Our Story

It didn’t begin with a plan. It began with a horse—and a promise I didn’t know I was making.

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In some ways, my whole life led to Mario. I’ve always been an animal person, but it wasn’t until I reached a place in my life and career where horse ownership felt possible that I started looking. The only requirement I had was that the horse had to be adopted. I didn’t know much about the slaughter pipeline or the complexities of equine welfare yet—but I knew I wanted to give a forever home to someone who needed me.

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I didn’t even have a farm. But I found Mario through an Off-Track Thoroughbred rehoming program and boarded him at a local lesson barn. He wasn’t flashy, but he was kind. And he changed everything. He opened my eyes to a world of horses who are discarded when they’re no longer rideable, worked past their limits, or funneled into the terrifying broker and slaughter pipeline simply because they are no longer “useful.”

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Then, as if the universe knew what was next, we stumbled into the most fated real estate transaction our Realtor still talks about to this day—a small farm on the outskirts of town, somehow within our price range. It was magical. And soon, rescued horses began to arrive.

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We officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2021, committed to the lifelong sanctuary model and an unwavering focus on ethics, transparency, and the wellbeing of the animals above all else. Red Feather quickly grew—not just in herd size, but in impact. Today, we’re known nationally for our work in humane education, rescue ethics, and equine advocacy.

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In 2024, we said goodbye to Mario after a brief battle with cancer. He may be gone, but his spirit is in everything we do.

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The name “Red Feather” is a nod to the Cherokee belief that cardinals (Totsuhwa) are spiritual messengers from loved ones who have passed. And every time we see one of those beautiful red birds, we know he’s still guiding us—pushing us forward toward a kinder, more compassionate world for horses.