Black Beauty (2020) Movie Script
A wise horse once told me...
...that a mustang's spirit can never be broken.
That it has the strength of the ocean...
and lives forever, like the wind.
Over the course of my life...
my spirit has been tested a thousand times...
until I discovered a secret that saved me.
And to tell you what it is, we have to start at the very beginning.
The story of a wild horse...
and the girl she loved.
I was born in a golden meadow...
on a bed of soft wildflowers.
My mother showed me our home.
It was endless...
and beautiful.
I was a little shy to meet my family.
There were so many of them.
To prove myself to the herd...
I had to be strong and fast and fearless.
As I got older, I felt a fire rising up in me.
My mother said it was my mustang spirit, and it would always guide me.
She said I should never kick or bite without a good reason,
but always try to be gentle and kind.
My heart ached to explore the world beyond our meadow.
A place nobody could ever take from us.
When I turned two years old, I made a discovery.
Strange creatures were moving onto our land.
It was against the rules to leave the mountains...
but I had to find out where they were coming from.
[man] We gotta find that mustang herd.
There she goes. We're coming back for you, pretty thing!
I knew I had put my whole family in danger.
That night my mother told me a story
about what happens when a horse leaves this Earth.
That she wouldn't always be there to protect me...
but that I shouldn't worry
because when it is a horse's time to go...
it gallops toward the sky,
just as if it can fly.
And that when her time came...
she would always watch over me...
from her bed in the stars.
Whoo-hoo! Ha-ha!
I knew I had made a terrible mistake.
I had led them right to us.
- Yeehaw! - Yah, yah!
That filly's out of her mind.
It was my first experience with the creatures they called...
humans.
I lost my mother in the stampede.
It was the last time I ever saw her.
And I knew it was all my fault.
I felt hurt and guilty and just so angry.
My mother said a mustang's spirit could never be broken.
But I was beginning to doubt if that was true.
My spirit felt shattered.
Hey. How you doin'?
Well, well, well.
From all the way out east, huh?
Quite the haul.
I drove all the way out from New York.
[man 2] You gotta get fresh water.
Yeah, I was just about to change it out this morning.
One of my staffers got sick.
How many you looking to take?
Just a few.
Wow!
She's a pretty one.
Yeah, well, that filly's got a horrible temper.
Trust me, you don't want her.
She's a strike horse anyway.
It's leaving this afternoon.
He's adopting 20 of them.
We don't exactly keep a record of where our strike horses go.
Course you don't.
The new man seemed different.
His eyes were softer.
Poor girl.
-You're just frightened. I know.
And angry, I'm sure.
A lot of personality, all right.
Well-built too. Elegant.
Okay, boys, that's it. Round 'em up.
Hold on. I'll take her.
As we drove away from that awful place,
I had no idea how lucky I was to be one of the few chosen.
Because not many people want a wild mustang to train.
We went down the long gray path for days.
There you go. Buck it out.
Well, she's a gorgeous one, John.
-She is, isn't she? -It's just--
The other ones seem much more decidedly--
Tame?
I was going to say sane, but yes.
Oh! Hey! Oh, God! Oh!
Ah, she'll settle in.
-Trust me. - I do.
But the rescues have a time limit here, John.
We both know that.
My first night at Birtwick.
I miss my family.
The other horses were all strangers.
But it was quieter there.
And I could hear a new sound.
Smell salt on the air.
It was peaceful.
And finally, I slept.
I wondered what the new man wanted from me.
He couldn't possibly understand.
All right. In your own time.
The boy and I developed a game.
-We played it together... -Easy.
...each and every day.
Oh!
-I always won.
My mother would not have approved,
but humans had not been kind or good to me.
So why should I be to them?
That mustang's got a real mean streak.
Right now, she's just angry.
Wouldn't you be if a UFO came down and stole you from your family?
Yeah, I guess so.
Still, I don't see how you can break a horse like that.
For her sake, let's try, shall we?
There you go.
I decided humans must be very lazy.
They always wanted to be carried around by something.
Bet you haven't seen one of these in the wild.
The man thought he could outsmart me with his tricks.
Good girl.
But he had underestimated me.
Okay.
One day I got a neighbor.
I liked the fire in her immediately.
She was followed by the funniest little horse I had ever seen.
It looked like he couldn't stop dancing.
I learned that they were called Ginger and Merrylegs.
We eventually became friends, and they turned us out together.
I was so happy to have a family again.
The man who brought me there made his home near my paddock.
Hello. John Manly.
I noticed he was always alone.
What?
Jo.
I'm so ver--
I'm so sorry for your loss.
Call if you need anything.
I would eventually hear from different people at Birtwick...
the girl's parents had died in a car accident.
John was her uncle.
There was something different about the girl.
Something I recognized.
Her spirit seemed broken.
- Yes.
I'm sorry.
I have dinner on the table.
I'm not hungry.
You have to eat something.
I don't.
Just...
please leave me alone.
It was a few days before I saw her again.
So, I continued my game with the boy.
John decided to play too.
But even with a horse to help him...
he couldn't keep up with me.
Pretty, isn't she?
I didn't mean to scare you.
What's her name?
I haven't given her a name yet.
You know, if you like...
You know, that horse out there, she was rounded up out west.
Taken away from her herd, her family, all she'd ever known.
Her whole world's been turned upside down.
Please stop.
Stop what?
I don't need your sympathy.
I don't want any part of your world.
I'm here because the state says that I have to be, instead of in my own home.
Jo. You don't have anywhere else.
You think I don't know that?
Are you seriously saying that to me right now?
Look. I don't know you.
You don't know me.
We'll get used to each other in time.
You're not my family.
Just stay away from me.
Well, good.
Now I have two girls who want nothing to do with me.
You see how his head is turned away from me?
He doesn't want to look at me.
Wants nothing to do with me.
That's what I wanna change.
Start gaining his trust.
-Oh!
Apply a little pressure.
Then I give him his space.
I'm trying to talk to him, to learn his language.
It isn't about controlling him or forcing him
or making him do something he doesn't wanna do.
We have to find a balance together, a give and take.
Now, he might not be able to talk, but he's saying a whole lot to me right now.
The biggest rule is, I can't get angry or frustrated at him.
If I get angry, he'll feel it. He'll get angry too.
Horses are a window to your soul.
They can read your facial expressions, your emotions.
They'll feel everything you do.
My goal through this work is to help each horse find his peace.
Is there a horse he hasn't been able to break?
Nope.
Not yet, anyway.
She'll come around.
Yeah.
How's she doin'?
Stays locked in her room unless she's at school.
-Hey, Jo. -[John] Barely speaks to me.
Well, like it or not, I'm better with horses than I am with people.
She'll come around.
So you know you're beautiful.
I know you are though.
Yeah, Fitzpatrick's been doing really wonderfully, so...
That's good.
That new girl?
You know she actually lives here?
That's weird.
Mm-hmm.
No wonder she smells.
She can still hear us.
I heard you lost your family too.
I'm sorry.
I don't know why anyone would try to tame you.
You don't belong here.
And neither do I.
Gotta ease 'em into it. Get 'em used to the weight.
Make 'em realize it's not gonna hurt.
You gotta always say, "Thank you."
You show him respect when he's trusted you,
done a good thing for you.
Attaboy.
Thank you.
Sunday means scrambled eggs.
Got a new recipe here with grits.
One...
No thanks.
I saw you listening to my lesson yesterday.
I... I thought you might like this.
My mentor gave it to me.
What's it about?
How to talk to horses.
"There is no secret so close as that between a rider and his horse."
R. S. Surtees.
-You read poetry? - I do.
Seamus Heaney, E. E. Cummings,
they're all in the shelf in there.
Welcome to take a book whenever you like.
Thank you.
You really are beautiful.
-John, Jo is out there. -Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
You'll frighten the horse.
She could run her right over.
Maybe that's what I'll call you.
Beauty.
Would you like that?
Beauty.
Black Beauty.
I liked the name.
After that day, I realized that, just maybe,
there was one person who could actually understand me.
John...
she's not afraid to be in there?
Nope.
Does Jo ride?
Never been around a horse in her life.
And the amazing thing was...
Thank you.
...I understood her too.
Are you ready for dinner?
I got a couple of nice steaks on sale.
You really like food.
-I like to cook. Can't you tell?
You've gotten closer to that filly in days than I have in weeks.
We get each other, I guess.
Jo...
Stop.
-Jo, I just think-- -I don't wanna talk about it.
-You have to... eventually. -Why?
[John] Well, at some point you have to tell me what you're feeling.
I wanna tell you how I'm feeling.
Why would I care about what you're feeling?
You didn't bother to see my mom. You didn't even bother to meet me.
-No, no. No, I met you. I met you. -Yeah?
-I saw you. When you were-- -Yeah?
And I barely remembered your face when I got here.
Jo. Jo, I'm sorry.
Don't touch me.
I wanna go home.
You can't go home, Jo. You can't go home.
Your mom and dad--
I'm sorry.
Jo.
-Jo? - I said, leave me alone!
You stop...
They were like two mustangs,
fighting in the wild.
And as I watched them,
I realized maybe humans and horses weren't so different after all.
I couldn't sleep at all that night.
I was too worried about Jo.
The look on her face made my heart break.
I recognized it because I still had nightmares about losing my family.
In that moment...
I wished I could tell Jo where her parents were,
like my mother had told me.
Watching over her...
from their bed in the stars.
I stayed with her until the sun rose again the next day.
Jo?
Where are you?
Jo?
Jo.
Oh, thank God.
You scared the life out of me.
What are you doing sleeping out here?
What am I supposed to do with you?
This is new terrain for me too, you know.
You're grounded.
Really?
Yeah, really.
In fact, I have a better idea.
I'm gonna show you how to wield a pitchfork.
-Well, yeah, but it's not-- -But I'm not going to--
You don't have to be intimidated, you know.
I'm not
She's cleaning up after our horses.
That is so sad.
Super sad.
I heard if they can't save them, they turn them into glue.
-What did you say? - Nothing.
One...
You've just got a little something there.
Yeah. You got a little something right there.
Oh!
-I'm sorry. - What are you doing?
-Come over here and help me. - Just--
Oh, my God!
-You're fine. It's just-- -No, I'm not fine.
-You've just got a little bit of dirt-- -Obviously, I'm not fine!
It's disgusting, and it's ridiculous, and it's unacceptable.
This place sucks.
