Perestroika, called Paras for short, is a racehorse who knows no life but racing. She wins races, returns to her stall, gets loaded onto a van, and moves to the next race ground. One night, her groomer, Rania, accidentally leaves the stable door unlocked, and it opens when Paras rubs against it. Cautiously but curiously, Paras ventures into the night, exploring the racetrack without needing to race; she tries the turf and then ventures beyond the park.

Frida is a dog who has lived alone on the Paris streets after her owner, Jacques, died. Jacques was living without a home, and Frida learned how to survive the streets by watching him. Across the street, she sees a horse eating grass in a field while standing near a leather purse. Frida tries to steal money out of the purse but is caught by the horse, who is Paras. Frida quickly realizes that Paras does not understand about money or the bag's contents, and she wonders if she can leave with the money and take a train to a better place.

Frida and Paras talk for a while, both taking time to learn about the other. Frida learns Paras knows nothing about the world, only about running races.