Thunderhoof

Deep in the wilderness of Chihuahua, Mexico, horse breeder Scotty Mason, his wife Margarita and a young man known as The Kid, are seeking to capture the legendary Thunderhoof, a wild horse reputed to be from heaven. Unknown to Scotty, The Kid, whom Scotty took under his wing after rescuing him from a quicksand bog ten years earlier, is in love with Margarita and is trying to rekindle their past, ill-fated romance. Margarita remains faithful to Scotty, however, and as The Kid is uninterested in chasing after the elusive Thunderhoof, he tells Scotty that he is leaving them. Scotty, fully aware that he cannot capture Thunderhoof without The Kid's help, tries first to persuade the boy to stay, but when that fails, he slugs him. The next day, Scotty and The Kid get into a fistfight, and The Kid comes close to killing Scotty when the horse is spotted in the canyon below. The two men quickly make their way down to the canyon floor, where Thunderhoof has trapped himself. After repeated attempts to lasso the violently rearing horse, they finally capture it, but Scotty breaks his leg in the process. Now that Scotty has only one good leg, The Kid sees a new opportunity to steal Margarita away from him, and decides to join them on the dangerous trek back to their ranch in Texas. En route, The Kid and Margarita urge Scotty to release Thunderhoof because they are running out of food and the horse is slowing their progress. Scotty insists on pressing on, however, which frustrates The Kid and spurs him to leave Scotty and Margarita. As The Kid is necessary to their survival, Scotty sends Margarita after him, and when she catches up to him, the two sneak an intimate moment. Margarita persuades The Kid to return, and the journey resumes. Later, a rainstorm leaves Scotty ill and feverish, and the three take shelter in an abandoned ranch house filled with food. A few days later, after Scotty recovers, the three discover that two of their saddle horses and their food packs have been stolen. After The Kid succeeds in the difficult task of breaking in Thunderhoof, the journey resumes. When Scotty accuses The Kid of plotting to abandon him, a fight ensues, during which Thunderhoof escapes, and The Kid leaves Scotty for dead at the bottom of a ravine. The Kid returns to Margarita, telling her that Scotty fled with Thunderhoof. The two start in the direction of safety, but when The Kid accidentally reveals his lie about Scotty, Margarita's lust for The Kid turns into anger. Shortly after, The Kid dies from drinking tainted water, and Margarita is left to find her way alone. Scotty, meanwhile, revives, and with the help of Thunderhoof, who has returned to him, he finds Margarita and takes her across the Rio Grande to Texas.