Sorry. Not here with you.
This is the only safe place there is.
School sucks. People suck.
Maybe we should just run away together.
What you think?
No, no, no. I'm sorry. It's gone.
She's conditioned to hate it.
She's a smart horse.
Did you know that wild mustang bands aren't led by a stallion?
They're usually led by a mare.
Not always the biggest or strongest or most popular,
but the one who's gone through the most life experience.
She leads through respect.
That's why mustangs are unique.
Why are you telling me this?
'Cause, to me,
I think you're more of a wise mustang than a yappy little show dog.
Dinner's ready in ten.
I'm making lasagna.
You can't even lead the horse, John. She's a lost cause.
I just need a bit more time.
Now, you know we just can't keep the mustangs that won't be gentle.
We have to make space.
So, Mr. Gordon says that if you don't get tamed,
-you're gonna have to go somewhere else. -[nickers]
And probably not as nice of a place.
Now... I know you're not gonna hurt me...
and I'm not gonna hurt you... ever.
So do you think we could try?
-And show him how gentle you are? -[nickers]
I know. I know.
It can't be all that bad, right?
It's better than being homeless.
Please.
Just trust me.
Here, look.
Oh, wow.
See?
See, it doesn't hurt me.
Okay.
Let's try this.
See?
There.
Almost there.
Oh!
It's all right.
Well, there's no way she's actually going to lead her.
Would you walk with me? Come on.
Beginner's luck.
Yeah. Or maybe she's just talented.
Well, I'll be darned.
Maybe you two have something in common after all.
Don't want any part of this world, huh?
This is different.
The sparring between Jo and her uncle happened much less after that.
So you do like it, huh?
Well, good.
Uncle John says you're safe for now, but you'll be broken in soon,
whatever that means.
Jo was proud of me, and I wanted to prove myself to her.
So the first thing is the bridle. Let's see how this goes.
-Come on, Beauty.
Beauty, come on.
I have an idea.
Maybe the taste won't be so bad.
-There you-- -There you go.
How'd you know how to do that?
Felt like the right thing to do, I guess.
I knew humans liked to wear things on their feet. But horses?
Beauty.
Ginger and Merrylegs laughed loud enough for the whole stable to hear.
It was so embarrassing.
Saddle is next.
You take the pad first and get her used to something weighing on her.
-Ready? - Nice. Yeah. Nice and slowly.
Easy now. Come on, Beauty.
Come on.
There we go.
Now we're making some progress.
Do we really have to put that on her?
To break her, yeah.
Why do you call it that?
What?
"Breaking."
It's just a term. Breaking a horse.
Should really change it.
What would you change it to?
"Partnering."
Partner a horse.
All right. Ready?
Attagirl.
You did it.
Hi, Jo.
You're all right.
Doesn't it feel too soon?
I mean, she's come so far already.
Not far enough.
We can't sell her if she can't be ridden.
Sell her?
What do you think we're breaking her for?
Sorry, "partnering." I do like that.
But why would you sell her?
Oh, Jo. I don't own this place.
The conservancy part is to train and adopt out a few mustangs a year,
not to keep them.
Do you know how many are out there that need help? Thousands.
Let's give it a go. Nice and easy.
-It's okay, girl. It's okay. -All right, Beauty. Attagirl.
-Uncle John!
Uncle John!
Are you okay?
I'll survive.
Ooh!
My friendship with Jo blossomed, like flowers do in spring.
Some of these really are beautiful.
We had an unspoken language... together.
Do you ever think about your family, Beauty?
I try not to think of mine.
It hurts too much.
You know?
I hated seeing her so upset.
When I was sad, I ran as fast as I could.
But since Jo couldn't gallop, I had an idea.
What are you doing?
Do you want me to--
I can't. I don't know how.
I really wished she would try.
I knew Jo could be fearless.
Okay.
Whoa!
Whoa! Oh.
I had trusted her. -Oh!
Now she needed to trust me.
John!
Mr. Gordon!
-Beauty! -What the--
I knew that if Jo could feel the wind in her mane,
it would help her to heal.
- Jo, hold on! - Jo!
Whoa!
- Yes! - Yes!
Oh no! Yo.
Jo? Are you all right? Are you hurt?
That was amazing.
Oh!
Jo and I learned to ride together.
- Is that good? - It's good.
That's it. Keep control.
She fell a lot in the beginning.
-Hey, are you okay? -Yeah.
No wonder they rode horses.
Humans were very clumsy.
Maybe we should try Merrylegs instead.
-Back on? -Back on.
But we got the hang of it, together.
Partners.
Come on, Beauty. Let's go faster.
[Black Beauty] Jo and I galloped like nothing in the world could catch us.
We were two beings,
and yet, for just a moment...
we were one.
We had found our peace... together.
As the summer ended, there was new life all around.
They reminded me of my mother and I.
When the big yellow trailer came for Jo again...
I could smell change on the air.
Riding wasn't as much fun without Jo,
but I had to learn to have others on my back.
I started to like John, even though he was kind of heavy.
A new groom started taking care of us.
He was always very distracted.
If the sky fell down, I wondered if he would even notice.
-Hey, you can wait. Come on.
Birtwick will be underwater if we don't.
I'm trying to keep the mustang program alive, but business hasn't been--
I understand. Hey.
You gotta get your nose out of that phone while you're working.
Sorry, Mr. Manly. Sorry, Mr. Gordon.
Make sure to watch the new filly tonight. She might get chilled.
Sure thing.
I watched over them for hours, just in case.
You're all warmed up now, aren't ya?
I was surprised when the groom put down his little box for a while,
and the frozen look he always had on his face faded away.
That night, I had a terrible dream.
A horse was calling to me over and over for help.
I realized it was Ginger.
We were trapped.
I tried to sound a warning, but Jo was too far away to hear me.
Beauty!
-Couldn't leave the others. -Okay.
- It's okay. It's okay. -Ginger and Merrylegs were still in there.
Just trust me. Please.
Jo!
It's okay. It's okay.
It's okay.
-Jo! - Help them!
Are you all right, Jo? Beauty.
-Jo. Jo! You gotta-- - Get that gate open!
-We have to help them! -Jo!
Jo! Don't!
She's coming.
Where's Jo?
Jo wasn't coming out.
-Where was she? -Jo!
Jo!
Oh, good God.
As the stable went up in flames...
so did my newfound hope of a life with Jo.
It was because of Jo's courage that the horses were all saved.
Her calm, steady voice broke through my fear,
which was the only reason I could even follow her.
The young groom didn't mean to hurt anyone,
but his carelessness put our lives in danger...
and had destroyed our beautiful home.
It was the beginning of the end at Birtwick.
- Mr. Gordon. -Jo, what can I do for you?
Please, you can't sell Beauty.
I'm sorry, Jo. All the trained horses have to be sold.
We just don't have the space with all that damage.
-But-- -You saved her life, Jo,
in more ways than one.
Don't you want to do that for more horses?
Mr. Gordon, what if I could buy her?
Sorry?
I could work for you. Help train the others,
rebuild the barn, anything you need.
Every morning, every day after school.
Look, I just don't know if that's the right thing to do.
Uncle John, please.
He can't take Beauty away.
Well, it is only after working with Beauty that your grades have improved.
You haven't gotten into another fight at school.
Exactly.
The trouble, Jo, is boarding Beauty is very expensive.
All right.
I tell you what.
If you can pay for her food and what she's cost us so far
by the end of summer, she's yours.
And you can board her here for free in exchange for being Birtwick's mascot.
Are you serious?
Look, don't make me overthink this.
All right.
Thank you, Mr. Gordon.
Thank you, Uncle John.
But there's one thing you need to understand.
There's a chance I might lease Beauty out for the summer,
just to free up space while we build the new stable, if anybody wants her.
-Deal? -Deal.
-I'm so sorry about the stable, Mr. Manly. -Thank you.
-It's absolutely disgusting here, Mother. -Darling, quiet.
George Winthorp.
I mean, seriously.
This filly is spirited, but a fine jumper with a right gentle touch.
-He's just, like, totally ideal. -Do you think he knows who we are?
I mean, yeah. I feel like he's looked at me before.
Oh, my gosh. Mum, look at that horse.
-Well, isn't that a mustang? -[daughter] So?
-Darling, you want a thoroughbred. -Everyone has a thoroughbred.
She's a Pryor mustang, isn't she?
-You know your horses. -[Mrs. Winthorp] Mm.
She's so beautiful.
And that's the funny thing, but that's her name. Beauty.
-But like your mother said, you probably-- -Is she for sale?
-Uh, no. She's not for sale. -Oh.
She's, uh... She's for lease.
Wow! [giggles]
[Mrs. Winthorp] Is it even rideable?
She is. My niece was the one to gentle her.
But look, we-- we've got plenty of horses.
-Oh, good. -Go and speak to him.
Do it for both of us. Don't mess it up. Okay, go.
But... we got all sorts of horses, so...
-Yes, all sorts, darling. -No, Mummy. I want that one.
-Let's go. -What happened?
-I said let's go. -Why didn't you just talk to him?
Because it was a stupid idea and a ridiculous situation.
Why-- No, it wasn't.
Hello.
-Hi.
I heard you were the one to break this beautiful filly.
Well, partnered.
Oh, you mean, like, partnering instead of breaking.
I like that.
She was nervous around him.
I'm George, by the way.
Jo.
I think Jo thought he was handsome.
-Sorry. -What for?
Yay!
-Good. - What's going on over there?
I think my sister just leased your horse.
What?
You'll bunk with another groom.
They've agreed to pay you a flat weekly rate at 200.
Thank you.
But, wait, why did they agree?
Well, I told them it would be beneficial to Beauty's transition
and much, much safer for the girl if you were there.
We're done, Ms. Green.
All right. See you in a couple weeks, Uncle John.
At Birtwick, I learned that it is good people who make good places.
I felt lucky Ginger was coming with us too.
I wondered what our new home would be like.
Wow.
-I can help if-- -I got it. Thanks.
They're here!
Oh, Georgina, fine-looking horse you have there.
I'm proud you made the decision to save her.
Can you take a photo?
Not like that. Get my good side.
The new girl's voice was at a pitch
I was sure only horses and dogs could hear.
Not to be mean, but it was a very terrible sound.
You... you must be Jo?
Yes.
Mr. York. You'll report to me.
Come on. I'll show you your summer quarters.
This way.
George!
George!
