What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 5pm Sunday 9am - 5pm

Red Bell Run

Home to The Sanctuary at Red Bell Run, a Special Needs Equine Sanctuary. They come here in need. We fulfill as many of those needs as we can.

The Sanctuary at Red Bell Run is home to special needs equines, those with medical or behavioral issues that make them unadoptable. Many times our residents are able to have a good quality of life with managed care; care that other organizations may not be able to provide due to staffing or financial restrictions. We strive to give each horse, mule, or donkey we care for the things that they lacke

d before coming to Red Bell Run. We do a lot of things here but at the Sanctuary, the most important thing we do is simply love them. OUR MISSION:
To rescue abused, neglected or at risk equines and other animals, offering rehabilitation and permanent placement including lifelong sanctuary. Foster the animal-human bond through empathy building, community assistance, educational and therapeutic programs.

08/30/2026

🌟 Staff Spotlight: Shanon 🌟

Shanon is one of the newest members of the Red Bell Run family, joining us just over a month ago! Before coming to RBR, she worked with autistic students, and now she’s enjoying getting back to something that has always brought her a sense of peace- being around horses.

🐴 Favorite sanctuary resident?
Apache!
“He always has to be in the mix of things. He loves attention and likes to work. He can also be a little spicy.” 🌶️😂

❤️ What inspired you to work at Red Bell Run?
“I wanted to get back to the calmness I get from being around horses.”

For anyone who has spent time around them, you know exactly what she means. There’s something pretty special about the quiet moments that come with caring for these animals.

💭 What’s one thing you wish everyone knew about the sanctuary?
“It truly is a labor of love. We care for so many animals and provide food, shelter, medical attention, and the compassion they need, all while relying on donations to keep our mission going.”

It’s a great reminder that behind every happy face, full hay net, clean stall, veterinary appointment, and safe pasture is a tremendous amount of work and a community of people who make it possible.

🙏 What keeps you motivated on the hard days?
“Prayer. Lots of prayer.”

We’re so glad Shanon has joined the Red Bell Run family, and we can’t wait to see which of our residents she forms special relationships with along the way. ❤️

08/29/2026

🌟 Staff Spotlight: Lori 🌟

Lori has been part of the Red Bell Run family since February 2019! Before coming to the sanctuary, she spent four years as the Kids Lead at Barnes & Noble but says she’s always gone back and forth between retail and horses. We’re pretty glad horses won.

🐴 Favorite sanctuary resident?
Lori managed to narrow it down to three: Isaac, Snowflake, and Hallie. 😂

❤️ Which resident do you have a special bond with?
Isaac. Even though Lori doesn’t work in his zone like she used to, the two still share an incredible bond.
“His respect was NOT an easy one to earn, and it’s not one I take for granted. I love that little hinny.”

😊 Which resident has a personality most like yours?
Unfortunately, according to Lori, that would be Pinto Bean. 😂
“I am completely fine being on my own, and I am not the biggest people person.”

💭 What’s one thing you wish everyone knew about sanctuary animals?
“They have this incredible ability to forgive. They don’t feel the anger about what happened to them like we do. They can heal.”

❤️ What keeps you motivated on the hard days?
“The horses. They’re my sanctuary.”

🧹 Which resident would make the best coworker?
Snowflake. “He always makes sure his paddock mates (Hazel, Butters, and Bunny) are staying on task.”

👑 Who’s the biggest diva?
Johnny Bob. “I swear he purposefully gets himself sent to the clinic so it can be all about him for a few days.” 😂

After more than seven years at Red Bell Run, Lori has built some pretty special relationships with our residents and earned the trust of a certain stubborn little hinny along the way. We’re so grateful for the care, experience, and dedication she brings to our herd every day. ❤️

08/28/2026

Apparently, our resident troublemaker, Early, is also a food critic now. Seaweed snack review: negative stars. Would not recommend.

While Early may not be impressed with today’s snack, specialty feeds and treats are an important part of caring for many of our residents. Several of our equines have metabolic needs that require carefully selected, safe options and those costs add up quickly.

That’s one of the many ways Boo & Bray sponsorships directly support the animals at Red Bell Run, helping us provide appropriate feed, treats, and individualized care for the equines who call the sanctuary home. ❤️

Monday is the LAST day to become a Boo & Bray sponsor! This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and every sponsorship also helps us continue the free programs we provide to our community.

