Rescuing horses drives Merrifield

Judy Merrifield will never become independently wealthy doing what she does, but she considers her life to be a lot richer because of it.

Merrifield is a weekend dispatcher/switchboard operator for Maritime Energy, but she only does that to supplement her real job, which also happens to be her hobby, vocation, and passion.

The 51-year-old from Belfast is director of Mountain Equine Rescue, Rehab and Retirement and owner of Mount Pleasant Farm in Union. If those titles are too complicated, you can just call her a horse lover.

“At age 7, I learned to ride at a camp in Brooks,” Merrifield said. “When I was in sixth grade, I read a book called ‘The Horsemasters’ and from then on, I wanted to go to a school in England to learn to ride.”

She did just that in 1974, when she traveled to a small town in England called Porlock Vale near the Bristol Channel. Ever since she came back in 1975, she has been a riding instructor and equine enthusiast.

She has also become a driving force in rescuing unwanted horses from abuse, neglect, and premature death at an overseas meat factory.

“It started when I was boarding horses and used to take lay-ups off the track in Bangor,” Merrifield explained while telling her volunteer helpers how many sugar cubes to give some of her horses.

Lay-ups are worn out racing horses that need a few months of rest and recuperation.

Folks can have a look at Merrifield’s operation Saturday as she hosts a spring fling and giant yard sale to benefit MERRR. The open house-fundraiser allows people to tour the facility and even adopt any of the 20 horses available.

The fling will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the farm, located at 885 Mt. Pleasant Road in Union. More information can be obtained by calling 944-1940 or going to the farm’s web site (www.mtpleasantfarm.org).

Merrifield found personal inspiration for creating her horse sanctuary.

“When I was 16, I found this horse that was covered in burdocks and uncared for. His owners were told that covering him in kerosene would break up the burdocks,” Merrifield recalled. “When I saw him, I was horrified, but not just because of his condition. This was the pony I knew and loved when I was growing up.”

Merrifield spent that summer washing dishes at Squaw Mountain resort in Greenville and saved her money to buy the horse – Red Valiant Fury – and rehabilitate him.

“He just passed away two years ago, two weeks shy of his 38th birthday,” she said proudly. “So that kind of inspired me to take in horses that are no longer wanted or retired from racing.”

Today, 38 horses are housed at the facility. Some are being boarded by other owners, some have been adopted or bought at auctions. Most were donated.

“In this throwaway society we have now, it’s very difficult for people to keep an animal that long,” she said. “We do everything we can to keep animals from hitting that rock bottom place that would mark the end of their lives.”

Even old, disabled horses are in demand these days. Mad cow disease outbreaks and scares have increased demand for horsemeat in Europe.

“Unfortunately, it’s a lot more popular now because it’s so safe to eat,” Merrifield said.

Merrifield has enough space to accommodate a maximum of 45 horses on her 100-acre facility, which features two riding trails and a barn that take up half the acreage.

The entire operation is run by Merrifield, husband Steve Plummer, his son Joshua, and several volunteers. Well, currently one full-time volunteer.

“It’s me, myself and I pretty much,” she said, laughing. “I do have some dedicated people who help, but the biggest challenge is finding volunteers, especially in fall and winter.”

A typical day for Merrifield starts around 7 a.m. and ends around 8 p.m. The requirements of time and labor are daunting enough without the financial demands.

“I spend about $250 a week just for grain and $125 for shavings,” said Merrifield. “Hay is $3 a bale and I use 25 a day. Then there’s the vet bill. Shots and tests for 10 horses are about $1,200 for a year.”

Don’t forget the cost of dental work ($50 per horse per year) and shoeing horses ($50 per horse every two months).

Merrifield still manages to pay the bills, thanks to private donations; business sponsorships; adoption, boarding and riding lesson fees; and her own money. She even sells eggs and rents a couple of one-room cabins to keep MERRR operating.

“Every donation helps tremendously,” she said. “It may not seem like a lot of money, but it makes a difference.”

Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600 or at aneff@bangordailynews.net