Home on the Range

As the last cow standing on the Dixon Ranch, Maggie finds herself alone and adrift after Alamida Slim's dastardly cattle rustling scheme leaves her owner, Mr. Dixon, with nothing but bitter memories of his once-thriving herd. With no other option in sight, Mr. Dixon sells Maggie to Pearl, a kind-hearted elderly woman who runs the quaint Patch of Heaven farm near a bustling railroad track. As Mr. Dixon sets off into the unknown, Maggie quickly wins over the hearts and minds of the local animal population with her astonishing tail-based sleight of hand tricks.

However, just as life on the farm begins to take on a sense of normalcy, Pearl receives an unwelcome visit from the Sheriff, who bears grave news: the bank is cracking down on debtors, and Pearl has only three days to pay off a substantial debt or risk losing everything she holds dear. With time running out, Maggie seizes the opportunity to rally the other cows at Patch of Heaven - including lovable but tone-deaf Grace, whose perfect pitch is matched only by her ear-splitting singing voice, and the cunning Mrs. Calloway, who has developed a taste for leadership.

As the trio sets off into town, they have their sights set on the prize money waiting to be won at the local fair. Meanwhile, Buck, the Sheriff's horse, harbors a secret desire for real law enforcement action, and his eyes are glued to Rico, a rugged bounty hunter who has just dropped off a captured fugitive and is in hot pursuit of his next mark. When Rico takes a liking to Buck and decides to use him as a replacement horse while his own steed rests, Maggie sees an opportunity too good to pass up.

With the revelation that the reward for capturing Alamida Slim - the man responsible for her former life on the Dixon Ranch - stands at exactly $750, Maggie sets her sights on convincing the other cows to join forces and track down the elusive outlaw. Along the way, they take a detour past the Dixon Ranch, where they catch a glimpse of Mr. O'delay, the winning bidder at an auction that holds bittersweet memories for Maggie. As she recounts the tale of how she was spared during the original cattle theft - locked away in the barn after winning first prize at a fair - the cows begin to grasp the true stakes involved in their quest.

That fateful evening, our group of companions finds themselves camouflaged among a vast herd of steers, only to be suddenly beset by the eerie yodeling of Alamida Slim. The hypnotic melody entrances all the cattle, save for Grace, whose keen instincts allow her to rouse Maggie and Mrs. Calloway from their trance-like state just as Slim seals off the path behind him with a deliberate rockslide, thereby blocking Rico's pursuit.

As Rico confers with his cohorts regarding their next move, Buck strikes up a conversation with Maggie, Grace, and Mrs. Calloway, feigning familiarity and miming actions that lead Rico to believe Buck is intimidated by the bovine presence. This misapprehension prompts Buck to retreat back to the Sheriff's office, determined to capture Slim and prove his own worth. Meanwhile, Maggie, Grace, and Mrs. Calloway track Buck's hoofprints in an attempt to outmaneuver him and reach Slim first, but a torrential downpour forces them to retrace their steps, sparking a rift between them as Mrs. Calloway accuses Maggie of harboring personal vendetta motives, drawing her companions along in her wake. The trio spends the night sheltered beneath a massive boulder.

The following morning, they are awakened by Lucky Jack, a peg-legged rabbit whose leg was severed by a Rabbit's Foot amulet. This erstwhile resident of an old mine has had his home and livelihood irreparably altered by Alamida Slim, who now utilizes the abandoned mine as his hideout. The cattle, emboldened by Jack's presence, request his guidance to lead them to this fabled location.

Upon arriving at the mine, Slim reveals a former life as a skilled cowboy and ranch hand, whose talents went unacknowledged by his patrons, repeatedly dismissing him from their employ (his accomplices insinuate that it was due to his off-key singing). Seething with resentment, he has been pilfering all their cattle. When these erstwhile employers can no longer sustain their land, Slim purchases the property at auction under the guise of the respectable Mr. O'delay, utilizing the very funds he obtains from selling the stolen livestock. At this precise moment, his attention is drawn to a small plot on his map labeled "Patch of Heaven," which he chooses as his next target.

As Buck stands poised to enter the mine, a formidable barrier thwarts his approach - a majestic buffalo, gatekeeper of the entrance and strict enforcer of the "cows only" policy. Meanwhile, Maggie, Grace, Mrs. Calloway, and Jack effortlessly gain admittance, their passage unimpeded by the bovine sentinel. Within the mine's depths, they devise a cunning plan to outsmart Slim, one that necessitates a creative solution involving the sacrifice of Jack's distinctive cotton tail - repurposed as makeshift earplugs.

Meanwhile, the unsuspecting Slim is oblivious to the trio's machinations, too distracted by his own tallying of cattle numbers. His keen eye detects a discrepancy, however, and he sets off to track down Maggie, Grace, and Mrs. Calloway. As he pursues them, they cleverly evade capture, with Grace employing a runaway mine cart to send Slim reeling and Jack using a prospecting pan to deliver a crushing blow.

Their escape is short-lived, as they're pursued by Slim's cohorts and the buyer on a chugging steam train. Undaunted, Buck seeks revenge against Rico, his rejection still smarting. He exploits Rico's horse's vulnerability, tricking it into making a break for freedom. However, when Rico notices the commotion in the mine, he has Buck saddled up and ready to roll, unwittingly ferrying him to the scene of the action.

As they collide, bringing the chase to a screeching halt, Rico's true allegiance is revealed - he's secretly working for Slim! The mastermind himself dons his O'delay disguise and abandons the cows in the desert, leaving them stranded with nothing but the wayward train as their only hope. Yet, they refuse to be defeated, leveraging the locomotive's power to drive it back to the farm. There, they inspire a revolution among the animals, rallying them against Slim's tyranny.