Earlshall couldn't have been more different to Birtwick.
The aisles were spotless.
The horses gleamed.
But for all its perfection...
something about Earlshall felt very cold and not nearly as welcoming.
Here we are.
-These are the grooms quarters? -Yup.
Ginger had been purchased.
I was only leased.
Apparently you can try out a horse to see if you like it.
You don't have to kick her that hard. She will walk.
Let's just ease her into it, shall we?
It was clear within seconds. Georgina was nothing like Jo.
Her hands were hard. Her kicks were harder.
And she flailed around like she was having a tantrum on my back.
- Gently now. -Come on.
We want a nice collected frame.
York! The dressage, you're going to have to get her head up!
My head is up, Mother.
No, the horse, darling.
Beauty's never been on a draw rein, ma'am.
Well, then you need to get her used to it because she's not fit to be seen.
Shoulder's back, Georgina.
She needs to look more like a show horse. Cut her mane and tail.
I tried to stay patient.
I wondered how she'd feel if they chopped off all of her hair.
The art of dressage is to create a healthy horse.
We want to give her the freedom to express herself.
York, I'm really not in the mood today. Canter, Beauty.
York, are you never going to get the horses head up?
I could take it up another degree, ma'am, but I'd prefer not to.
Oh, do it, please.
The only thing worse than Georgina's kicks was the draw rein.
It forced my head down into my chest so I couldn't breathe naturally.
-I tried to remember my training... -What's she doing?
...but the way I was treated made me angry.
Give her a head.
I knew that if I threw her off, Jo and I would both be in trouble,
-so I had a better idea. - What's wrong with her?
Georgina, what are you doing?
Nothing. It's the stupid horse!
That's it. Jump out the way.
What's she doing? Stupid horse!
-Stupid horse! - Georgina, I've got--
Oh, Beauty, you're a cracker!
What a wonderful horse you are!
Well, my sister is definitely not a horse woman.
You wanna be tending to her, don't you?
Grooming Beauty is apparently above my station here.
How are you finding things otherwise?
Fine. Just trying to keep to myself.
Birtwick was one thing.
This is definitely not my world.
It's a big place, but that doesn't mean the people are any different.
Not all of us anyway.
I'll speak to York about you tending to Beauty.
She's your horse, in my opinion.
I'll see you around.
I heard my son put a word in so that you could spend time with the horse.
Yes, um...
Thank you. I--
Unfortunately it's inappropriate.
And it's upsetting Georgina,
so you're going to need to keep your distance.
You wouldn't want to compromise your place here, would you?
No, no. Of course not.
Good, then we understand each other.
About appropriate distance.
I didn't think Georgina would wanna ride me again after that,
but she did.
Now you'll listen, won't you?
She dug her spurs into me like I was made of stone.
And if it wasn't for Jo,
I would've thrown that horrible girl off my back.
Hi, girl.
Oh, Beauty.
What did she do to you?
- Jo! -Where is she?
Who? What happened?
Your sister put holes into Beauty's sides, and I'm gonna show her exactly--
Whoa. Wait, wait. Slow down.
Tell me what happened.
Oh, my God.
That is not okay. We do not abuse horses at our stable.
Here, dab some of that onto them. It'll make her heal faster.
Thanks for your help, really. But now I need to find your--
Jo, please.
I'll talk to York and my mother, I promise.
Besides, Beauty needs you here, not fired.
I know he's-- He's nice and...
smart.
And very...
... handsome.
-Hey. -Hi.
I wanted to ask if you'd like to have lunch with me.
I'm fine. I'd rather spend my one day off with Beauty.
[Black Beauty] I decided to give them some space.
I figured.
So, what's your story?
I don't really have a story.
Everyone has a story.
Where are you from?
What's a beautiful girl like you doing working as a groom?
-You know, the basics.
I'd rather not talk about my past, if that's okay.
Fair enough.
How about the future?
What do you wanna do in ten years?
You can pick anything. I'll start.
I would colonize Mars.
Well, I would rescue horses. Like what my uncle's doing at Birtwick.
Except, you know, I'd buy the properties around it,
extend the barn so we could stay a little more.
Sorry, it's probably really boring.
No.
I'm fascinated.
So, I've been reading about how there are thousands of wild horses out west,
and they're being rounded up by helicopters and stuffed into holding pens,
just hoping that people will adopt them,
but most of them are just stuck in there forever.
I can't imagine what would've happened to Beauty if my uncle didn't save her.
So I guess I would buy Birtwick and help save thousands of wild horses.
With Beauty as the mascot.
That is a way better answer than Mars.
Bet you do it.
So...
my parents are hosting their annual Earlshall Classic this weekend.
It's a cross-country race around the grounds.
Everyone who's anyone comes.
Whatever that means.
Okay.
Would you wanna be my date?
Me?
Well, I don't see another Jo Green around.
I couldn't.
You could.
I work for you.
You work for my parents.
It's casual, really.
Beauty thinks you should.
-You should always listen to your horse.
-Yes, but-- -Excellent.
-I'll leave your name at the VIP box.
The VIP box?
Hello. How are you?
You made it.
The humans were all so clean.
They wore the funniest hats.
And I loved the music. It made me wanna dance.
And that's Mr. Bradley Eastland on Just Magic at the finish,
taking home the cup for the youth competition.
And next up, the Men's Invitational.
Hi, George.
-Where's George? Is that George? -He's waiting for the next race. At last.
How many is that, darling?
Oh, darling, just enough.
Georgina was so helpless I almost felt bad for her.
She wouldn't last one day in the wild.
-I thought you said this was casual. -It is casual.
On the scale of my mother's events anyway.
You look stunning.
Thank you.
Who's that pretty girl?
-Where, darling? -There.
Hi, Ginger. You look ready to race.
Oh, God.
Oh, God. Our son's fraternizing with the help.
What's wrong with that?
She's of no means.
Yes.
And neither were you when we got married.
Where's Beauty?
Wish me luck.
Good luck.
Come on.
Come on! - Whoo! Go!
-Go, George. Come on! -That's it. Come on, George!
Beauty!
Wow. He's so fast.
He's a lot of things.
Come on, George!
Come on!
Come on, Ginger!
Yes!
George Winthorp, taking home the cup for the third year running.
Yes!
And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,
the final event for the day, the Women's Invitational.
-Oh, darling, look. There's Georgina. -Yeah.
Oh! She looks beautiful. Yes!
-Hey. -Hi.
Congratulations.
- Thank you, Jo. -Hmm.
It was all Ginger.
I may not have liked Georgina,
but I wanted to win.
On my signal!
Come on, Beauty!
Faster, Beauty!
Go!
I tried to listen...
-Yes! -...but she was pushing me too hard.
She wasn't Jo.
Georgina had no idea what she was doing.
Something's wrong.
Her gait's off.
-Without my shoe, jumping was dangerous. -Come on. Go!
Still, she forced me to keep going.
Come on. Come on.
Faster!
- Oh!
Oh, my God. Darling, run!
-Beauty! - Don't worry.
Only thing that's bruised is her ego.
Useless horse! We could've won!
She was limping at the first turn, but you forced her to keep going.
Did you even know her shoe was loose?
Selfish girl! Putting your life and the horse's in danger.
Aw, Georgina. Are you all right?
-Does it hurt?
Come on. Come with Mummy.
-Are you all right? - No!
Of course she's not all right!
Oh, Beauty.
I know. I know. Come on.
Good girl. Good girl.
She didn't break a leg, miraculously.
Whoever did this, shouldn't be around horses.
Unfortunately these scars will last for a lifetime,
-but there is a surgery if you want me-- -No, no, no.
We're not spending any more money on this horse.
I told you that we shouldn't have brought a mustang into our stables.
Just send it back.
Y-You-- You can't do that, Mother. Jo--
I can do whatever I want, George. And stay away from the help.
-The help? -Yes, George. The help.
Jo is ten times the person you are.
Our time at Earlshall had tested us.
George!
[Black Beauty] But Jo and I were stronger because of it.
I respected George for standing up to his mother.
George!
He had inherited her good breeding but none of her nasty spirit.
Jo had worked so hard, and it was almost time to go home.
But I would miss Ginger.
So, I've saved up over $800, and I've done the math.
It should be enough to pay back Mr. Gordon,
and if I just keep going, I can finally take her away from here.
Jo.
Wait, why are you visiting again?
I have terrible news.
Birtwick was closing down for good.
All of the animals in it were going to be sold.
You're my family.
You know that, right?
I'm gonna find you.
I'm gonna save up enough money, and I'm gonna find you.
[Black Beauty] My heart stopped. My legs went numb.
I promise.
I felt like I couldn't even breathe.
Jo was leaving me?
- I cried. I screamed. -Wait!
Wait! Beauty!
I pounded my hooves against that trailer to get them to stop.
-But it was just too late.
The only thing I could do was look back at Jo's sweet face
as she disappeared from my life completely.
Losing Jo made my old anger come back.
I began to bite and kick,
anything I could do to make them send me home.
-Hey. - But my plan didn't work.
What's up, pretty lady?
-My new owner liked the fire in me. -Yeah.
I never thought I'd say goodbye to Birtwick. I'm so sorry, Jo.
A few years ago, I fell in love with this little bay mustang
we rescued from the BLM in Nevada.
He was half-starved but so darn pretty.
I called him Beau.
They say horses pick you, and Beau picked me.
I trained him up right, and he was a perfect horse.
Boy, I cried like a baby when we gave him away.
And you didn't fight to keep him?
If I'd fought for every horse I'd ever loved,
I'd have a hundred of 'em.
I don't want a hundred horses.
I just want one.
I'm gonna get Beauty back, Uncle John, no matter what.
I was bought by a man named Terry
to help him search for people lost in the mountains.
Being in nature again brought up old memories of when I was wild.
It seemed like a lifetime ago.
Terry was a quiet man and good to me,
but I couldn't help but think Jo had been right.
We should've run away together when we had the chance.
Fell for a pretty, little mustang, hey, Terry?
Well, I think she's lovely.
Mm-hmm.
-And more accustomed to this kinda terra.
My new life required a different side of me.
I had to be bolder and more fearless than ever before.
It's getting a little dicey here.
She can do it. Come on.
Come on. That's my brave horse.
Terry, stop. It's too steep.
I spent two years in the mountains with Terry...
and we did many brave rescues.
It was hard, lonely work...
but I learned new lessons about being selfless.
