Things are hard for 11 year old Yonder. Her mother died and her father has been sunk into sadness. She doesn't have a friend to her name, except for Dirt, the Shetland Pony next door. He's overweight, always in trouble, and his owner is the mean Mrs. Enid, who doesn't have patience for a pony. Dirt's only real friend is Yonder, the scrawny girl next door.

So when Mrs. Enid decides to sell Dirt for horse meat, Yonder knows she has to find a way to rescue him, even if that means stealing Dirt away and sneaking him into her own house. What follows will make you worry, will make you cry, and will ultimately fill you with hope, love, and an unshakable belief in the power of friendship....especially the four-legged kind.