Twelve-year-old horse-mad Paulie is the quintessential middle child in a family of three kids and two hardworking parents. The family is just making ends meet and can’t afford to buy a horse for Paulie or pay for riding lessons. So Paulie volunteers at a local stable, where she gets to ride her favourite horse, Duke. But one day Paulie finds the stable closed down and all the horses sent away. Duke, the oldest horse, is to be sold at auction to a butcher. Paulie has a week in which to save Duke without her family knowing. She almost succeeds, but then her “secret” is discovered. Will Duke go to the butcher after all?