Terry and I risked our lives every day for people we'd never met.
That's my girl. That's my girl.
[Black Beauty] If Jo could see me now, I hope she would be proud of me.
Hey! Help me, please!
Hang on in there!
Hold on in there!
-Please hurry! - I'm coming!
My leg is stuck!
I stood my ground the best I could...
but the will of the river was just so strong.
I got ya!
But Terry was determined to save that man, and so was I.
Hold tight there! I'm coming!
Only once in my life had I seen a river overflow,
-and it wiped out everything in its path. - Please!
My leg is stuck! I can't move it!
The water was coming down the mountain too fast.
-You're gonna have to help me! -Okay.
He had to hurry.
Hold on!
- Come on!
We weren't going to make it.
Save yourself, girl.
I didn't know if a mustang had ever outrun a river...
but I was going to try.
Come on!
Engine 5, Dispatch. Requesting backup.
We had done it.
I had never galloped as fast
or as hard in my life as I did that day.
We've gotta get you to the hospital.
And I was proud to be Terry's partner.
Don't worry, sir. We'll tend to her.
Tanner, get the horse's bridle and saddle off,
and make sure she has plenty to drink.
She was a hero today. Come on, sir. Let's get going.
I think Jo would have been proud of us too.
Goodness, girl. Your coat's on fire.
Okay. Come.
Like the freezing river water, the cold air rushed into my lungs.
But the man didn't know anything about horses.
So, he left me without my blanket.
My legs began to shake so hard I couldn't even stand.
I turned cold all over.
No. No, stupid kid.
Stupid kid.
My brave horse.
Come on, my girl. Get up. Get up.
It's colic. Her lungs are badly inflamed. I've given her something for the pain.
Let's hope she has the strength to make it through.
Terry stayed with me all night as my mind went into a haze.
I fought to stay awake...
but I could feel my spirit slipping.
Then... I saw Jo.
Just hold on for me.
I'm gonna find you.
I promise.
I'm gonna find you.
I love you, Beauty.
I don't know if it was a dream...
or if Jo had managed to find me somehow.
You're up.
- Terry was a good man. -Oh, my. My girl, you are up.
But he was getting older like me.
He decided to retire.
So, I was sold again.
I was sent to a place so far in the country,
the farmers still used old tools to work.
He had promised Terry he would take good care of me, but the farmer lied.
When I felt like giving up,
something my mother said kept coming back to me.
When she told me it was impossible to break a mustang's spirit...
and that if things ever got really hard...
that I should close my eyes and dream of only good things...
and that good things would return.
I dreamed of Jo.
I remembered back to when we were young... and free.
But it had been so long.
Would she even remember me?
I tried to imagine where Jo could be right now.
Dear Uncle John...
Winter in the city really is beautiful.
I've been working extra shifts,
and I've almost saved up enough money to buy Beauty back.
But now, I can't seem to find her.
It's like she disappeared.
I knew it was just another dream,
but some days, when I thought I could almost hear Jo's voice,
I whinnied as loudly as I could just in case somehow she could hear me too.
I'll never stop searching for her. Love, Jo.
It had been almost seven years since I'd last seen Jo.
We bought a horse.
But hope can be a very powerful thing
if you can manage to hang on to it.
Bit more broken up than we want her to be, yeah, Jerry?
Dolly picked her out, actually.
She's beautiful underneath. She's just tired. That's all.
You're right, honey. You should never judge a book by its cover.
My new stall was the smallest I'd ever been in.
Easy now. There you go.
And there were no pastures in sight.
That's it.
[Black Beauty] Only concrete and walls.
Let's get her settled in.
I was scared to be left alone in that place.
Dolly reminded me of Jo, and her touch was kind.
It's okay.
Like she knew exactly how to calm me.
Slow down around the horses.
I bet she was an amazing horse when she was younger.
And she will be again with some good treatment.
What do you think we should name her, Jer?
I was thinking Jackie, after the old one. What do you think, guys?
How about Lady? Because she's so elegant.
Then the name is all hers.
That's a great idea, Dolly. Lady it is.
Lady.
Take your time. You're not in any rush.
The carriage was strange to pull at first...
but Jerry didn't force me.
What can I get ya?
I came to like the park and all the faces in it.
I knew I had found my way to the city for a reason.
I couldn't believe how many people visited that place.
-Thousands. -[Jerry] Good girl.
And so I was sure, that somehow, I would find Jo.
I missed her so much that I started seeing her everywhere.
Whoa now. What's going on, Lady?
You looking for someone?
-Want me to take you to brunch?
Walk on.
But I would not give up hope.
I knew in my heart I would find her.
Every day, I looked.
I knew that horse.
It was Ginger.
I couldn't believe how much she'd changed.
Ginger's once powerful body was just skin and bones.
The fire and life in her eyes had been replaced by deep sadness.
She told me she had won many prizes for George,
but when he left for school,
his mother had sold her without him even knowing.
-Hey, how much for a ride? -[carriage driver] I'm your man, boys.
While my mustang heart could endure that hard life
just for the hope of seeing Jo again...
I knew Ginger didn't have someone to hope for anymore.
I also knew it was the last time I would ever see her.
- Okay. Come on. -[Ginger nickers]
I'll never forget Ginger's final words to me.
Careful.
She said Merrylegs and I were the only friends she ever had.
Move on.
Beauty?
Move on, Lady.
Good girl. Good girl.
Thanks for getting through a rough night, girl. You're a good--
I'm fine. I'm fine.
But Jerry wasn't fine.
The cold had climbed into his lungs, just like when I was sick.
Hello, lovely one.
Nice looking horse.
The doctor said Jerry can't drive for the rest of the winter,
maybe even until spring.
We need the money.
I can put her into my rotation.
All right.
After I was taken from Jo,
I didn't think my life could get any worse...
but I was wrong.
Nice and slow. Come on. That's okay.
The smells in that stable reeked of mold and old hay.
The horses were mean from bad treatment.
I couldn't imagine what they'd want from me next.
Good night, Lady.
The rotation meant I was on my feet day and night.
-Jerry had been kind... -Whoa, whoa. Easy.
-...and most drivers were like him... -Easy, easy.
...but not all people in the world are good.
Come on.
I knew it was Ginger.
She was at peace at last.
How could some people not understand
that horses can feel what they do?
Jo knew that I could feel love and sadness.
What's the matter with you? Come on!
But others thought it was okay to just throw a horse's life away
like it meant nothing.
And that broke my heart.
I mean, where are the years that a horse could work eight, ten hours a day?
But that was too many hours, Tom,
as evidenced by the fact that your horse was outside on the streets yesterday.
Midtown Stables.
Nope. No black horse in my barn.
Yeah, yeah, I saw the papers. Yeah, it's just terrible.
I bet you were hermosa back in your day.
Means pretty.
Sure, sure. I'll ask around.
You're a famous horse now. See?
She's useless if she can't work.
I have a guy who can take... you know, take care of her.
Yeah, but if you put her out to pasture, she should recover in a couple of months.
Not worth the money.
-Nah.
Midtown Stables.
No, miss. I'm sorry. I really don't know anything about that horse.
Just really terrible. Oh, sure, sure. I'll-- I'll ask around.
Even more reason to be rid of it.
Hey. What are you doing in there? Get back to work.
Yes, sir.
Well, Mr. Skinner, thanks for coming around here.
I have this huge land. I can take as many as you can give.
Here's the first one. She's gotten lame on me.
The front leg. She's about 1,200 pounds.
This is what we agreed on for her, and here's the other one we talked about.
What, over there?
You should happily take her. We got a deal?
- Absolutely. -Great.
-Well, let me take you to the office. - Now listen.
-You got any more, just phone me, okay? - For sure.
I knew something bad was coming...
but I felt more sorry for the little bay mare,
who was so exhausted, she didn't care what happened to her.
I wondered if she ever had someone to love her like Jo had loved me.
And I wished, somehow, I could see her just one last time.
Hello.
A white star. Yes, she does.
Let's make this fast. I don't like being here with these things.
- Which one? -That's her there.
What the hell? Back. Let's get back in there.
Stand still.
I knew they had come for me.
But if it really was the end, I wouldn't make it easy on them.
Whoa!
Back up, horse!
I was a mustang, strong and proud and wild.
And I would defend myself until my final breath.
-Jo would have wanted that. -Get back, horse!
My mother would have too.
My God, how did this pass code?
Let's see some ID, fellas.
We've heard some rumors about horses disappearing.
- Come on. Let me see. - I've done nothing wrong.
- Come on. -Let me see your ID.
- Have to take you in, man. -[man 3] This is wrong.
- Let us decide that. -[policeman 2] Seriously? Stop.
It doesn't matter, ma'am. All right? Just--
- Please. Just let me go. - Let the girl go!
Really.
Beauty?
Is that you, girl?
It's okay.
It's me.
It's Jo.
Was it just another dream?
Oh, my Beauty.
I promised I'd find you.
It was really her.
My Jo.
My Beauty.
That was the happiest day of my life.
And I finally understood what it was that kept Jo and I connected all that time.
It was because we shared the same mustang spirit.
I'm so proud of you.
We've been looking for you for a long time, Beauty.
Don't worry. Your friends are coming with us.
Goodbye, beautiful.
Let's go home.
I could smell the salt on the air again.
I was going home at last.
Jo had done it.
I had never seen such a funny little horse...
...except for Merrylegs. And he had a family.
Remember your old friend? I found him while I was looking for you.
You're home.
Anna...
this... is Beauty.
Would you like to say hello?
Hello.
Would you like to touch her nose?
It's very soft.
-She'll bite me. - She will not.
We taught each other well...
a long time ago.
I thought you said she was wild.
She was... once.
As wild as wild can be.
She saved my life, you know.
How could a horse save a person?
I'd love to tell you.
So, when I was growing up,
something happened that changed my life... forever.
And Beauty's actually why I started this place.
[Black Beauty] I was so proud of who she had become.
Give him a good pat. And tell him, "Thank you."
Thank you.
Always remember to say thank you.
Welcome home, Beauty.
Home.
I was finally back where I was meant to be.
A wise horse once told me...
a mustang's spirit can never be broken.
That it has the strength of the ocean...
and lives forever, like the wind.
It took me a long time to realize why that was true,
but now I know it is because a true mustang
never gives up on hope... or on love.
And as my final moments found me
and I galloped toward the sky...
I realized my mother was right.
