Sarah J. Murphy Murfield Farm

by Chrissy Marie Capacchione

It’s 10 a.m. on an oppressively muggy July morning and Sarah J. Murphy has been up for hours tackling barn chores that must be taken care of daily, no matter the weather. Soaked in sweat from her labor of love, a brilliant smile lights up her face. It’s plain to see that Sarah is driven by her passion for horse stuffed toy horses. It was an obsession. My mom said it was because I was born a Sagittarius, whose zodiac sign is a centaur (half human, half horse). My birthday, December 13, is also National Horse Day. Horseback riding began with weekend trail rides in Vermont with my mom; it became our tradition. By the time I care and there is no place she would rather be.

The energy this horse woman radiates leaves no doubt that she’s creating the life she’s always dreamt of living. Sarah and her husband, Justin, together with lifelong friends and business partners Bruce and Lucia Field are constructing an equestrian facility on a 23-acre parcel in Cumberland, Rhode Island. After much deliberation, the foursome decided to merge their last names and Murfield Farm was born.

CH: Did you grow up with horses?

Sarah: We always farmed — dairy cows, beef cattle, and eventually horses. Long before physically getting my hands on a horse, I was that little girl who drew horses, read about them, and had tons of turned 13, my father surprised me with my first horse, Dunkin, a Morgan cross. Dunkin and I competed at numerous rodeos and gymkhanas. At 18, I left Vermont and came to Rhode Island to help care for my grandmother, taking a break from horses.

Shortly after Justin and I were married, I was laid off from my job in finance, so I began searching for opportunities to get involved with horses again. That’s when I found Brookside Equestrian Center in North Smithfield. Eventually that evolved to managing the farm from 2014 to 2019. In 2019, I discovered the benefits of holistic equine therapies, magnawave and red-light therapies in particular, and became a certified practitioner traveling throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island to offer those services.

CH: Is there a specific horse that pushed you to become better?

Sarah: Yes. I’m sorry, I’m going to cry. I leased Me-Oh-My, an off-the-track Thoroughbred mare in 2011, and my husband surprised me and bought her for me as a Valentine’s Day gift. We lost Meo a little over a month ago. We did so many different things together — barrels, hunters, jumpers, cross-country, and she ended her career in 2017 at age 25 excelling in dressage. She did everything. Meo contracted a fungal infection in her right eye that required her eye to be removed. She had done so much for me and I wanted to do right by her, so I had the procedure done, and retired her. I promised Meo she would get to go out and graze on big grass fields before she left this world. And she sure did. She spent her last days grazing and kicking up her heels like a filly in the pastures here at Murfield Farm. It was really important for me to be able to keep that promise to her.

CH: Has anyone played a special role in your development and direction?

Sarah doesn’t miss a beat, and as she responds her eyes are full to the brim, overflowing with love and gratitude. Sarah: Yup! My dad, for one. He’s been an intricate part of helping to bring my vision for Murfield Farm to life. This is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this — build a horse facility from the ground up. He’s been such a great mentor, helping me create the first plans for the facility, the placement of its structures, and guiding me through the correct order of the steps in the building process. Together we have explored different options to achieve the end result I want. I couldn’t have done this without him.

My husband, Justin, is super supportive! He is a city boy from Worcester, Massachusetts, turned country boy practically overnight. He said, “If this is your dream then this is my dream. Let’s make it happen.” Yesterday, he installed all this fencing that you can see. He’s pretty incredible — he can do anything. He’s my everything.

And, of course, my friend and business partner, Lucia. She‘s so much more than that. Truly genuine with a heart of gold, Lucia is family. Without her support, Murfield Farm wouldn’t exist. I’m forever grateful for such phenomenal people.

CH: How did you decide on the design and layout for the facility?

Sarah: My husband said, “Most women plan their weddings from the time they are five years old, but you’ve been planning your farm.” That’s true. I really love how Kentucky horse farms look and wanted to bring that here. I’ve taken ideas from different facilities I’ve seen over the years and put them together to create Murfield Farm.

CH: As a new business owner, what’s your hope for Murfield Farm?

Sarah: I want to have a place where no one feels like a black sheep. A place where clients can feel free to use their own service providers, train with their own instructors, or ride with Savannah Audet, an eventing instructor who will be on site, and not feel judged. Disciplines are not important here. I want this to be a space my clients never want to leave or feel they have to conform to what the masses are doing. My passion is providing the best care possible for the horses, and when we are up and running, I’m looking forward to being able to continue doing that. I love the holistic approach to healing and plan to make that a staple of our care.

CH: What advice would you offer those considering equestrian professions?

Sarah: Most important, be in it for the right reasons. You have to understand that this isn’t a career so much as a lifestyle. The hours are long and the weather can be rugged. Three-day weekends don’t exist on this side of the world; it’s a seven-day-a-week commitment. It’s very hard to make a living, and the reality is you may just break even. To me that’s okay. I do this because it’s my passion, my peace in life. While there are numerous responsibilities this lifestyle has also allowed me to essentially stay home and raise my twin daughters. My kids are learning about responsibility and growing up in a way similar to my childhood, something I want them to experience. You must stay true to yourself, know your goal, and understand your strategy for reaching it. y Serving Central Massachusetts and the Greater Boston Area. Trust your blankets with us! We follow tried-and-true blanket cleaning and repair techniques that have been passed down by the very best. Be assured that your blankets’ care and attention is our top priority. (978) 495-1765 voice/text themanethread.com themanethread@gmail.com

CH: Have you struggled to balance your professional equestrian life with your personal life?

Sarah: Between the construction of the property and the daily care of our current horses staying in the barn that was already on the property when we purchased it, it’s been a bit of a struggle. Since my family lives in Vermont, I haven’t been able to travel to see them. That can be really hard. Once we’re open and fully staffed it will be easier to have that important time with family. We love to entertain, but for now we do that here at the farm. Some friends actually bought muck boots and keep them here. They get so excited to visit because they know they are going to spend time helping with the horses. Honestly, what helps is just the horses. If I have a bad day or am feeling stressed, I’ll go sit in the field or in a stall and just listen to the sound of them eating. It’s true peace for me.

CH: This has been quite a venture. What are you most excited for now?

Sarah: Opening. I’m really excited to open; it’s such a big deal. We’ve worked so hard to get here and had such amazing people behind us. I would love to host a fancy cocktail party for friends and family who supported us and helped us to get here. The excavators, electrician, contractors, and plumber have all been amazing to work with, and I would love to treat them to something great in the place they helped make so magnificent.