My Friend Flicka

Ken (Roddy McDowell) and his parents live on a superbly beautiful horse ranch which, however, is not always profitable. Ken's father (Preston Foster) has seen example after example of Ken's irresponsibility, including catastrophic school grades. Young Ken nevertheless dreams of owning his own colt. His father is in agreement, but can't see rewarding Ken's behavior. His mother Nell (Rita Johnson), of a more practical bent, persuades her husband that owning a colt would teach Ken responsibility and give him much needed confidence, and he quickly sees the wisdom of her argument. Ken, much to his father's chagrin, unwisely chooses a filly of very questionable lineage who immediately seriously injures herself in a barbed wire accident, jeopardizing her future -- and Ken's as well.