It really did feel like flying.
...that a mustang's spirit can never be broken.
That it has the strength of the ocean...
and lives forever, like the wind.
Over the course of my life...
my spirit has been tested a thousand times...
until I discovered a secret that saved me.
And to tell you what it is, we have to start at the very beginning.
The story of a wild horse...
and the girl she loved.
I was born in a golden meadow...
on a bed of soft wildflowers.
My mother showed me our home.
It was endless...
and beautiful.
I was a little shy to meet my family.
There were so many of them.
To prove myself to the herd...
I had to be strong and fast and fearless.
As I got older, I felt a fire rising up in me.
My mother said it was my mustang spirit, and it would always guide me.
She said I should never kick or bite without a good reason,
but always try to be gentle and kind.
My heart ached to explore the world beyond our meadow.
A place nobody could ever take from us.
When I turned two years old, I made a discovery.
Strange creatures were moving onto our land.
It was against the rules to leave the mountains...
but I had to find out where they were coming from.
[man] We gotta find that mustang herd.
There she goes. We're coming back for you, pretty thing!
I knew I had put my whole family in danger.
That night my mother told me a story
about what happens when a horse leaves this Earth.
That she wouldn't always be there to protect me...
but that I shouldn't worry
because when it is a horse's time to go...
it gallops toward the sky,
just as if it can fly.
And that when her time came...
she would always watch over me...
from her bed in the stars.
Whoo-hoo! Ha-ha!
I knew I had made a terrible mistake.
I had led them right to us.
- Yeehaw! - Yah, yah!
That filly's out of her mind.
It was my first experience with the creatures they called...
humans.
I lost my mother in the stampede.
It was the last time I ever saw her.
And I knew it was all my fault.
I felt hurt and guilty and just so angry.
My mother said a mustang's spirit could never be broken.
But I was beginning to doubt if that was true.
My spirit felt shattered.
Hey. How you doin'?
Well, well, well.
From all the way out east, huh?
Quite the haul.
I drove all the way out from New York.
[man 2] You gotta get fresh water.
Yeah, I was just about to change it out this morning.
One of my staffers got sick.
How many you looking to take?
Just a few.
Wow!
She's a pretty one.
Yeah, well, that filly's got a horrible temper.
Trust me, you don't want her.
She's a strike horse anyway.
It's leaving this afternoon.
He's adopting 20 of them.
We don't exactly keep a record of where our strike horses go.
Course you don't.
The new man seemed different.
His eyes were softer.
Poor girl.
-You're just frightened. I know.
And angry, I'm sure.
A lot of personality, all right.
Well-built too. Elegant.
Okay, boys, that's it. Round 'em up.
Hold on. I'll take her.
As we drove away from that awful place,
I had no idea how lucky I was to be one of the few chosen.
Because not many people want a wild mustang to train.
We went down the long gray path for days.
There you go. Buck it out.
Well, she's a gorgeous one, John.
-She is, isn't she? -It's just--
The other ones seem much more decidedly--
Tame?
I was going to say sane, but yes.
Oh! Hey! Oh, God! Oh!
Ah, she'll settle in.
-Trust me. - I do.
But the rescues have a time limit here, John.
We both know that.
My first night at Birtwick.
I miss my family.
The other horses were all strangers.
But it was quieter there.
And I could hear a new sound.
Smell salt on the air.
It was peaceful.
And finally, I slept.
I wondered what the new man wanted from me.
He couldn't possibly understand.
All right. In your own time.
The boy and I developed a game.
-We played it together... -Easy.
...each and every day.
Oh!
-I always won.
My mother would not have approved,
but humans had not been kind or good to me.
So why should I be to them?
That mustang's got a real mean streak.
Right now, she's just angry.
Wouldn't you be if a UFO came down and stole you from your family?
Yeah, I guess so.
Still, I don't see how you can break a horse like that.
For her sake, let's try, shall we?
There you go.
I decided humans must be very lazy.
They always wanted to be carried around by something.
Bet you haven't seen one of these in the wild.
The man thought he could outsmart me with his tricks.
Good girl.
But he had underestimated me.
Okay.
One day I got a neighbor.
I liked the fire in her immediately.
She was followed by the funniest little horse I had ever seen.
It looked like he couldn't stop dancing.
I learned that they were called Ginger and Merrylegs.
We eventually became friends, and they turned us out together.
I was so happy to have a family again.
The man who brought me there made his home near my paddock.
Hello. John Manly.
I noticed he was always alone.
What?
Jo.
I'm so ver--
I'm so sorry for your loss.
Call if you need anything.
I would eventually hear from different people at Birtwick...
the girl's parents had died in a car accident.
John was her uncle.
There was something different about the girl.
Something I recognized.
Her spirit seemed broken.
- Yes.
I'm sorry.
I have dinner on the table.
I'm not hungry.
You have to eat something.
I don't.
Just...
please leave me alone.
It was a few days before I saw her again.
So, I continued my game with the boy.
John decided to play too.
But even with a horse to help him...
he couldn't keep up with me.
Pretty, isn't she?
I didn't mean to scare you.
What's her name?
I haven't given her a name yet.
You know, if you like...
You know, that horse out there, she was rounded up out west.
Taken away from her herd, her family, all she'd ever known.
Her whole world's been turned upside down.
Please stop.
Stop what?
I don't need your sympathy.
I don't want any part of your world.
I'm here because the state says that I have to be, instead of in my own home.
Jo. You don't have anywhere else.
You think I don't know that?
Are you seriously saying that to me right now?
Look. I don't know you.
You don't know me.
We'll get used to each other in time.
You're not my family.
Just stay away from me.
Well, good.
Now I have two girls who want nothing to do with me.
You see how his head is turned away from me?
He doesn't want to look at me.
Wants nothing to do with me.
That's what I wanna change.
Start gaining his trust.
-Oh!
Apply a little pressure.
Then I give him his space.
I'm trying to talk to him, to learn his language.
It isn't about controlling him or forcing him
or making him do something he doesn't wanna do.
We have to find a balance together, a give and take.
Now, he might not be able to talk, but he's saying a whole lot to me right now.
The biggest rule is, I can't get angry or frustrated at him.
If I get angry, he'll feel it. He'll get angry too.
Horses are a window to your soul.
They can read your facial expressions, your emotions.
They'll feel everything you do.
My goal through this work is to help each horse find his peace.
Is there a horse he hasn't been able to break?
Nope.
Not yet, anyway.
She'll come around.
Yeah.
How's she doin'?
Stays locked in her room unless she's at school.
-Hey, Jo. -[John] Barely speaks to me.
Well, like it or not, I'm better with horses than I am with people.
She'll come around.
So you know you're beautiful.
I know you are though.
Yeah, Fitzpatrick's been doing really wonderfully, so...
That's good.
That new girl?
You know she actually lives here?
That's weird.
Mm-hmm.
No wonder she smells.
She can still hear us.
I heard you lost your family too.
I'm sorry.
I don't know why anyone would try to tame you.
You don't belong here.
And neither do I.
Gotta ease 'em into it. Get 'em used to the weight.
Make 'em realize it's not gonna hurt.
You gotta always say, "Thank you."
You show him respect when he's trusted you,
done a good thing for you.
Attaboy.
Thank you.
Sunday means scrambled eggs.
Got a new recipe here with grits.
One...
No thanks.
I saw you listening to my lesson yesterday.
I... I thought you might like this.
My mentor gave it to me.
What's it about?
How to talk to horses.
"There is no secret so close as that between a rider and his horse."
R. S. Surtees.
-You read poetry? - I do.
Seamus Heaney, E. E. Cummings,
they're all in the shelf in there.
Welcome to take a book whenever you like.
Thank you.
You really are beautiful.
-John, Jo is out there. -Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
You'll frighten the horse.
She could run her right over.
Maybe that's what I'll call you.
Beauty.
Would you like that?
Beauty.
Black Beauty.
I liked the name.
After that day, I realized that, just maybe,
there was one person who could actually understand me.
John...
she's not afraid to be in there?
Nope.
Does Jo ride?
Never been around a horse in her life.
And the amazing thing was...
Thank you.
...I understood her too.
Are you ready for dinner?
I got a couple of nice steaks on sale.
You really like food.
-I like to cook. Can't you tell?
You've gotten closer to that filly in days than I have in weeks.
We get each other, I guess.
Jo...
Stop.
-Jo, I just think-- -I don't wanna talk about it.
-You have to... eventually. -Why?
[John] Well, at some point you have to tell me what you're feeling.
I wanna tell you how I'm feeling.
Why would I care about what you're feeling?
You didn't bother to see my mom. You didn't even bother to meet me.
-No, no. No, I met you. I met you. -Yeah?
-I saw you. When you were-- -Yeah?
And I barely remembered your face when I got here.
Jo. Jo, I'm sorry.
Don't touch me.
I wanna go home.
You can't go home, Jo. You can't go home.
Your mom and dad--
I'm sorry.
Jo.
-Jo? - I said, leave me alone!
You stop...
They were like two mustangs,
fighting in the wild.
And as I watched them,
I realized maybe humans and horses weren't so different after all.
I couldn't sleep at all that night.
I was too worried about Jo.
The look on her face made my heart break.
I recognized it because I still had nightmares about losing my family.
In that moment...
I wished I could tell Jo where her parents were,
like my mother had told me.
Watching over her...
from their bed in the stars.
I stayed with her until the sun rose again the next day.
Jo?
Where are you?
Jo?
Jo.
Oh, thank God.
You scared the life out of me.
What are you doing sleeping out here?
What am I supposed to do with you?
This is new terrain for me too, you know.
You're grounded.
Really?
Yeah, really.
In fact, I have a better idea.
I'm gonna show you how to wield a pitchfork.
-Well, yeah, but it's not-- -But I'm not going to--
You don't have to be intimidated, you know.
I'm not
She's cleaning up after our horses.
That is so sad.
Super sad.
I heard if they can't save them, they turn them into glue.
-What did you say? - Nothing.
One...
You've just got a little something there.
Yeah. You got a little something right there.
Oh!
-I'm sorry. - What are you doing?
-Come over here and help me. - Just--
Oh, my God!
-You're fine. It's just-- -No, I'm not fine.
-You've just got a little bit of dirt-- -Obviously, I'm not fine!
It's disgusting, and it's ridiculous, and it's unacceptable.
This place sucks.
Sorry. Not here with you.
