After being dumped on a roadside by a travelling circus, Stripes (voiced by Frankie Muniz) grows up on a farm convinced he's a horse. But while the rest of the barnyard indulge his fantasies, the nags from the adjoining stud farm - led by stuck-up steed Trenton's Pride (Joshua Jackson) - poo-poo his ambitions. Stripes finally gets his chance to shine when a canny bookie (M Emmet Walsh) persuades his owner (Bruce Greenwood) to train the beast for the big time. But there are a few obstacles for our striped hero. Not only is Nolan reluctant to let teenage daughter Channing (Hayden Panettiere) become a jockey, but Stripes must also cope with the thoroughbreds next door, who aren't about to let a puny zebra show them up on the final stretch...