“Miss Jill, I have $200 saved to buy Hershey,” Rachel said with a slight curve of her lip and a gleaming light from her eyes.
“You do?” I was amazed, that is a lot of money for a young girl.
“Yes, I got money from my birthday and I also did some odd jobs and got more money. Actually it is only $188 that I have but I think I can get $12 within the month. I really want Hershey.”
“I know you do Rachel, but it looks like you will need a little more money to buy Hershey,” I said, gently placing my arm around her shoulder. I had listed Hershey for sale at $2,500. I also knew what it was like to long for a horse so badly that my heart ached. I felt her hurt.
Horses choose riders, and clearly Hershey had chosen her. He would run to her call, whinnying to her voice, and walking incessant circles around her as she tried to get another horse, thrusting his head into the halter, she would laugh at him and pat his broad shoulder with reassurance. Many times, I would see Rachel whispering words into Hershey’s ears. He would tilt his head, I knew they were sharing a conspiracy about how they would someday belong to each other.
Hershey is a jet black 16.3 hand Thoroughbred of sheer majesty and strength. He was built for looks as he was for speed and agility. He loves to jump, go cross country, and do dressage. He has a comical side to him and he has been known to carry buckets in his mouth, a hammer laid on the ground briefly, or an empty water bottle. He loves attention and he gently places his head low to the ground to tenderly eat some grass from the children that come to the farm. He is not a horse for the weak, for he can sense it and use it to his advantage. He makes you ride every second. Unlike most Thoroughbreds he does not spook and he has no desire to be first on the trail. He loves to be told how handsome he is and shakes his head in delight when he is told how much we love him.
Hershey is a horse that Rachel aspired to ride. Her mother got his picture embossed onto a t-shirt for her birthday, to give her hope that she would ride him someday. As a beginner rider, he would been too forward and too much for a thirteen year old to ride. We would encourage her with a lunge lesson and then slowly she exceeded our expectations and we took her off of the lunge line. Now she trots and sometimes accidentally canters him
. She likes to take him on the trails and what she loves most is the dream that someday he will be hers.
Everyone needs a dream, a hope that keeps one alive. Rachel’s dream is to own a horse named Hershey, and it is my dream too that she keeps it alive. There is something that happens when someone has a single focus that keeps them awake at night and planning on paper how to get what seems impossible.
I tell the kids my story about my farm and how the impossible always becomes possible with God. Be encouraged and know that God has a plan and purpose for you. With God all things are possible. If you feel like you are giving up hope, cling and crawl through that disappointment and believe that God gave you a dream and that it will come to pass.
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
Anything For Horse And Rider 
Rachel, keep that dream. I purchased my first horse at 12, with $250 of saved babysitting, garage sale, and yard work money. That was in 1974, and the object of my desire a bay gelding named “Hobo”. I worked off part of his board for the stable, cleaning stalls, saddling lesson horses, leading trail rides. He was no magnificent thoroughbred, but rocked my world and gave me a youth spent in the saddle with other like-minded kids, through riding lessons and horse shows and sleepovers at the barn. I know that horses indeed do find us, and money is not always the key thing. The animal I now love is a champagne paint Tennesee Walker named Jasper. I traded an old saddle I didn’t even like for a skinny, poor-looking yearling that my friends said would never grow large enough for an adult to ride, who is now stands at15.2 hands and carries this grown-up little girl all over the mountains, the best horse I’ve ever had. Stay focused, try hard, give it your all, and good things will happen for you and Hershey. I promise.
Thank you for responding to Rachel. She is truly a love struck horse lover. She will enjoy your encouragement. Thanks again!
Oh I can so relate to Rachel! I too had a dream of owning my own horse as a little girl. A pony named Dusty was my obsession at the time but we were not meant to be. In fact, my dream didn’t come true until I was 30 years old. Waiting that long made the reality of my dream that much sweeter!
Hang on to that dream Rachel! God can and will make it come true if you just believe!
Thanks Mindy for responding to Rachel! She just loves horses and now she enjoys reading my blog. God is great, sometimes waiting for our dream to come to fruition makes life so much sweeter!