This is the only safe place there is.
School sucks. People suck.
Maybe we should just run away together.
What you think?
No, no, no. I'm sorry. It's gone.
She's conditioned to hate it.
She's a smart horse.
Did you know that wild mustang bands aren't led by a stallion?
They're usually led by a mare.
Not always the biggest or strongest or most popular,
but the one who's gone through the most life experience.
She leads through respect.
That's why mustangs are unique.
Why are you telling me this?
'Cause, to me,
I think you're more of a wise mustang than a yappy little show dog.
Dinner's ready in ten.
I'm making lasagna.
You can't even lead the horse, John. She's a lost cause.
I just need a bit more time.
Now, you know we just can't keep the mustangs that won't be gentle.
We have to make space.
So, Mr. Gordon says that if you don't get tamed,
-you're gonna have to go somewhere else. -[nickers]
And probably not as nice of a place.
Now... I know you're not gonna hurt me...
and I'm not gonna hurt you... ever.
So do you think we could try?
-And show him how gentle you are? -[nickers]
I know. I know.
It can't be all that bad, right?
It's better than being homeless.
Please.
Just trust me.
Here, look.
Oh, wow.
See?
See, it doesn't hurt me.
Okay.
Let's try this.
See?
There.
Almost there.
Oh!
It's all right.
Well, there's no way she's actually going to lead her.
Would you walk with me? Come on.
Beginner's luck.
Yeah. Or maybe she's just talented.
Well, I'll be darned.
Maybe you two have something in common after all.
Don't want any part of this world, huh?
This is different.
The sparring between Jo and her uncle happened much less after that.
So you do like it, huh?
Well, good.
Uncle John says you're safe for now, but you'll be broken in soon,
whatever that means.
Jo was proud of me, and I wanted to prove myself to her.
So the first thing is the bridle. Let's see how this goes.
-Come on, Beauty.
Beauty, come on.
I have an idea.
Maybe the taste won't be so bad.
-There you-- -There you go.
How'd you know how to do that?
Felt like the right thing to do, I guess.
I knew humans liked to wear things on their feet. But horses?
Beauty.
Ginger and Merrylegs laughed loud enough for the whole stable to hear.
It was so embarrassing.
Saddle is next.
You take the pad first and get her used to something weighing on her.
-Ready? - Nice. Yeah. Nice and slowly.
Easy now. Come on, Beauty.
Come on.
There we go.
Now we're making some progress.
Do we really have to put that on her?
To break her, yeah.
Why do you call it that?
What?
"Breaking."
It's just a term. Breaking a horse.
Should really change it.
What would you change it to?
"Partnering."
Partner a horse.
All right. Ready?
Attagirl.
You did it.
Hi, Jo.
You're all right.
Doesn't it feel too soon?
I mean, she's come so far already.
Not far enough.
We can't sell her if she can't be ridden.
Sell her?
What do you think we're breaking her for?
Sorry, "partnering." I do like that.
But why would you sell her?
Oh, Jo. I don't own this place.
The conservancy part is to train and adopt out a few mustangs a year,
not to keep them.
Do you know how many are out there that need help? Thousands.
Let's give it a go. Nice and easy.
-It's okay, girl. It's okay. -All right, Beauty. Attagirl.
-Uncle John!
Uncle John!
Are you okay?
I'll survive.
Ooh!
My friendship with Jo blossomed, like flowers do in spring.
Some of these really are beautiful.
We had an unspoken language... together.
Do you ever think about your family, Beauty?
I try not to think of mine.
It hurts too much.
You know?
I hated seeing her so upset.
When I was sad, I ran as fast as I could.
But since Jo couldn't gallop, I had an idea.
What are you doing?
Do you want me to--
I can't. I don't know how.
I really wished she would try.
I knew Jo could be fearless.
Okay.
Whoa!
Whoa! Oh.
I had trusted her. -Oh!
Now she needed to trust me.
John!
Mr. Gordon!
-Beauty! -What the--
I knew that if Jo could feel the wind in her mane,
it would help her to heal.
- Jo, hold on! - Jo!
Whoa!
- Yes! - Yes!
Oh no! Yo.
Jo? Are you all right? Are you hurt?
That was amazing.
Oh!
Jo and I learned to ride together.
- Is that good? - It's good.
That's it. Keep control.
She fell a lot in the beginning.
-Hey, are you okay? -Yeah.
No wonder they rode horses.
Humans were very clumsy.
Maybe we should try Merrylegs instead.
-Back on? -Back on.
But we got the hang of it, together.
Partners.
Come on, Beauty. Let's go faster.
[Black Beauty] Jo and I galloped like nothing in the world could catch us.
We were two beings,
and yet, for just a moment...
we were one.
We had found our peace... together.
As the summer ended, there was new life all around.
They reminded me of my mother and I.
When the big yellow trailer came for Jo again...
I could smell change on the air.
Riding wasn't as much fun without Jo,
but I had to learn to have others on my back.
I started to like John, even though he was kind of heavy.
A new groom started taking care of us.
He was always very distracted.
If the sky fell down, I wondered if he would even notice.
-Hey, you can wait. Come on.
Birtwick will be underwater if we don't.
I'm trying to keep the mustang program alive, but business hasn't been--
I understand. Hey.
You gotta get your nose out of that phone while you're working.
Sorry, Mr. Manly. Sorry, Mr. Gordon.
Make sure to watch the new filly tonight. She might get chilled.
Sure thing.
I watched over them for hours, just in case.
You're all warmed up now, aren't ya?
I was surprised when the groom put down his little box for a while,
and the frozen look he always had on his face faded away.
That night, I had a terrible dream.
A horse was calling to me over and over for help.
I realized it was Ginger.
We were trapped.
I tried to sound a warning, but Jo was too far away to hear me.
Beauty!
-Couldn't leave the others. -Okay.
- It's okay. It's okay. -Ginger and Merrylegs were still in there.
Just trust me. Please.
Jo!
It's okay. It's okay.
It's okay.
-Jo! - Help them!
Are you all right, Jo? Beauty.
-Jo. Jo! You gotta-- - Get that gate open!
-We have to help them! -Jo!
Jo! Don't!
She's coming.
Where's Jo?
Jo wasn't coming out.
-Where was she? -Jo!
Jo!
Oh, good God.
As the stable went up in flames...
so did my newfound hope of a life with Jo.
It was because of Jo's courage that the horses were all saved.
Her calm, steady voice broke through my fear,
which was the only reason I could even follow her.
The young groom didn't mean to hurt anyone,
but his carelessness put our lives in danger...
and had destroyed our beautiful home.
It was the beginning of the end at Birtwick.
- Mr. Gordon. -Jo, what can I do for you?
Please, you can't sell Beauty.
I'm sorry, Jo. All the trained horses have to be sold.
We just don't have the space with all that damage.
-But-- -You saved her life, Jo,
in more ways than one.
Don't you want to do that for more horses?
Mr. Gordon, what if I could buy her?
Sorry?
I could work for you. Help train the others,
rebuild the barn, anything you need.
Every morning, every day after school.
Look, I just don't know if that's the right thing to do.
Uncle John, please.
He can't take Beauty away.
Well, it is only after working with Beauty that your grades have improved.
You haven't gotten into another fight at school.
Exactly.
The trouble, Jo, is boarding Beauty is very expensive.
All right.
I tell you what.
If you can pay for her food and what she's cost us so far
by the end of summer, she's yours.
And you can board her here for free in exchange for being Birtwick's mascot.
Are you serious?
Look, don't make me overthink this.
All right.
Thank you, Mr. Gordon.
Thank you, Uncle John.
But there's one thing you need to understand.
There's a chance I might lease Beauty out for the summer,
just to free up space while we build the new stable, if anybody wants her.
-Deal? -Deal.
-I'm so sorry about the stable, Mr. Manly. -Thank you.
-It's absolutely disgusting here, Mother. -Darling, quiet.
George Winthorp.
I mean, seriously.
This filly is spirited, but a fine jumper with a right gentle touch.
-He's just, like, totally ideal. -Do you think he knows who we are?
I mean, yeah. I feel like he's looked at me before.
Oh, my gosh. Mum, look at that horse.
-Well, isn't that a mustang? -[daughter] So?
-Darling, you want a thoroughbred. -Everyone has a thoroughbred.
She's a Pryor mustang, isn't she?
-You know your horses. -[Mrs. Winthorp] Mm.
She's so beautiful.
And that's the funny thing, but that's her name. Beauty.
-But like your mother said, you probably-- -Is she for sale?
-Uh, no. She's not for sale. -Oh.
She's, uh... She's for lease.
Wow! [giggles]
[Mrs. Winthorp] Is it even rideable?
She is. My niece was the one to gentle her.
But look, we-- we've got plenty of horses.
-Oh, good. -Go and speak to him.
Do it for both of us. Don't mess it up. Okay, go.
But... we got all sorts of horses, so...
-Yes, all sorts, darling. -No, Mummy. I want that one.
-Let's go. -What happened?
-I said let's go. -Why didn't you just talk to him?
Because it was a stupid idea and a ridiculous situation.
Why-- No, it wasn't.
Hello.
-Hi.
I heard you were the one to break this beautiful filly.
Well, partnered.
Oh, you mean, like, partnering instead of breaking.
I like that.
She was nervous around him.
I'm George, by the way.
Jo.
I think Jo thought he was handsome.
-Sorry. -What for?
Yay!
-Good. - What's going on over there?
I think my sister just leased your horse.
What?
You'll bunk with another groom.
They've agreed to pay you a flat weekly rate at 200.
Thank you.
But, wait, why did they agree?
Well, I told them it would be beneficial to Beauty's transition
and much, much safer for the girl if you were there.
We're done, Ms. Green.
All right. See you in a couple weeks, Uncle John.
At Birtwick, I learned that it is good people who make good places.
I felt lucky Ginger was coming with us too.
I wondered what our new home would be like.
Wow.
-I can help if-- -I got it. Thanks.
They're here!
Oh, Georgina, fine-looking horse you have there.
I'm proud you made the decision to save her.
Can you take a photo?
Not like that. Get my good side.
The new girl's voice was at a pitch
I was sure only horses and dogs could hear.
Not to be mean, but it was a very terrible sound.
You... you must be Jo?
Yes.
Mr. York. You'll report to me.
Come on. I'll show you your summer quarters.
This way.
George!
George!
Earlshall couldn't have been more different to Birtwick.
