January 18, 2011
I started this page for Cody's continuing story because the first page is getting too full. It was taking too long to open.
Ryann rode him again yesterday and he was a very good boy. He is so quiet and good. He's a very, very sweet horse. Good thing because he's BIG !!! He had the day off today.
January 19, 2011
So today Cody trotted through cavalettis and he got the hang of that pretty quick. And he cantered for the first time - and it was BIG and SLOW !!! He has a huge stride, which we knew. After all, that was in the dream. He was all over the place at the canter, but he tried hard to do everything Ryann asked him to do. He is very, very sweet. Ryann calls him her "baby horse." Her BIG baby horse. He was cute today because you could tell he was starting to feel "at home" and he knew more of what to expect. He seemed very content and happy. He should be, he is spoiled rotten !!!
January 24, 2011
Today Ryann worked Cody on a cavaletti to a cross rail. He was perfect. Sam got to ride him on Saturday while we were at Raleigh. He said he was a very good boy - lazy but good ! We LOVE lazy.
January 27, 2011
I saw Ryann ride Cody today for the first time in a week and oh my goodness, he has improved so much. He hacked around straight, forward and organized. Ryann has set up two sets of cavalettis in the ring for him to trot through and he has mastered that. And she has a little combination that he trots right through. She jumped him over one of the little ladders and flower boxes - his first "jump" - and he trotted right down to it and didn't look right or left. He is sooooooo laid back. His mane is pulled and banded on the correct side, and he has probably gained 50 pounds or more, so he's looking better. When Ryann was done riding him she stopped in front of the gazebo to talk to Hunter and me for a few minutes and he just stood there as quiet as could be, and started to fall asleep. It was 6:00 at night, and the other horses were being turned out - and it was his turn out time too. He wasn't fidgity, or worried. Just a laid back, quiet horse. I LOVE THAT !!!
January 28, 2011
Ryann decided today was the day to trim up Cody. As I said before, he wants no parts of the clippers. I worked "patiently" with him one day and he was still having no parts of it. I was trying to be like Kathy Buhrer and get him to totally trust me and just let me do it. Well - that wasn't happening so I told Ryann we would have to knock him out like we do Reese and Rex. Well - the last time Reese got beautified Kathy (Buhrer) did it and he didn't need his happy juice. She just put him to sleep with her Horse Whisperer ways. So, because of that we still had the "stuff" at the barn so Ryann decided to go ahead and give it to Cody. In just a few minutes he was out - head hanging as low as the cross ties would allow, and his tongue hanging out and drooling. So Ryann figured it was going to be a piece of cake. Wrong ! As soon as he heard the clippers he was wide awake. He was fighting being awake, but awake none the less. So Ryann had to get in it with him - and she WON the battle. She got him all trimmed up and he looks so nice. And get this - it took him about three hours, yes three hours, to wake up enough to walk him back to his stall. He is soooooooo funny. He is so laid back that what should have only been about thirty minutes turned into three hours. He's a funny horse. Nothing much seems to phase him, except the clippers. The night we saw him at Phillip Dutton's I told Ryann (and Ryan Wood) that he obviously is a challenge to trim up because he wasn't trimmed up. I figured if he was easy to do he would have been done before they took him there. And when he arrived to us at AGS he was still not trimmed up. So - we knew he was going to be a project. I'm so proud of Ryann for getting that done. She is turning into quite the horsewoman. And thank you God for answering her prayer when she asked You to help her get it done ! You're the best.
February 5, 2011
Cody has been wonderful. Ryann loves him and he loves her. She has been working him on his transitions and through a combination and he is willing and tries hard to do everything she asks of him. He is a very sweet horse. She just finished telling me that she knows he is going to be wonderful - she can just feel it. So cute ! We have some great pictures to post as soon as Ryann finds the disk reader to put them on the computer.
February 19, 2011
Tonight we received the following email.
