The Red Pony

"The Red Pony" features four stories about a boy named Jody and his life on his father's ranch. As the name suggests, horses and ponies feature in the stories. The boy is promised a pony and then a colt. The fulfilment of these promises results in sadness as well as the desired object. Jody learns a lot about life and adults through these sometimes-harrowing tales. The stories were made into a movie in 1949, and a television adaptation appeared in 1973. Note: although the protagonist is a boy, this is decidedly not a book for children.