LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- At the Hearts and Hooves therapeutic riding center in Sherwood, the gate is closed and "Peanut" the horse is all saddled up.
"Watch your step going up the block," instructor Sarah Harmon warned, as 13-year old foster child Dakota got himself ready to ride.
Harmon lead the way, teaching Dakota how to listen and direct his horse. It's a magical lesson for a boy with no mom, no dad, and a mild disability.
"He has moderate hearing loss," said DHS family services worker Nancy Shaikh. "He wears hearing aids. He can hear without, but just not as well."
Dakota loves all animals, but especially horses.
"Hamsters, dogs, cats, horses, all kinds of animals," he said.
His love for animals is a testament to his pure and giant heart.