Crossing the Water

Thirteen dwarves, one wizard and one unhappy hobbit and a whole bunch of ponies are crossing the Water.

Have you ever thought about how many ponies didn’t survive the journey There and Back again? The first company was lost to the goblins, the second one (lent by Beorn) would be lost in the Mirkwood if the dwarves weren’t afraid of Beorn, and the third company (lent by Esgaroth) was mostly eaten by Smaug. That’s at least fourteen riding ponies in each company, plus the pack ones, times two. Probably at least sixty nameless, thankless eaten ponies.

No one in the book ever gives them a second thought except Smaug, however.