Maryland Rescue Southern Maryland Equine Miracles


by Katherine O. Rizzo In 2017, Melinda Burdin of Chaptico and


a small group of Southern Maryland friends decided they wanted to use their empty stalls to help horses in need. Tey drove up to Penn- sylvania and purchased three horses that were slated for a kill pen and took them home. “We thought that as long as we had the space, why don’t we help a horse in need,” Burdin stated. Tey did not, however, stop with just those three horses. “We wanted to do more,” she said, and in May 2018, the group of friends founded Southern Maryland Equine Miracles, Ltd. Later that year, the organization was approved as a 501(c)(3) non-profit equine rescue.


Building a Network “We started out very small, and were very


novice in what we knew about rescuing hors- es,” Burdin said. “But we have learned a lot along the way even while remaining a small rescue.” Southern Maryland Equine Miracles, S.M.E.M for short, does not have a base lo- cation, or a permanent sanctuary for its res- cues. Te group of three board members and four volunteers house horses at private farms. “We quarantine at my home and then find foster farms in the local community,” Burdin explained. “I like to think of us more as a net- working community than a rescue.” S.M.E.M’s network quickly grew to include


not only the residents of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s Counties, but other equine net- working rescue groups in Maryland such as Maryland Association of Rescues and Equine Sanctuaries (MARES) and Maryland Equine Transition Service (METS).


“We joined


MARES, which is a huge help with network- ing,” she said, adding, “and I’ve been helping out with METS horses down in our area.”


In addition, S.M.E.M has partnered with


larger equine rescue operations to help with the training of rescue horses after they have been rehabilitated. “Gentle Giants [Draft Horse Rescue] offered us 90 days worth of training with one of their trainers, and we have been sort of the in-between rescue for some horses placed through Lifeline [Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation],” Burdin stated. Burdin also stated that they work a lot with


Freedom Hill Horse Rescue, which is the clos- est equine rescue to the area that S.M.E.M tends to cover. “I like to think of Freedom Hill as our sister rescue because they serve the same community as we do,” she said. “We wouldn’t be here today without the mentorship from these larger rescues.”


Education Although S.M.E.M got started by purchas-


ing horses directly from a kill pen at an auction, today, the organization has transitioned more towards education and preventing horses from reaching kill pens. Te organization’s mission statement reads:


“We are a non-profit organization fo-


cusing on ending the shipment of Ameri- can horses for the purpose of slaughter and human consumption. We support legislation for that goal and are dedicated to helping horses in need and placing them in loving, forever homes. We strive to educate the public on how horses end up in kill pens and how they can protect their equine pets. Remember, any horse that is sold can end up at slaughter.”


Burdin explained, “We have been much more


active in personal surrenders verses going to auc- tions now. It’s more like ‘auction interceptions’ to stop the horse even getting to the auction.” Getting their mission statement and goals out to the general public was a bit difficult at first, with S.M.E.M relying primarily on word of mouth and phone calls to various members of its ever-growing network. But then earlier this year, the organization got a huge boost through an unusual source.


Training for Value


S.M.E.M works with other equine rescue or- ganizations, like Lifeline Rehabilitation and Resecue, pictured here with a mare named Gloria. S.M.E.M prevented Gloria from going to auction and then Lifeline trained and re- homed the mare.


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It is not uncommon for horse shows and oth- er equestrian competitions to donate funds to local charities. Many of the big shows such as last month’s Washington International Horse Show and the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill have charity partners that they raise funds for. It is however, a bit unusual for an entire show series to be created with the sole purpose of raising funds for a charity. Enter stage left… Julie Call of Free Rein


S.M.E.M. Vice-President Clara Colie and President Melinda Burdin with rescue horse Ultimate Sun.


Equine, LLC in Hollywood, Maryland. Call grew up in St. Mary’s County as a horse


hungry girl but left the state looking for big- ger and greener pastures. She ended up in Ocala, Florida, where she immersed herself in the Hunter/Jumper world rising up the ranks to trainer of her own facility. “I came back to Maryland for family reasons three years ago and got involved with S.M.E.M because of our common interests,” Call said, adding, “I started retraining a few rescues on my own to be les- son-type horses for my program.” Call reached out to Burdin last year and of-


fered to train a pony named Milkshake at a “great discount,” according to Burdin. “Milk- shake has become like a mascot for us and people ask about her all the time!” When Milkshake first arrived at Free Rein


Equine, Call said she would rear for the farrier, wouldn’t stand still, and had a hard time canter- ing under saddle. “Consistency and care” is Call’s motto and now a year later, Milkshake is show- ing with kids and winning. “She’s very good for the kids and showed her first time over fences at BEST earlier this year,” Call added. “She didn’t win but she went in the ring and did her job.” Having a job is what Call feels is the most


important part of working with rescue horses. “Milkshake is now earning her keep. We secure them a life and they become valuable now,” she said. As of press, Milkshake is remaining at Free Rein Equine as a lesson and show pony. “I can help a horse get physically healthy, but it is people like Julie who can do the training and make these horses adoptable,” Burdin added.


Showing Rescue Horses Call’s involvement with S.M.E.M quickly


grew when she suggested hosting a series dedicated to raising funds for the organization, though the series turned out to solve another problem other than showcasing rescues. “Te 4-H shows in Southern Maryland are


starting to die out,” Burdin stated, also point- ing out that many of those who organized those shows have retired. “Kim Gladwell ran


THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION | NOVEMBER 2021 | 17 continued...


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