December 2005 E-Newsletter
Contents:
• A letter from Monty: Horses help with health and happiness!
• Maddison's Story: Meet a young girl battling leukemia who dreams of one day owning her own horse
• A letter from Maddison on how horses helped her health
• This week's Question and Answer
• Monty’s recommended holiday gifts
• NEW review of The Horses In My Life
• Catch Monty on tour in Italy. Click here!
• Upcoming Issues
A Letter From Monty: Horses help with health and happiness!
Dear Friends,
Can a passion for horses positively affect our health and lives? I say yes! I wake up everyday more impassioned than ever for my goals to make the world a better place for my teachers and companions, the horses. Some of our greatest strengths in the human body are feelings of hope and empathy. In 2004 I met a young lady in Western Australia who models these feelings so naturally she might question why we need to even point this out. I was told I would meet this young lady who was fighting juvenile leukemia. I was taken to a stable where I believed I would meet a girl able to walk and show me her horse. What I saw was a girl in a specially made vehicle unable to move and finding it difficult to talk. With assistance she was lifted on to the back of a horse for a photograph with me and then placed back in her vehicle.
Maddison came to my demonstration event and boldly stayed the whole time. At the end of the demo she was unable to fight off sleep. Maddison’s parent’s awakened her to say good-bye to me and I must admit that I wasn’t strong enough to believe she would recover. I said goodbye in a very profound way. When I got the news that Maddison was up and riding again I set a goal to return to Perth as soon as possible to renew my acquaintance with a very special person. My Christmas gift to you is her story. My family and I wish all of you a wonderful holiday season and many great things to come in 2006.
- Monty
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Maddison's Story
From Sue Stockley, Maddison’s mother
Nearing the end of September 2003, Maddison was 9 and a half years old and looking forward to her 10th birthday that was only 14 days away.
Maddie had always dreamed of owning her own horse. As a very young girl, she first learned to ‘ride’ by galloping around on a broom stick. She nagged until at the age of four she started her first lessons.
So when Maddison complained of feeling tired and had gone off her food (most unusual) I put it down to the hours of riding she had been putting in for her biggest ride of the year, the Perth Royal Show (she had been working toward this for five years). When she declined a training ride just two days before the event I decided to take her to our family doctor. To make a long story short, Maddison was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (A.L.L.) on the 23rd of September 2003. Her form of A.L.L. is known as Burkitts, hers being only the second diagnosed case at Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth. Within hours Maddison was prepared for the start of chemotherapy and we, as parents, were assured that its remission success rate was at least 80%. The fight for life as we knew it began. Burkitts is an aggressive, fast moving cancer and had to be treated just as aggressively. Our daughter would fit two years of chemotherapy into eight short months.
As the drugs took their toll, Maddison's body shrunk from a healthy 46 kilo's to a mere 17 kilo's and she was fed through a nose tube. Three months into treatment and after much pain Maddison decided she didn’t want to fight any more. She stopped speaking; all the sparkle left her beautiful blue eyes and begged for all the machines to be turned off. We realized our daughter had decided it was time to die. They brought in the professionals to try and jolt her out of her despair. They told her how brave she was, to no avail. Then an oncologist by the name of Cathy came to visit. She also rode horses and Maddie liked her. She asked Maddison what would make her fight this thing. My daughter’s reply?
"Let me ride and smell the stables and the leather in the tack room."
Cathy promised her if she fought and didn’t give up she would grant that wish. Within three weeks Maddison had her first ride. Oh, to see her face so happy but with a body so weak from treatment! But she never gave up. Within a month of that first ride she was competing in local hack shows whilst still on full treatment and with all her tubes, she always stated to the judges, "Judge me not on my illness but on my skills as a rider."
We were so proud of her bravery. I am now glad to say Maddison is in remission, and has been for 14 months now. Every day that we get closer to that 5 year "all-clear" day is a blessing. Our belief is that Maddison’s love of horses and riding was what gave her the energy to beat such a cruel blow life had dealt her. The very special pony Maddison took to her first show during treatment seemed to know she was fragile and special and treated her as such. This dear pony gave our daughter so much love and confidence and the will to live, Maddison decided she wanted her to help other children. Eventually we parted with her and she now helps others at the riding school for the disabled.
Maddison has come such a long way in her recovery and her riding abilities that she now rides and shows ponies for other people. Because saying goodbye to these ponies is always so hard when the season is over, she is madly trying to save money for her own show pony. Each and every one she has ridden seems to sense this is a special child and we believe treats her as such!
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A Letter from Maddison:
I love horses so much! My dream is to one day own my own stud and teach people that with love you can do anything! My love of horses and their respect and gentleness makes me believe that they can help sick people get better: it worked for me. I want people to know that if you trust and believe in yourself, you can see the unconditional love a horse can give you. I believe in this so much because Heidi, my first ride on my first outing from the hospital, sensed I was fragile and treated me as such. As I became stronger Heidi matched my pace.
My favorite moments during treatment and recovery were that first ride and meeting Monty Roberts. The worst was not being able to ride, smell the special smell of stables and to feel the wind on my face. I have sent some photos of my first show on my special black mare, Heidi, riding a chestnut and feeling heaps better and finally a champion sash on a special pony named Poppy that people had given up on but I hadn’t; point proven we are both winners. And the best day ever, me and Heidi meeting Monty!
I love people and horses and find the gentle, slow approach builds a bond that can’t break once that horse is your friend.
Please feel free to share with me via e-mail at cliveandsue@yahoo.com
I love to share my feelings and thoughts on the subject of horses.
Love from Maddison Stockley
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December 14 , 2005 Question and Answer
Question: Do you recommend tying your horse in a trailer?
Answer:
Sure, I recommend that you tie your horse in the trailer for several reasons. One reason is that if you have to stop very suddenly and the horse happens to have his head down between his front legs, he could be injured. Do not over-restrict your horse; the tie should be used to keep him from dropping his head down between his front legs.
- Monty
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New Review of The Horses In My Life!
These 52 horses were Monty's teachers and friends. Learn why horses can teach us the value of choice, communication and trust. This makes a beautiful gift for any lover of animals and those interested in what makes Monty a passionate advocate for non-violence in both the horse and human world. While they last, get a signed copy from Monty!
Have you already read The Horses In My Life? We would love to share your review. Please write to newsletter@montyroberts.com to share your reading experience. Those chosen to be published in these emails will receive a complimentary Join-Up® logo cap with Monty’s message of Gentleness, Trust and Communication.
Review: "Dear Monty,
I cannot help but comment on your astonishing book. I read it very slowly, one horse (chapter) at a time, every few days. In between them I revisited the story, the man, the horse, and the spot-on touching of each horse's psychology and needs. More than anything, Monty gives us the gift of his own education, over time, through each horse. We should be so grateful that he is willing to share what he didn't know, what didn't work, what knowledge he lacked. He stood steadfast in the principle of, "It's not the horse's fault, it's the rider's," and he gave his full attention to the complicated, dynamic, living organism of each individual horse. Using his knowledge of Join-Up, this enabled him to move deeper into the pain, and find the healing way. It was breathtaking to watch him slowly evolve through time into the highest heights of the horse world's best training stables, to the best horses, and yet again to some of the worst harms visited on horses.
Gwen Lindsey, Oakland, California"
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Look for these upcoming issues!
• Progress report from Konocti Unified School District and other news from the educators using Join-Up concepts as taught in the book Horse Sense for People
• Upcoming survey on your New Year's Resolutions
• Read Monty's answer next week to the question: "How does someone introduce your methods to those people who would sing the praises of traditional methods?"
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