Ben Jones (Glenn Ford) and Marion 'Howdy' Lewis (Henry Fonda) are two easygoing, modern-day cowboys who make a meager living Horse breaking. Their frequent employer is Jim Ed Love (Chill Wills), a shrewd businessman who always gets the better of them. After they bring him a string of tamed horses and spend the winter rounding up stray cows, he talks them into taking a nondescript roan (horse) horse in lieu of some of their wages.