In 1859 Alabama, John Richards, an Englishman, witnesses the trial of Laura Cavendish, a Northern widow accused of aiding escaped slaves. As he bears witness to her punishment, Richards be games aware of her true nature, and offers to exchange one type of slavery for another.

John, a widower, follows his wife's last wishes, and discovers her secret life as a pony girl. Searching for answers, he not only finds out why she enjoyed her time as a pony, but finds a side of himself he never knew existed