Mad about Maddie
Most young girls fantasize about having a horse of their own. This young woman turned her dream into a reality and her passion into a plan.
What little girl doesn’t adore horses? Madison Heacock was that crazy horse girl in elementary school that dreamed all day of horses and was lucky enough to ride after school at a nearby stable. Things changed in high school when horses took a back seat to Madison’s social and scholarly obligations until her Dad showed her an article from the Chino Hills Champion newspaper about Red Bucket Equine Rescue in Chino Hills; suddenly Madison’s future became crystal clear to her.
“I have learned so much from volunteering at Red Bucket,” Madison shares. “I’ve learned what it means to really be passionate and to care so much about a cause. It has even led me to realize what I want to do with my life, to be a wildlife rehabilitator so I can help all sorts of animals in need.”
After Madison read about Red Bucket last year, she immediately went online and filled out a volunteer application. She spent a month in training and officially began her journey with us in October. In addition to grooming, walking and turning out horses, she works closely with Jenon Mathis in doing whatever needs to be done around the Ranch.
According to Jenon, “Madison, or ‘Maddie’ as I call her, is a terrific young lady. Maddie is quite shy but she continued to surprise me by consistently showing up, texting me to ask if she can come and help on days when she had extra time. She is always willing to do whatever is needed to help our horses. Clean brushes, buckets, water troughs, deliver lunch buckets and hay…the list is endless. She has been welcoming to new volunteers, buddying up with them to get them acquainted with our daily operations, standards and culture. I have witnessed Madison’s ability and confidence improve dramatically over this past year. She completely embraces the Red Bucket culture.”
Madison has become known throughout the Ranch for her dedication and commitment to serving the horses, traits inherent to her that have become invaluable to our organization. “It is refreshing to have someone like Madison join Red Bucket,” states Susan Peirce, “She is all about the horses, and she works diligently without ego each day. We are grateful to have such a wonderful young woman like Madison as part of our team.”
Madison also appreciates the people she has met while volunteering. She has noticed that most of the volunteers are adults with jobs and families to take care of, yet they still make time to help with this great cause. “Many people would think it’s crazy to do so much work and put so much time and effort into something, and it’s truly inspiring to see so many individuals that think the way I do,” Madison explains. “When you volunteer and offer your time to help give a beautiful living animal with feelings and emotions another chance at life, it is a truly amazing experience that can make you far happier than money ever could. The horses at Red Bucket are truly grateful for everything we do for them. None of these horses chose to be abused or abandoned, and none of them could do anything about it. I volunteer because I genuinely care about these animals. It is a blessing to work with such kind people and I am truly amazed by everyone I work with. These horses have become a huge part of my life; I care about and love every one of them, and they will all hold a special place in my heart forever.”
Madison holds a special place in our hearts as well, and we are grateful for her hard work and dedication to Red Bucket. Thank you, Madison, for all you do to help nurture and rehabilitate our horses!