The story takes place in the present in Tucson, Arizona. Billy Kennedy has come from Bradleyville, Missouri to visit his Uncle Wes and work at a horse training facility for the summer.

Wes is gay, and, while Billy at first feels uncomfortable with this, he respects and loves his uncle, moving from feeling embarrassed about being self-conscious about Wes's sexual orientation to understanding and accepting it. Wes's extremely clean and tasteful apartment contrasts sharply with the stable where Billy works. There, things are in a state of disrepair, but Billy soon discovers that the ramshackle surroundings house a good trainer who cares as much about the horses he trains as he does about his various toupees. Over the course of the summer, Billy learns a great deal about horses, makes some friends, falls in love, and grows to respect himself and his abilities much more.