Ginger and Paul, a childless couple in upstate New York, volunteer through the Fresh Air Fund to host eleven-year-old inner city kid Velveteen Vargas at their country home during the summer. Ginger introduces Velvet to horseback riding, and the girl's passion for one unruly mare (a victim of abuse) blossoms gracefully throughout this emotionally tender tale, an affecting exploration of the joys and perils of human connection.