2008 Love Your Horse Mare & Foal Photo Contest Winners

My family and I purchased three year old pony, Hershey Kiss in August of 2007. My oldest daughter wanted to use her as a show pony and my youngest daughter wanted to use her as a trail pony. From day one with us, Hershey was and still is a very tolerable, gentle, mature for her age, willing, brave, and all around fantastic pony. My oldest daughter planned for Hershey’s first show to be on May 10th, 2008.

However, things did not turn out the way she planned. On April 19th, 2008 Hershey gave birth to a chestnut filly. When I woke up I looked out the window and saw Hershey standing with her bright eyed new foal. I yelled for my daughters and husband to get up and we ran outside to examine the foal. To our amazement, the little filly was perfectly healthy, as was Hershey. Hershey acted as if nothing had happened and was her usual sweet-natured self. We didn�t know who the filly’s sire was so we decided to call her, Hershey’s Dusty Rose. I was surprised the delivery went so well because Hershey was so young, this was her first foal, and because my daughter had been riding her on the trails just three days before Hershey gave birth! Throughout Hershey’s pregnancy she never acted sour or mean, even when my daughter rode her. Hershey is a great example of a strong pony who is very eager to please! We started to feed them both Blue Seal Vintage Mare and Foal from day one. Since then, Dusty has been growing up strong and healthy and her dam is in great shape as well.

Luckily, Dusty has the same wonderful attitude that her dam has. She is willing to learn and eager to please. She loves to be led on trail rides, leader of course, with her mother and my daughter riding behind. Dusty is a cute mover and prances when she trots with her head tucked in. She loves to gallop around her pasture making her mother chase after her. My daughters and I thought that Hershey had given us everything she had to offer but, on April 19th, Hershey showed us that she had so much more. Hershey and Dusty will be in our family for a very long time.