In this teen-oriented drama, Rick (Jeremy London) is a young man who has fallen into trouble with the law. Given a choice between going to a juvenile home and volunteering to work at a camp for the blind, Rick chooses the latter, but without any particular enthusiasm for the job. However, Rick's attitudes begin to change when he becomes friends with a blind gymnast. Rick helps guide her in her new ambition to compete in equestrian show jumping, and together they learn important lessons in friendship, teamwork and self-respect.

Like the Anna Sewell novel that inspired it, this film adaptation is told from the perspective of a majestic stallion named Black Beauty (Alan Cumming). As a colt, Black Beauty has a relaxed life in the English countryside, owned by the kindly farmer Grey (Sean Bean). However, later in life, he is forced to work as a taxi horse in London. As an aged horse, Black Beauty finds himself in the care of loving owners again, but only after a series of thrilling hardships and triumphs.

A widower (Matt McCoy) takes his injured daughter (Raeanin Simpson) to a doctor (Mel Harris) who uses a horse as part of the physical therapy.

Impoverished in Dublin, youngsters Ossie (Ciaran Fitzgerald) and Tito (Ruaidhri Conroy) live with their widowed father (Gabriel Byrne), who drowns his grief in drink. Their grim existence is uplifted by the arrival of their itinerant grandfather (David Kelly), who has brought with him a magical horse from legend -- Tir na nOg. But when crooked cops discover the prized animal, they commandeer it, intending to sell it as a racing horse. Furious, the boys resolve to rescue the mythical creature.

Thrilled by a performance she sees at a fair, Sonora (Gabrielle Anwar) tries to land a spot as a daredevil who rides horses off of high dives. With the help of Al Carver (Michael Schoeffling), whose father runs the show, Sonora works toward her goal. An injury to star rider Marie (Kathleen York) paves her way, and Sonora finds herself on the diving platform. Her life looks complete now that she and Al are in love, but Sonora is about to be thrust into a very trying chapter of her life.