Wildfire Zane Grey

Wildfire: By Zane Grey, Horse hunter Lin Sloan never wanted anything more than the wild stallion he called Wildfire. Lucy Bostil found the horse and the unconscious man who had roped him. She saved both their lives and took Sloan's heart in the process. Now another man wants Lucy and the horse—and will stop at nothing short of killing to get them.

One of Mr. Grey's better ones in my opinion. This one has a lot of action (and of course lots of description of the canyons, etc.), as well as a romance. The main theme is a rancher who loves good horse flesh so much that he gets carried away and cruel to acquaintances that better him. His daughter saves a horse hunter (Lin Sloan) and his horse (Wildfire); she forms a bond with the horse and rides him in a race against her father’s prize animal. Then her father causes a fellow to lose his horses just by ignoring his need to ferry them across the river and in retribution he and his son capture the daughter to hold for ransom. Lin Sloan saves her but it is a sad ending for his prized horse, Wildfire. Horse hunter Lin Sloan never wanted anything more than the wild stallion he called Wildfire. Lucy Bostil found the horse and the unconscious man who had roped him. She saved both their lives and took Sloan's heart in the process. Now another man wants Lucy and the horse—and will stop at nothing short of killing to get them.