Tink was miserable. Here it was, just two o’clock in the afternoon on a beautiful summer day, and he had been shut in his stall. He wasn’t going to be allowed to go out again today, either. He knew that because the stablehand had told him so when he shut him in here. Barn workers kept peering in at him in a distracted sort of way, but there were no carrots and no pats.

What were the boys in his pasture going to do without him for this extended length of time? Who would tell Fortress not to eat the grass so fast? Fortress never colicked, his stomach never bothered him, but after all, at the rate he ate he would probably eat the whole ten acres in no time, and that wouldn’t be fair to all the others, now would it? Tink felt he had to make sure that everyone got their fair share.

Who would show Harvey, the new guy, the politically correct areas to eat in so that he wouldn’t get into a fight with Fortress ("MY grass") or with Viking. Fortress didn’t care as long as no one came between him and the best grass, but Viking always made a great show of being a tough guy for new horses in the pasture. Tink was afraid that Harvey might not pay enough attention to Viking’s act, for it wasn't really an act at all. Harvey seemed to always be very happy and bouncy (and annoying). He probably wouldn’t have the sense to know that sometimes a horse could be just naturally grouchy, like Viking. What if Harvey insisted on playing? What if they had a fight? Scrabble would be so upset and scared, and Tink wouldn’t be there to help him. Viking and Harvey could get hurt. Tink wouldn’t be there to break it up.

How could they lock him in his stall like this? Didn’t they know that the delicate balance of the whole field was hanging on him? He didn’t do anything bad; everything he had done was totally logical and sensible. So why was everyone mad at him? Tink was miserable.

The day had started out well enough. Celeste and her owner were practicing in the ring for their next hunter show when Susie came out to get Tink in the pasture. Tink gave his instructions to the other horses before he left and they all promised to be good for the little while he’d be gone. Susie’s mother groomed her big Warmblood, Mike (he had another name as big and serious as himself but none of the other horses could pronounce it) while Susie gave Tink a good grooming, two carrots, and an apple. It was a very good time.

After being tacked up, Mike and Tink moved to the ring -- Mike to practice his dressage, and Tink and Susie to practice their flat work and "baby jumps" (as Susie called them with scorn).

Tink and Susie had a wonderful time cantering around and jumping their little jumps for a while but then it became boring. Susie, her mother distracted by a little problem with shoulder-in, decided to try one of the jumps left by Celeste. For 16 hand Celeste it had been a large and slightly airy jump— for Tink it was huge! But Tink was a brave and game pony, and Susie at 8 was possessed of perhaps more courage than brains, so they revved up plenty of speed and determinedly bore down on the jump. Susie’s mother noticed at the last minute and yelled "NO!!" but it was too late.

Tink had thought he did them proud. With not the slightest hesitation or break in stride he smoothly lowered his head and cantered under the fence. He was feeling very proud as he cantered off from the fence but began to be slightly puzzled when he noticed that Susie was no longer with him.

The second indication that things had not gone as well as he had thought came from the loud and unpleasant howling that came from Susie, who was sitting in front of the fence with blood running down her chin and onto her shirt. People came running from everywhere. The stable manager grabbed Mike, who had been abandoned by Susie’s mother. Everyone else ran to Susie to see if they could help. Tink was left standing alone, mystified and a little bit frightened. Feeling unwanted and unloved Tink slunk off to his stall in the barn.

Tink arrived at his barn to find it empty. It had already been cleaned and the barn workers had moved on to one of the other barns. The barn was immaculate. Sunlight filled the aisles and the air smelled of hay and fresh shavings. Tink felt a little better just being here and felt better still when he went into his stall and found that some nice person had already put his dinner into his feed bucket. They must have known he was feeling badly and decided to surprise him! A little nourishment improved his spirits immensely. He was about to start on his hay when an idea struck him. He moved across the aisle to Fortress’ stall and sure enough, his dinner was there too, and a lot more of it than he had gotten!

"Is Fortress feeling badly too?" Tink wondered. But no matter, Fortress wasn’t here to eat the grain and feel better. Tink didn’t want it to go to waste so he ate it. He had finished Scrabble’s grain and was in the middle of Celeste’s when the stable manager arrived to untack him (thank goodness… that girth was getting tight) and put him in his stall.

The day continued to go downhill from there. Tink's tummy wasn't feeling so hot after all his food. The vet came and that part was no fun at all. And now here Tink was, shut in his stall and not very happy.

The hours dragged on endlessly. Aside from the occasional person glancing in at him, Tink didn’t see anyone and no one came to see him. He stood in his stall, sad and lonely. Even Frado, the Jack Russell Terrier who was usually his constant companion, had deserted him, opting instead to chase butterflies in the pasture with the guys.

Finally, one by one the other horses began being brought in. No one much spoke to Tink. They were all too interested in getting to their dinner. The final indignity came when everyone stood munching away and Tink had nothing. Although he was still quite full from the multiple dinners that he’d consumed earlier, Tink was now convinced that no one loved him anymore.

Just as he reached the bottom of his depression, looking like a dark cloud was hanging over him, Susie’s mother appeared at his stall. She came in and began stroking his neck.

"Well, Tink," she said, "it wasn’t really your fault, you know. It was a very big jump and it was just common sense for you to go under it. The tooth was just a baby tooth and a new one will replace it someday. Five stitches took care of the split lip. It could have been much worse, but it was a very expensive day- a doctor, a dentist, and a vet. From now on Susie will stick to the small jumps and you stick to going over them instead of under, OK? Susie says to tell you that she loves you."

Then Frado appeared and settled down in his night spot beside Tink’s door. "I really missed you out there today, Tink," Frado said. "I tried to make the guys all mind like you always do, but they didn’t much listen to me. Harvey kept fighting with Viking, and Fortress kicked him when Harvey got on his grass. Poor Scrabble stayed in a corner, out of the way, all day. It just wasn’t the same without you, Tink."

Suddenly Tink found that he wasn’t feeling that badly any more. It hadn’t been a day he wanted to repeat, but it could have been worse. He no longer felt unloved and unneeded. And he didn’t even mind missing dinner. He really wasn’t very hungry, anyway!