“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 
Hershey sounds so much like my Billy. Especially the tossing things around part. Billy’s favorite is those rubber cones, which he picks up and shakes then flings across the ring. He’s never tossed a water bucket, but one day I looked in his stall and the bucket was missing. Upon further examination, I saw as he turned around that it was hanging from his tail! He didn’t seem to mind, looked like he was thinking, “OK, so there’s a water bucket hanging from my tail. So what???” Gotta love those Thoroughbreds. Mine isn’t a spooker either, would much rather follow on the trail, and gets very upset if there’s something on his back that doesn’t know what it is doing. I can’t believe he put up with me for so long while I was learning.
Thanks for following my blog…yours is quite heartfelt and motivating. Best wishes for success in all your endeavors!
Thanks for making me laugh hysterically!! They crack us up!! I put up video on my facebook page of Hershey chasing one of my special students. Timmy loves Hershey, scared of him because he is gigantic, but impressed with the fact that he likes Timmy so much. Wherever Timmy is on the farm, that is where Hershey will be.
Thanks also for your very kind words. I too, wish you the best for you and your awesome blog. Beautiful art work, capturing a horse on paper is extremely difficult and you have done it wonderfully!!
very touching
Thanks for your comment. I am totally blessed to be able to write about all that happens at my farm, Raise Your Dreams Farm, because it blesses so many people. I love my horses, but my students make my heart sing with joy.