As a young colt Black Beauty is handsome and carefree and lives an idyllic life under the gentle guidance of his mother, Duchess. But when his owners are forced to sell him, Black Beauty goes from a life of comfort and kindness to one of hard labour and cruelty.Moving from owner to owner, he meets fellow horses - such as the spirited Ginger and the kind-hearted Merrylegs - whose fates expose the terrible ways in which humans can treat animals. Despite enduring agonizing neglect and hardship, Beauty bravely works as hard as he can, for he has an unbreakable spirit and is determined to survive.