Angels in Horsehair

Whit and his friend Renee arrive at Becky Rayleigh Clemens's farm, where Becky has invited five children from a foster home to spend the day. Becky has kept her farm partly so kids can enjoy country life and partly so she can board rescued horses for Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, a place that rehabilitates animals that have been starved and abused. When Becky points out Boonie, a beautiful horse whose former owners beat him so badly that he no longer trusts any human, Renee suddenly grows pale, apologizes, and hurries away. At the same moment, Whit spots one of the foster kids attacking an apple tree with a hatchet, so he and Becky split up - Whit takes the boy, Becky takes Renee.

The boy's name is Aldo, and he wears heavy chains and insists that nobody likes him, that he is "the chain guy" who scares people. Whit explains that the hatchet is actually a throwing hatchet and challenges Aldo to stick it in a nearby target. Aldo misses, and so does Whit - at first. But then Whit proposes a wager: if he sticks the next throw in the bullseye, Aldo must stop chopping trees. Whit hits dead center, and when Aldo demands double or nothing, Whit hits the bullseye again without even looking. Asked how he did it, Whit answers, "Clean living," and cheerfully collects his winnings: Aldo now has to help with chores around the farm.

Meanwhile, Becky finds Renee gathering fallen apples and gently asks what happened. Renee admits that when she said she used to be a horse trainer, she really meant she was training to become one. Years ago she rode a high-strung thoroughbred named Brandywine, and just as they reached the stable, a motorcycle engine spooked the horse. Renee's foot caught in the stirrup, and Brandywine dragged her through the stables before she broke free and slammed into a wall. Her body healed, but her confidence never did - she came today hoping she had finally gotten past her fear, and the sight of Boonie proved she hadn't. Still, Renee refuses to go home. Becky leads her to the barn to meet Phoebe, a shy, completely gentle horse hiding in the shadows. Moving slowly and speaking softly, Renee lets Phoebe inspect her until the horse presses her head against her - a sign of trust - and Renee happily brushes her. Before long, Renee has even ventured alone into the next paddock to groom Hanson, a well-trained stable mate kept to calm the rescue horses. Delighting in how horses can lift her worst moods, she muses that they are like angels - "angels in horse hair."

While Aldo works, Whit learns the painful truth behind the chains. They belonged to Aldo's father, who wore them before he went to prison - and who used them on his son. Aldo shows Whit his broken teeth and scars and asks bitterly whether anyone worth liking would be treated that way by his own father. He has decided it is safer never to be liked at all, and he storms off, refusing pity. Whit tells Becky and Renee that he longs to prove to Aldo that he is wrong about himself but doesn't know how. Renee does: Phoebe helped her, so maybe Hanson can help Aldo.

At the round pen, Renee offers to teach Aldo a kind of horse exercise called lunging - but first he must remove his chains so they won't spook the horse. Goaded by Whit's familiar challenge, Aldo takes them off. Renee shows him resistance-free training, in which the horse is always free to walk away from the trainer. Aldo learns to crack the crop and change Hanson's direction, and then learns the surprising secret of getting a horse to come to him: instead of stepping toward the horse, you step back and invite him into your space. When Hanson comes to Aldo's call, the boy is thrilled - but he insists the horse only likes the petting, and that Hanson will wander off the moment he walks away. Instead, Hanson follows him across the pen and nudges him from behind. Renee explains that horses cannot lie or pretend; they either like you or they don't. Whit presses the lesson home: Hanson could go anywhere in that pen, but he chose Aldo. "He is choosing to love you because you are worth it."

Just then, boys playing army in the barn knock over a stack of buckets, and the crash sends Boonie leaping the fence and bolting straight toward Renee and Aldo. Renee shouts for everyone to stay clear - but Boonie stops right in front of them, something no one has ever seen him do, calmed by steady old Hanson. Then the untouchable horse sniffs Renee, inspects her, and nuzzles her with a gentle nickering - a horsey kiss. Renee has passed inspection, and her fear has finally been faced.

As the day ends, Becky insists the credit belongs to the horses, and Whit discovers what Aldo has left behind: his chains. Hanson has shown the boy he is worth loving after all. Whit reflects that this may be one reason God made horses - to show us what unconditional love is, and how powerful it can be: "Powerful enough to break through all chains and set us free."