The aisles were spotless.
The horses gleamed.
But for all its perfection...
something about Earlshall felt very cold and not nearly as welcoming.
Here we are.
-These are the grooms quarters? -Yup.
Ginger had been purchased.
I was only leased.
Apparently you can try out a horse to see if you like it.
You don't have to kick her that hard. She will walk.
Let's just ease her into it, shall we?
It was clear within seconds. Georgina was nothing like Jo.
Her hands were hard. Her kicks were harder.
And she flailed around like she was having a tantrum on my back.
- Gently now. -Come on.
We want a nice collected frame.
York! The dressage, you're going to have to get her head up!
My head is up, Mother.
No, the horse, darling.
Beauty's never been on a draw rein, ma'am.
Well, then you need to get her used to it because she's not fit to be seen.
Shoulder's back, Georgina.
She needs to look more like a show horse. Cut her mane and tail.
I tried to stay patient.
I wondered how she'd feel if they chopped off all of her hair.
The art of dressage is to create a healthy horse.
We want to give her the freedom to express herself.
York, I'm really not in the mood today. Canter, Beauty.
York, are you never going to get the horses head up?
I could take it up another degree, ma'am, but I'd prefer not to.
Oh, do it, please.
The only thing worse than Georgina's kicks was the draw rein.
It forced my head down into my chest so I couldn't breathe naturally.
-I tried to remember my training... -What's she doing?
...but the way I was treated made me angry.
Give her a head.
I knew that if I threw her off, Jo and I would both be in trouble,
-so I had a better idea. - What's wrong with her?
Georgina, what are you doing?
Nothing. It's the stupid horse!
That's it. Jump out the way.
What's she doing? Stupid horse!
-Stupid horse! - Georgina, I've got--
Oh, Beauty, you're a cracker!
What a wonderful horse you are!
Well, my sister is definitely not a horse woman.
You wanna be tending to her, don't you?
Grooming Beauty is apparently above my station here.
How are you finding things otherwise?
Fine. Just trying to keep to myself.
Birtwick was one thing.
This is definitely not my world.
It's a big place, but that doesn't mean the people are any different.
Not all of us anyway.
I'll speak to York about you tending to Beauty.
She's your horse, in my opinion.
I'll see you around.
I heard my son put a word in so that you could spend time with the horse.
Yes, um...
Thank you. I--
Unfortunately it's inappropriate.
And it's upsetting Georgina,
so you're going to need to keep your distance.
You wouldn't want to compromise your place here, would you?
No, no. Of course not.
Good, then we understand each other.
About appropriate distance.
I didn't think Georgina would wanna ride me again after that,
but she did.
Now you'll listen, won't you?
She dug her spurs into me like I was made of stone.
And if it wasn't for Jo,
I would've thrown that horrible girl off my back.
Hi, girl.
Oh, Beauty.
What did she do to you?
- Jo! -Where is she?
Who? What happened?
Your sister put holes into Beauty's sides, and I'm gonna show her exactly--
Whoa. Wait, wait. Slow down.
Tell me what happened.
Oh, my God.
That is not okay. We do not abuse horses at our stable.
Here, dab some of that onto them. It'll make her heal faster.
Thanks for your help, really. But now I need to find your--
Jo, please.
I'll talk to York and my mother, I promise.
Besides, Beauty needs you here, not fired.
I know he's-- He's nice and...
smart.
And very...
... handsome.
-Hey. -Hi.
I wanted to ask if you'd like to have lunch with me.
I'm fine. I'd rather spend my one day off with Beauty.
[Black Beauty] I decided to give them some space.
I figured.
So, what's your story?
I don't really have a story.
Everyone has a story.
Where are you from?
What's a beautiful girl like you doing working as a groom?
-You know, the basics.
I'd rather not talk about my past, if that's okay.
Fair enough.
How about the future?
What do you wanna do in ten years?
You can pick anything. I'll start.
I would colonize Mars.
Well, I would rescue horses. Like what my uncle's doing at Birtwick.
Except, you know, I'd buy the properties around it,
extend the barn so we could stay a little more.
Sorry, it's probably really boring.
No.
I'm fascinated.
So, I've been reading about how there are thousands of wild horses out west,
and they're being rounded up by helicopters and stuffed into holding pens,
just hoping that people will adopt them,
but most of them are just stuck in there forever.
I can't imagine what would've happened to Beauty if my uncle didn't save her.
So I guess I would buy Birtwick and help save thousands of wild horses.
With Beauty as the mascot.
That is a way better answer than Mars.
Bet you do it.
So...
my parents are hosting their annual Earlshall Classic this weekend.
It's a cross-country race around the grounds.
Everyone who's anyone comes.
Whatever that means.
Okay.
Would you wanna be my date?
Me?
Well, I don't see another Jo Green around.
I couldn't.
You could.
I work for you.
You work for my parents.
It's casual, really.
Beauty thinks you should.
-You should always listen to your horse.
-Yes, but-- -Excellent.
-I'll leave your name at the VIP box.
The VIP box?
Hello. How are you?
You made it.
The humans were all so clean.
They wore the funniest hats.
And I loved the music. It made me wanna dance.
And that's Mr. Bradley Eastland on Just Magic at the finish,
taking home the cup for the youth competition.
And next up, the Men's Invitational.
Hi, George.
-Where's George? Is that George? -He's waiting for the next race. At last.
How many is that, darling?
Oh, darling, just enough.
Georgina was so helpless I almost felt bad for her.
She wouldn't last one day in the wild.
-I thought you said this was casual. -It is casual.
On the scale of my mother's events anyway.
You look stunning.
Thank you.
Who's that pretty girl?
-Where, darling? -There.
Hi, Ginger. You look ready to race.
Oh, God.
Oh, God. Our son's fraternizing with the help.
What's wrong with that?
She's of no means.
Yes.
And neither were you when we got married.
Where's Beauty?
Wish me luck.
Good luck.
Come on.
Come on! - Whoo! Go!
-Go, George. Come on! -That's it. Come on, George!
Beauty!
Wow. He's so fast.
He's a lot of things.
Come on, George!
Come on!
Come on, Ginger!
Yes!
George Winthorp, taking home the cup for the third year running.
Yes!
And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,
the final event for the day, the Women's Invitational.
-Oh, darling, look. There's Georgina. -Yeah.
Oh! She looks beautiful. Yes!
-Hey. -Hi.
Congratulations.
- Thank you, Jo. -Hmm.
It was all Ginger.
I may not have liked Georgina,
but I wanted to win.
On my signal!
Come on, Beauty!
Faster, Beauty!
Go!
I tried to listen...
-Yes! -...but she was pushing me too hard.
She wasn't Jo.
Georgina had no idea what she was doing.
Something's wrong.
Her gait's off.
-Without my shoe, jumping was dangerous. -Come on. Go!
Still, she forced me to keep going.
Come on. Come on.
Faster!
- Oh!
Oh, my God. Darling, run!
-Beauty! - Don't worry.
Only thing that's bruised is her ego.
Useless horse! We could've won!
She was limping at the first turn, but you forced her to keep going.
Did you even know her shoe was loose?
Selfish girl! Putting your life and the horse's in danger.
Aw, Georgina. Are you all right?
-Does it hurt?
Come on. Come with Mummy.
-Are you all right? - No!
Of course she's not all right!
Oh, Beauty.
I know. I know. Come on.
Good girl. Good girl.
She didn't break a leg, miraculously.
Whoever did this, shouldn't be around horses.
Unfortunately these scars will last for a lifetime,
-but there is a surgery if you want me-- -No, no, no.
We're not spending any more money on this horse.
I told you that we shouldn't have brought a mustang into our stables.
Just send it back.
Y-You-- You can't do that, Mother. Jo--
I can do whatever I want, George. And stay away from the help.
-The help? -Yes, George. The help.
Jo is ten times the person you are.
Our time at Earlshall had tested us.
George!
[Black Beauty] But Jo and I were stronger because of it.
I respected George for standing up to his mother.
George!
He had inherited her good breeding but none of her nasty spirit.
Jo had worked so hard, and it was almost time to go home.
But I would miss Ginger.
So, I've saved up over $800, and I've done the math.
It should be enough to pay back Mr. Gordon,
and if I just keep going, I can finally take her away from here.
Jo.
Wait, why are you visiting again?
I have terrible news.
Birtwick was closing down for good.
All of the animals in it were going to be sold.
You're my family.
You know that, right?
I'm gonna find you.
I'm gonna save up enough money, and I'm gonna find you.
[Black Beauty] My heart stopped. My legs went numb.
I promise.
I felt like I couldn't even breathe.
Jo was leaving me?
- I cried. I screamed. -Wait!
Wait! Beauty!
I pounded my hooves against that trailer to get them to stop.
-But it was just too late.
The only thing I could do was look back at Jo's sweet face
as she disappeared from my life completely.
Losing Jo made my old anger come back.
I began to bite and kick,
anything I could do to make them send me home.
-Hey. - But my plan didn't work.
What's up, pretty lady?
-My new owner liked the fire in me. -Yeah.
I never thought I'd say goodbye to Birtwick. I'm so sorry, Jo.
A few years ago, I fell in love with this little bay mustang
we rescued from the BLM in Nevada.
He was half-starved but so darn pretty.
I called him Beau.
They say horses pick you, and Beau picked me.
I trained him up right, and he was a perfect horse.
Boy, I cried like a baby when we gave him away.
And you didn't fight to keep him?
If I'd fought for every horse I'd ever loved,
I'd have a hundred of 'em.
I don't want a hundred horses.
I just want one.
I'm gonna get Beauty back, Uncle John, no matter what.
I was bought by a man named Terry
to help him search for people lost in the mountains.
Being in nature again brought up old memories of when I was wild.
It seemed like a lifetime ago.
Terry was a quiet man and good to me,
but I couldn't help but think Jo had been right.
We should've run away together when we had the chance.
Fell for a pretty, little mustang, hey, Terry?
Well, I think she's lovely.
Mm-hmm.
-And more accustomed to this kinda terra.
My new life required a different side of me.
I had to be bolder and more fearless than ever before.
It's getting a little dicey here.
She can do it. Come on.
Come on. That's my brave horse.
Terry, stop. It's too steep.
I spent two years in the mountains with Terry...
and we did many brave rescues.
It was hard, lonely work...
but I learned new lessons about being selfless.
