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Pam Platz, an eight year veteran volunteer, has those watchful eyes. She is one of approximately 34 volunteers at MFER. Pam’s bonding with the retirees began while working at High Hopes Therapeutic Riding in Old Lyme with two horses - Poncho and Filly. “I was Poncho's barn buddy and followed him here, and I have stayed ever since.” What keeps Pam coming back to MFER she says is, “Dee and Hank, other volunteers, horses, exercise, the fresh air, and the beautiful scenery;” and she adds, “the dedication it takes to care for senior horses.” That care includes dealing with her emotions when she learns a horse has to be put down. “Owners sometimes wish to be present for euthanasia,” says Dee, “but never for burial.” “We bury them way back in the back field,” she relates, except in 2014, when it was too cold. “We had to cremate them,” albeit with “a respectful handling of the carcass.” Dee is “honored to be an advocate for every horse through end of life decisions and euthanasia,” she says, but has chosen not to witness burials. Dr. Mary Ann Pudimat is a Salem-based
anesthesiologist who serves as president of MFER’s board of directors. From Mitchell Farm’s inception she has “walked the walk” with her three hunter-jumper horses – Phoebe, Sporty, and Max, first as boarders,
“Our horses easily adjusted to life at Mitchell Farm,” she says, “but that is primarily due to Dee’s extremely careful introduction of each horse as it arrives on the farm. Her attention to detail of the horse’s personality and needs always pays off with a happy and well-adjusted horse. This level of care is extended to every horse at the farm.” The secret of the success of Mitchell Farm says Mary Ann is “Dee and her ability to pass her vision on to an army of dedicated volunteers and staff. Without her tireless efforts to excel in an underserved area of equine care, Mitchell Farm would never have continued in such a steadfast fashion.”
then as retirees, and she was there with them at their end. A frequent volunteer, she was present at the farm with a group of UCONN student volunteers when Phoebe and Sporty were put down. But she keeps her memories of them fresh.
“When this Farm came across my path,” Dee says, “I knew this was the perfect use for it. Its beautiful, peaceful pastures and strong ancient barn offer a place for these horses to live out their lives. Or maybe it was a moment of insanity...it's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life but the most rewarding. I'm sure my husband Hank feels the same. It is sanctuary for us as well.”