Lydia Hodges is a cowgirl. If you cannot tell this from her bright red cowgirl boots or her decorative navy blue cowgirl vest, then the way her face lights up when she is riding Captain Hook will give it away.
Unlike some of the children who come to Storybook Farm, Lydia does not face any physical or mental disabilities, but there was a unique
situation that brought Lydia to Storybook Farm.
At 10-months-old, Lydia’s parents, Angie and Tom Hodges, adopted her from Kazakhstan, a small country in Western Asia. After 38 days in Kazakhstan, Tom and Angie were finally able to take Lydia back to their Alabama home where they planned to raise her.
Tom and Angie knew they wanted to raise Lydia with a knowledge and appreciation for her Kazakhstan heritage. Home to Genghis Khan, the famed warrior on horseback, horses in Kazakhstan are prominent. Due to the nomadic lifestyle of the Turkish and Mongolian ancestors, horses were a vital part of the culture.
“It seems that horses are just a part of her,” Angie said. “We have always honored and embraced her culture, so being able to introduce her to horses was very important to us.”
The Hodges found out about Storybook Farm when the farm hosted an adopted family day,
“Forever Families”, in 2009. Because Lydia does not have any physical or mental challenges, Angie did not know Lydia would be considered to ride, but Dena welcomed her with open arms.
During each visit to Storybook, Lydia is given the opportunity to learn how to take care of the horses. Before riding she grooms and tacks Captain Hook, so that he will be ready to ride. Throughout her experiences at Storybook, Lydia has learned the importance caring for and loving the people and animals she encounters.
Angie said Lydia’s time at Storybook has been a good opportunity to learn about the appropriate care for the animals. The lessons she is learning are not just about how to maintain a horse, but this lesson goes deeper and resonates with Lydia’s own life.
“We have discussed with Lydia the appropriate care for a horse, and unfortunately we do not have a place to keep a horse,” Angie said.
She explained to Lydia the importance of providing them with grass, shelter and lots of space for them to live, and that it is vital to provide them with what they absolutely need.
“I think maybe that links to her understanding of adoption,” Angie said. “We teach her that families were created in that manner because parent and families have enough to share and want to provide children with the things they need. Lydia understands that her birth mom did not have the things needed to properly care for her as a baby, and we honor her birth parents and speak of them with gratitude.”
Everything in Lydia’s life, that makes her the cowgirl she is today, is connected; Storybook being right in the middle.
“I think it all just comes full circle in understanding that properly caring for animals,” Angie said. “Everyone at Storybook is like a family, and the goal is to love and care for every person and animal.”