Terry and I risked our lives every day for people we'd never met.
That's my girl. That's my girl.
[Black Beauty] If Jo could see me now, I hope she would be proud of me.
Hey! Help me, please!
Hang on in there!
Hold on in there!
-Please hurry! - I'm coming!
My leg is stuck!
I stood my ground the best I could...
but the will of the river was just so strong.
I got ya!
But Terry was determined to save that man, and so was I.
Hold tight there! I'm coming!
Only once in my life had I seen a river overflow,
-and it wiped out everything in its path. - Please!
My leg is stuck! I can't move it!
The water was coming down the mountain too fast.
-You're gonna have to help me! -Okay.
He had to hurry.
Hold on!
- Come on!
We weren't going to make it.
Save yourself, girl.
I didn't know if a mustang had ever outrun a river...
but I was going to try.
Come on!
Engine 5, Dispatch. Requesting backup.
We had done it.
I had never galloped as fast
or as hard in my life as I did that day.
We've gotta get you to the hospital.
And I was proud to be Terry's partner.
Don't worry, sir. We'll tend to her.
Tanner, get the horse's bridle and saddle off,
and make sure she has plenty to drink.
She was a hero today. Come on, sir. Let's get going.
I think Jo would have been proud of us too.
Goodness, girl. Your coat's on fire.
Okay. Come.
Like the freezing river water, the cold air rushed into my lungs.
But the man didn't know anything about horses.
So, he left me without my blanket.
My legs began to shake so hard I couldn't even stand.
I turned cold all over.
No. No, stupid kid.
Stupid kid.
My brave horse.
Come on, my girl. Get up. Get up.
It's colic. Her lungs are badly inflamed. I've given her something for the pain.
Let's hope she has the strength to make it through.
Terry stayed with me all night as my mind went into a haze.
I fought to stay awake...
but I could feel my spirit slipping.
Then... I saw Jo.
Just hold on for me.
I'm gonna find you.
I promise.
I'm gonna find you.
I love you, Beauty.
I don't know if it was a dream...
or if Jo had managed to find me somehow.
You're up.
- Terry was a good man. -Oh, my. My girl, you are up.
But he was getting older like me.
He decided to retire.
So, I was sold again.
I was sent to a place so far in the country,
the farmers still used old tools to work.
He had promised Terry he would take good care of me, but the farmer lied.
When I felt like giving up,
something my mother said kept coming back to me.
When she told me it was impossible to break a mustang's spirit...
and that if things ever got really hard...
that I should close my eyes and dream of only good things...
and that good things would return.
I dreamed of Jo.
I remembered back to when we were young... and free.
But it had been so long.
Would she even remember me?
I tried to imagine where Jo could be right now.
Dear Uncle John...
Winter in the city really is beautiful.
I've been working extra shifts,
and I've almost saved up enough money to buy Beauty back.
But now, I can't seem to find her.
It's like she disappeared.
I knew it was just another dream,
but some days, when I thought I could almost hear Jo's voice,
I whinnied as loudly as I could just in case somehow she could hear me too.
I'll never stop searching for her. Love, Jo.
It had been almost seven years since I'd last seen Jo.
We bought a horse.
But hope can be a very powerful thing
if you can manage to hang on to it.
Bit more broken up than we want her to be, yeah, Jerry?
Dolly picked her out, actually.
She's beautiful underneath. She's just tired. That's all.
You're right, honey. You should never judge a book by its cover.
My new stall was the smallest I'd ever been in.
Easy now. There you go.
And there were no pastures in sight.
That's it.
[Black Beauty] Only concrete and walls.
Let's get her settled in.
I was scared to be left alone in that place.
Dolly reminded me of Jo, and her touch was kind.
It's okay.
Like she knew exactly how to calm me.
Slow down around the horses.
I bet she was an amazing horse when she was younger.
And she will be again with some good treatment.
What do you think we should name her, Jer?
I was thinking Jackie, after the old one. What do you think, guys?
How about Lady? Because she's so elegant.
Then the name is all hers.
That's a great idea, Dolly. Lady it is.
Lady.
Take your time. You're not in any rush.
The carriage was strange to pull at first...
but Jerry didn't force me.
What can I get ya?
I came to like the park and all the faces in it.
I knew I had found my way to the city for a reason.
I couldn't believe how many people visited that place.
-Thousands. -[Jerry] Good girl.
And so I was sure, that somehow, I would find Jo.
I missed her so much that I started seeing her everywhere.
Whoa now. What's going on, Lady?
You looking for someone?
-Want me to take you to brunch?
Walk on.
But I would not give up hope.
I knew in my heart I would find her.
Every day, I looked.
I knew that horse.
It was Ginger.
I couldn't believe how much she'd changed.
Ginger's once powerful body was just skin and bones.
The fire and life in her eyes had been replaced by deep sadness.
She told me she had won many prizes for George,
but when he left for school,
his mother had sold her without him even knowing.
-Hey, how much for a ride? -[carriage driver] I'm your man, boys.
While my mustang heart could endure that hard life
just for the hope of seeing Jo again...
I knew Ginger didn't have someone to hope for anymore.
I also knew it was the last time I would ever see her.
- Okay. Come on. -[Ginger nickers]
I'll never forget Ginger's final words to me.
Careful.
She said Merrylegs and I were the only friends she ever had.
Move on.
Beauty?
Move on, Lady.
Good girl. Good girl.
Thanks for getting through a rough night, girl. You're a good--
I'm fine. I'm fine.
But Jerry wasn't fine.
The cold had climbed into his lungs, just like when I was sick.
Hello, lovely one.
Nice looking horse.
The doctor said Jerry can't drive for the rest of the winter,
maybe even until spring.
We need the money.
I can put her into my rotation.
All right.
After I was taken from Jo,
I didn't think my life could get any worse...
but I was wrong.
Nice and slow. Come on. That's okay.
The smells in that stable reeked of mold and old hay.
The horses were mean from bad treatment.
I couldn't imagine what they'd want from me next.
Good night, Lady.
The rotation meant I was on my feet day and night.
-Jerry had been kind... -Whoa, whoa. Easy.
-...and most drivers were like him... -Easy, easy.
...but not all people in the world are good.
Come on.
I knew it was Ginger.
She was at peace at last.
How could some people not understand
that horses can feel what they do?
Jo knew that I could feel love and sadness.
What's the matter with you? Come on!
But others thought it was okay to just throw a horse's life away
like it meant nothing.
And that broke my heart.
I mean, where are the years that a horse could work eight, ten hours a day?
But that was too many hours, Tom,
as evidenced by the fact that your horse was outside on the streets yesterday.
Midtown Stables.
Nope. No black horse in my barn.
Yeah, yeah, I saw the papers. Yeah, it's just terrible.
I bet you were hermosa back in your day.
Means pretty.
Sure, sure. I'll ask around.
You're a famous horse now. See?
She's useless if she can't work.
I have a guy who can take... you know, take care of her.
Yeah, but if you put her out to pasture, she should recover in a couple of months.
Not worth the money.
-Nah.
Midtown Stables.
No, miss. I'm sorry. I really don't know anything about that horse.
Just really terrible. Oh, sure, sure. I'll-- I'll ask around.
Even more reason to be rid of it.
Hey. What are you doing in there? Get back to work.
Yes, sir.
Well, Mr. Skinner, thanks for coming around here.
I have this huge land. I can take as many as you can give.
Here's the first one. She's gotten lame on me.
The front leg. She's about 1,200 pounds.
This is what we agreed on for her, and here's the other one we talked about.
What, over there?
You should happily take her. We got a deal?
- Absolutely. -Great.
-Well, let me take you to the office. - Now listen.
-You got any more, just phone me, okay? - For sure.
I knew something bad was coming...
but I felt more sorry for the little bay mare,
who was so exhausted, she didn't care what happened to her.
I wondered if she ever had someone to love her like Jo had loved me.
And I wished, somehow, I could see her just one last time.
Hello.
A white star. Yes, she does.
Let's make this fast. I don't like being here with these things.
- Which one? -That's her there.
What the hell? Back. Let's get back in there.
Stand still.
I knew they had come for me.
But if it really was the end, I wouldn't make it easy on them.
Whoa!
Back up, horse!
I was a mustang, strong and proud and wild.
And I would defend myself until my final breath.
-Jo would have wanted that. -Get back, horse!
My mother would have too.
My God, how did this pass code?
Let's see some ID, fellas.
We've heard some rumors about horses disappearing.
- Come on. Let me see. - I've done nothing wrong.
- Come on. -Let me see your ID.
- Have to take you in, man. -[man 3] This is wrong.
- Let us decide that. -[policeman 2] Seriously? Stop.
It doesn't matter, ma'am. All right? Just--
- Please. Just let me go. - Let the girl go!
Really.
Beauty?
Is that you, girl?
It's okay.
It's me.
It's Jo.
Was it just another dream?
Oh, my Beauty.
I promised I'd find you.
It was really her.
My Jo.
My Beauty.
That was the happiest day of my life.
And I finally understood what it was that kept Jo and I connected all that time.
It was because we shared the same mustang spirit.
I'm so proud of you.
We've been looking for you for a long time, Beauty.
Don't worry. Your friends are coming with us.
Goodbye, beautiful.
Let's go home.
I could smell the salt on the air again.
I was going home at last.
Jo had done it.
I had never seen such a funny little horse...
...except for Merrylegs. And he had a family.
Remember your old friend? I found him while I was looking for you.
You're home.
Anna...
this... is Beauty.
Would you like to say hello?
Hello.
Would you like to touch her nose?
It's very soft.
-She'll bite me. - She will not.
We taught each other well...
a long time ago.
I thought you said she was wild.
She was... once.
As wild as wild can be.
She saved my life, you know.
How could a horse save a person?
I'd love to tell you.
So, when I was growing up,
something happened that changed my life... forever.
And Beauty's actually why I started this place.
[Black Beauty] I was so proud of who she had become.
Give him a good pat. And tell him, "Thank you."
Thank you.
Always remember to say thank you.
Welcome home, Beauty.
Home.
I was finally back where I was meant to be.
A wise horse once told me...
a mustang's spirit can never be broken.
That it has the strength of the ocean...
and lives forever, like the wind.
It took me a long time to realize why that was true,
but now I know it is because a true mustang
never gives up on hope... or on love.
And as my final moments found me
and I galloped toward the sky...
I realized my mother was right.
It really did feel like flying.