Author Wendy Tink and her Arabian mare, Urban Myth or “Sprite.”
Almost two years ago, author Wendy Tinker made a quiet retreat from the hustling-bustling Shoreline area to a secluded, arboraceous cabin just outside of Roy. She needed to get away. But most of all, she was looking to refocus her attention toward a young adult novel she was writing.
She found happiness in her newfound home. And her novel? Well, she’s hoping that will find success as well.
“Jillian to the Rescue! Lost and Found” is the first novel in a series about horse rescue and care written by Tinker. It was recently published digitally on Amazon.
The first novel introduces 12-year-old Jillian, a lonely orphan who finds solace after she finds and rescues an abandoned Arabian mare. She quickly learns the importance of proper equine care, horsemanship and discovers a love for horse rescue, to the dismay of her bitter uncle.
“The goal of the book is to educate people on proper horse care and realistic ideas on what they cost, because a lot of people end up dumping horses because they didn’t realize how expensive it was going to be,” Tinker said.
The idea for the novel came from Tinker’s 15 years in horse rescue. She’s worked as a volunteer at nationally renowned nonprofits, such as Healing Hearts Animal Rescue and Refuge.
“A lot of people don’t realize that they can help rescue, because they can’t keep a horse. But there’s lots of things that people can do to help,” Tinker said.
Following the storyline, readers will learn about proper equestrian care, horse rescue and what they can do to help neglected horses. By purchasing and reading the novel, Tinker’s audience will also be doing their part to help horses in need; 10 percent of Tinker’s proceeds will go to registered nonprofit horse rescues across the country.
“There are 200,000 horses per year that are unwanted that get into the rescue or slaughter pipeline,” she said. “I wasn’t surprised.”
Tinker said incentives for owning Arabian mares and other valuable horses have become non existent in recent years. Caring for a horse isn’t cheap, either. Tinker said boarding a horse can cost about $500 a month, and dental and medical services can also be a hefty price for horse owners.
Tinker said work on the second book in the “Jillian to the Rescue!” series is already finished and is expected to go to print this summer. She’s already started on her third novel and said there could be more coming.
At home, Tinker ponders on her novel and peruses around her five-acre plot of land outside Roy. She’s in good company with her four dogs, two cats, an Arabian mare named Urban Myth and her rescue donkey, Cracker Jack the Doodle Donk.
“He’s a backyard donkey. He’ll come up to the gate and hee haw at me to get out,” Tinker said.
She’s hoping people of all ages take to the lessons of “Jillian to the Rescue!” and learn a lot about the close bonds that can form between equestrians and their companions.