Nardeen,
I just wanted to send you this email because I read your wonderful story about Cody. I used to ride at Amazing Grace in high school back when it was still Hunters Way and always have loved your beautiful farm. Your story about Cody made me realize how much I needed God in my life again. Graduating from high school and being in college for three years has made me stray from God, but after reading how He worked in such an amazing way to bring you and Ryann to this beautiful horse just proved to me that He is with all of us everyday. Before reading this story and finding God again I didn't know what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. I've had some difficult times here recently, but have since found an amazing barn and have changed my group of friends to ones based more in Christ. I just wanted to thank you for sharing that story. God truly works in amazing ways!
I wish the best for you, your family, and all of the horses!
Allison Mault
On Sat, Feb 19, 2011 at 7:42 PM, <amazinggraceva@aol.com> wrote:
Oh my goodness Alison - YOU are the reason we bought Cody. God has a plan for Cody and Amazing Grace Stables. Ryann and I are out of town at a horse show and we are in the hotel together and I just read your email out loud . We are both in tears of joy because our God is soooooo amazing.Would it be alright for me to put your heartfelt letter on our Cody page? I think it could help sooooo many people.Where are you living now? If you are close by please come out and visit. We would LOVE for you to see Cody.Take care and God bless,Nardeen
I would LOVE for you to put the story up on Cody's page if you think it could help even just one person in their journey. God is so so good. I am still at school at JMU, but I come back to Hampton Roads quite frequently. The barn I was riding at out there just was not for me. Laura Maynard is a friend of mine and has invited me to come out as well. I would love to come meet this wonderful horse with such an AMAZING story. Thank you again for putting that story up. It has inspired me in so many ways. I am very excited to not only restart my journey in Christ, but in my life as well (in the right direction that is!). I have realized what an amazing blessing horses are in our lives and I am so blessed to have been given the opportunities that I have. My spring break is coming up the week of March 8 and I would love to come meet Cody!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend at the show and God bless,
Allison
I told Ryann - if this is the only reason we bought Cody it is enough ! But Ryann quickly came back with "this is just the first of Cody stories." I believe she's right. God has big plans and more lives to touch through this "special baby horse".
We LOVE Cody. He is exactly like Ryann's dream. He's a BIG, gawky baby - who is a bit swervy curvy, but tries hard to do everything she wants him to do. He is as sweet as any horse could ever be. He's something else.
And God - you are AMAZING. Thank you for Cody's story touching and ministering to Allison.
February 23, 2011
Cody looked sooooo good today. He got his steel shoes changed to aluminums and he was moving so much better. He hasn't been ridden in four days but he was perfect. Amazing for a baby horse. He is such a sweet boy. Oh, he let me trim his whiskers - a little. He's still unsure about those clippers but he was much more trusting than when we first got him. He's use to us now and trusts us more. Baby steps.
I am so proud of Ryann. She is doing such a great job !!!
March 22, 2011
I can not believe it has been a month since I've written anything about Cody. Time sure does fly. He is the sweetest horse. BIG - VERY BIG. He's gained a lot of weight and is looking better. Ryann loves him to pieces. Ann has ridden him a few times and she says he is going to be a special horse. She loves how coordinated he is for such a big, young horse. He's powerful so we're taking him real slow. He tries very hard to do everything he's being asked to do. Most days when Ryann goes to ride him he's laid out in his stall sound asleep. He is VERY laid back.
Ryann's saddle came in a week or so ago and she loves it. So she's pretty much on cloud nine with her new saddle and her new horse. It's nice to see her so happy. Cody has been a fun project for her, and she's learning a lot about "baby" horses. Great job Ryann.
Our lives are so blessed.
April 14, 2011
Cody is so sweet, and so spoiled. He sleeps, and sleeps all morning long. Ryann rides him for a little while, then he goes back in his stall and sleeps some more. And as big as he is, he seems to be getting bigger. He is still "mentally" a baby - after all he is only three years old. So we are taking him nice and slow.
June 1, 2011
A very sad situation occurred last night at the barn where we saw Cody. There was a barn fire and six wonderful eventing horses were lost. Thank God several were saved. Sooooo sad. Our hearts go out to Ryan Wood, Phillip Dutton and Boyd Martin.
