint to the animal just before the fire. A thousand dollar reward is offered for shooting the stallion and, after Matthew fires Thad and Talky, they decide to try to save the horse. Matthew then informs Cindy that, against Martha's wishes, he intends to send her to a missionary school in Denver. In the mountains, Thad and Talky find Dynamite being stalked by Dave and others. Talky whistles to the horse and as he approaches, Dave shoots at him but hits Thad in the arm instead. Thad puts his saddle on Dynamite and they ride off, escaping from Dave. Later, Judge Hardy, reacting to Dave's account of the events, orders a road block. However, Cindy finds her way to Thad and Talky's camp, where Talky has removed the paint from Dynamite with oil, and she is introduced to "The World's Greatest Circus Horse." When Talky tells Cindy that they want to wire an agent in Chicago to request bookings, she offers to send the wire and bring the response. Thad invites Cindy to join them on the circus circuit, but they all have to leave hurriedly when Dave approaches. Later, as Cindy prepares to take Thad a telegram advising them that they are to open in Denver, Martha shows her an old newspaper clipping about her mother Laura, who at Cindy's age, ran away to join a theatrical company. Laura returned to the ranch to give birth to Cindy, then died. After Martha tells Cindy that her mother was happy and that she wants the same for her, she gives her blessing to Cindy to go with Thad. Later, when some mares try to lure Dynamite back to the wild, Cindy offers to hide him in an empty barn on the ranch. Meanwhile, Dave has again been hitting Hannibal with Matthew's rock-filled jacket. Dave discovers Dynamite and lays claim to him, but Matthew will not let him have the horse, stating that the community must decide his fate. After Matthew goes back inside the house, Dave frees Hannibal from the corral, then calls for Matthew to come out. Matthew does not want to face Dave again, so Martha puts on his jacket against the chill air and finds Hannibal loose. When Martha uses the jacket to shoo Hannibal back to the corral, the elk reacts to the hated jacket and attacks her. Cindy runs out and attempts to distract Hannibal while Matthew tends to Martha. Dynamite breaks free from Dave and attacks Hannibal when he goes after the old couple. Hannibal gores the horse, but Dynamite fights back. After a long struggle, Dynamite forces the elk to run off. Just then, Thad and Talky arrive in their wagon, calm Dynamite and give Martha first aid. Later, as Martha recovers, Matthew, at last coming to terms with the loss of Laura, gives his blessing to Cindy joining the circus. Hannibal joins Cindy, Thad, Talky and Dynamite as they head for Denver and the circus.