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President / Founder
Melody Parrish
Melody established Freedom Hill Horse Rescue in the spring of 2004. Prior to
starting the rescue she worked at Bowie Race Track, bred and raised
Quarter Horses for the show ring, worked as a private trainer and riding
instructor.
She has been working in the Medical field as a licensed Respiratory
Therapist for 18 years. She has experience in establishing several
businesses. She created and ran on line pony tack store called Ponies Only
for 3 years. She also started Bay Financial Senior Services an insurance
brokerage company that specialized in senior services and then migrated
back into her roots of the equine industry after learning about the PMU
industry and its link to horse slaughter.
In looking into this practice she found that many PMU mares and foals go to
slaughter when they are no longer “profitable”. She visited a rescue to pick
up two babies and talked with the owner. That was a turning point in her life
and with her business experience she started Freedom Hill Horse Rescue.
Freedom Hill Horse Rescue has grown every year and has a professionally
based Board of Directors and strong base of 11 volunteers. Many of these
board members and volunteers have been involved since the rescue was
established. Educating the public and saving horses at risk of slaughter have
been the main focus of the rescue.
Melody goes to Capital Hill in Washington DC on a regular basis to support
anti-slaughter legislation. She is a member of the Humane Society’s Home for
Horses Coalition and The Maryland Horse Industry Board. The rescue has
been accepted into the Combined Federal Campaign through the Animal
Welfare Fund.
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Vice President / Treasurer
Lori Harrington
Lori has been a Calvert County resident for over 23 years, originally from
New York. She has 30 years of experience as a bookkeeper for small
businesses. Presently, she is an independent bookkeeper for two dental
offices, a construction company, an auto shop and a small farm as well as
volunteer accounting for Freedom Hill Horse Rescue.
Previous experience includes 4 years in federal government in personnel
department of AID, State Department and 10 years as a production budget
manager for a Washington DC based video production company.
She's served as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for Freedom Hill Horse
Rescue for over 5 years. She has two grown children, two dogs, five cats and
a 14 year old chestnut gelding.
She enjoys trail riding, spending time with her children and animals,
sewing, going to the beach and watching movies.
She is a former Girl Scout Leader (8 years) and a Parelli Savvy Club Member.
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Grants and Fundraising Administrator
Pamela Hill
Pam began volunteering with Freedom Hill Horse Rescue (FHHR) October
2006. Her previous experience with horses was gained through informal
education and volunteer work with riding stables. Having been away from
horses for many years, but never losing her passion for them, she sought
another equine volunteer opportunity and found FHHR.
Pam has maintained employment in the area of office management and
administration since 1989, and brings to FHHR a number of skill sets useful in
organizing and presenting information to demonstrate the growth, stability,
and success of the rescue. Another aspect of Pam’s paid experience that
benefits FHHR is her ability to compose correspondence and documentation.
These valuable skills have made her the primary contact for successfully
developing grant applications, and other funding and acquisition
opportunities.
She is well versed in the perils that exist for the horses of today. Though
many years were spent away from the horse physically, intellectually she was
always standing by their side. Pam spent innumerable hours educating
herself through research on the slaughter, PMU, Nurse Mare, and breeding
industries. Her strong opinion against the cruel and abusive treatment many
horses are receiving in these arenas has focused her efforts on saving those
that we can save, and being a participant in the efforts to push through
important legislation to improve all horse’s lives in the future.
After being around horses once again and having always wanted one of her
own, she finally did it… In August 2007, Pam adopted her first horse! Indy, a
now five year-old Mustang who was rescued from starvation in Florida, has
turned out to be a wonderful boy - he is her pride and joy!
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Barn Operations / Transportation
Sharon Hancock
Sharon has had 20 years public service between the US Park Police as a
Patrol Officer and PG Fire Dept. as a Fire Technician and EMT.
Sharon started riding at Bright Leaf Farm in Cheltenham, MD at age nine.
She showed locally until age 16. Sharon assisted the instructor with her show
horses and traveled to shows with her. She was a live in babysitter and horse
exerciser at Bright Leaf at age 18 and exercised 3 to 4 horses a day.
Sharon worked US Park horses while on the Dept although she was not
assigned to the mounted unit. She retired from the Fire Dept in 2006 and
started with Freedom HIll Horse Rescue. Working closely with Mel she
learned more in depth care as far as medicine administration, conditions and
illness'.
She has been a Volunteer w/ the rescue several years and now as a member
of the Board of Directors she manages the Barn Operations and Transport
Division. She is also the proud adopter of a rescue horse named Mia who
was seized by Calvert Co. Animal Control. Mia has since crossed the
Rainbow Bridge now Sharon has a new rescue mare named Leah.
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Secretary
Dawn Cox
My name is Dawn Cox and I am 42 years old and I am the Secretary for the
Rescue. I keep track of all the meeting minutes, set up the agenda for the
upcoming meetings and keep the track of the health, training and general
records for the horses.
I am currently going to college to become a Medical Administrative Assistant. I
have been an Administrative Assistant and a Bookkeeper for the past 10
years.
I started riding horses when I was 10 years old. I started riding at Kings
Landing Camp in Huntingtown, MD when they had their horse program. When
I was 12 years old I got my first horse, a Quarter Horse cross, who was a
pleasure horse, but wasn’t a good jumper. At that time I was showing
Hunter/Jumper in the local show circuit and got my 2nd horse, a registered
Thoroughbred that I could use for the jumping events. At the age of 16 I
decided to go a different path and got out of the horse world, which I always
regretted.
At the age of 41 I decided to get back into it and started volunteering for
Freedom Hill Horse Rescue. I ended up falling in love with one of the Rescue
Horses named Chance and I recently adopted him. He was a lesson horse all
his life and needed a change so I took him out of that world and we are now
working on our trail ride training. It is a new adventure for both of us, but we
are loving every minute of it.
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