Hershey's first training day

We dropped Hershey off with my riding instructor today to get trained, I had a lesson with him and I learned a lot, I lunged him, lead him around, backed him up, did little exercise with him, and learned how to not let him push me around.( Like he tends to do so he does not have to work.) I could see how, when my riding instructor told me what to do when he does that, how he would hang his head or look surprised when I corrected him, I really did think he was not expecting the work he had to do! I bet he was thinking, gosh, this is not what I had planned for today! We still had fun though!

Meet Hershey

This is Hershey! Isn't he gorgeous????!



Loading Hershey

About a week and a half ago my mom and I went out to try to load Hershey in to our new horse trailer by ourselves for the first time to take him to my lessons....... Not very good results, we did exactly what the lady we got him from told us to do, but I think Hershey thought we were boring, because when we lead him up to the trailer and asked him to go in, he just planted his feet and fell asleep! I  tugged and pulled, ( which I learned never to do because it's like playing tug of war with a giant! ) and even tried to tempt him with treats and hay, but he just looked at me for a moment and fell asleep again! If I could read his thoughts, I bet he would be thinking this,( gosh you people! Do you really think I'm going to get into that little moving box? I don't think so, I'll just fall asleep until you give up.) After about 45 minutes of unsuccessful attempts, we gave up and called my riding instructor to tell her we could not get Hershey into the trailer and we wouldn't be coming to lessons, we were already late anyway. My riding instructor told us she had been waiting for this call. she came out a few days later to help us load him, what she had me do was work Hershey a lot, like lunging, backing, going over things, ect. Then I would back him over to the trailer and have him face it with the doors open, what this is supposed to do is have Hershey learn that away from the trailer is work but by the trailer is rest, I did this a few times then we tried to load him, he did pretty good with getting his front feet in but he always tried to step back out, and when he did this my riding instructor would raise up a whip behind him (not hit him) so he could see it and if he still tried to get out she would tap him on his behind and he would get right in! My mom and I  tried this a few more times and he did really good.

Hershey's story

I'm going to tell you all how I got Hershey like I said I would in my last post, he was caught in the wild from his Mustang heard when he was only two weeks old by Native Americans, then the Native Americans who captured him sold him at an auction, and another family bought him and raised him until he was about three years old. Hershey was not raised with other horses at the family's house, so he really didn't know how to be a horse! That might sound quite strange but it's true, so this lady who works at a vet bought him and raised him until he was six with her old mare, so he learned how to be a horse, then she gave him to this other lady who takes in horses that need homes. She then gave him to this high school student who worked with him for a year for her senior  project, but she couldn't keep him so she gave him back to the lady who takes in horses. My riding instructor knows that lady and found out about him, and worked with him a little bit, she said that he had a really good mind but Hershey has only been ridden about ten times, so he did not know much. So when I got him my riding instructor  said that she would train him and I could help. And that is how I got Hershey! It's quite a confusing story isn't it!

My horse and me!

Hi, I'm going to tell you all about how I got my horse, Hershey and what I started this blog for. Hershey is a Mustang, he is all dark, dark brown/black, very sweet and loveable, and  he is 8 years old. I am going to be helping my riding instructor train him. He is going to her house soon to be trained and I am going to help! Every week I will go to help her a couple times  and learn how to train a horse, and that is why I started this blog, I am going to Write all of my experiences and adventures while I learn how to train Hershey! so, this is somewhat like my online journal, I would like to thank GOD for this amazing opportunity to have and train my very own horse!! Personally, I believe that the horse is GOD'S most wonderful creature, (no offence to all the other ones!)So I hope you all enjoy reading about all the adventures Hershey and I have together!