Sponsors receive social media recognition, event signage including t-shirts, and sponsorships are tax-deductible!

If you’ve been thinking about sponsoring, now is the time! Help us make Boo & Bray a success and keep Early supplied with safe snacks to dramatically critique.

08/27/2026

Our youngest volunteers have been working on their braiding skills, and it's safe to say Flicka has fully entered her unicorn era. 🦄✨

08/26/2026

Proof they don't *always* chew the fences!

Thinking about supporting our Boo & Bray Fun Run on October 10? 🎃🫏
Your sponsorship helps with so much more than one fun day. You’re supporting the sanctuary all year long — from feed and veterinary care to fencing, facility maintenance, and all the unexpected repairs that come with caring for hundreds of curious equines.

Every sponsorship makes a difference... and may just save another fence board from meeting an untimely end. 😉

08/25/2026

"Is dis for me?! 👀 I like sweet treats! 🍉"

Lincoln is always happy to discover a little something special waiting for him. And we don’t have to tell him the watermelon is actually good for him. 😉

08/24/2026

🍉🐴 PJ would like to interrupt your scrolling with an important message…

If you’ve been thinking about sponsoring our Boo & Bray Fun Run on October 10, consider this your official reminder from one very happy, watermelon-popsicle-covered face. 😂

Boo & Bray is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and sponsorships directly help us provide the feed, medical care, and daily support our 120+ rescued and special-needs equines depend on.

And we want to make sure our sponsors get some love, too! Depending on your sponsorship level, benefits include social media recognition, your logo on event materials, event signage, emcee recognition, and more. Sponsorship opportunities range from $250 to $1,500.

So, while PJ is busy enjoying the finer things in life (like homemade watermelon and cucumber popsicles) we’re looking for businesses and individuals who would like to help make those little extras, and all the essential care behind them, possible.

Want to join our Boo & Bray sponsor family? Send us a message for more information! 🎃🫏❤️

08/23/2026

✨ Staff Spotlight: Teresa ✨

Teresa has been part of the Red Bell Run family for about four years — off and on, as she says with a laugh! 😂 She started as a volunteer, then worked summers for two years before joining the team more regularly. Today, Teresa works part-time, spending one afternoon at Mini Heaven and two afternoons helping with office work. Before coming to Red Bell Run, Teresa was the director of an after-school program in Rutherfordton. Her love of horses, however, goes back much further. She’s loved horses since she was a little girl visiting her aunt and uncle’s farm in Indiana.

🐴Favorite sanctuary resident?
Cody! "Although he can sometimes be a handful, I love his personality! He is all boy - playful, mischievous, curious but sweet."

🫏Which resident has surprised you the most?
Willow. "Even thought she is no longer with us, Willow is the one who surprised me the most. I was and am still amazed out how very sweet she was considering the abuse she suffered before coming to Red Bell Run."

✨Which resident has a personality most like yours?
Hallie. "Quiet, reserved and wary of people but once you have earned her trust, she is very sweet and has such good manners. But if she doesn't like someone (one of the other horses) she won't hesitate to let them know!"

🥰What's your favorite part of the job?
"Since I work only in the afternoons, I get to mostly groom and love on the minis. It's the best!!"

💪🏼What keeps you motived on the hard days?
"I stay motivated by reminding myself that these equines are depending on us to show up and do the work no matter what."

When asked what she would tell our supporters, Teresa said, "I can personally vouch that the time and money supporters give goes toward providing excellent care for every equine at Red Bell Run. Mary truly loves and cares for them all and never cuts corners when it comes to their wellbeing."

We’re so grateful to have Teresa as part of the Red Bell Run family. From caring for our minis to helping behind the scenes in the office, she brings patience, compassion, and a lifelong love of horses to everything she does. ❤️

08/22/2026

🌟 Staff Spotlight: Paige 🌟

Paige has been part of the Red Bell Run family for almost two years! She came to Red Bell Run wanting to learn the importance of communication and rules, and along the way, she has formed some pretty special relationships with our residents.

🐴 Favorite sanctuary resident?
Hallie. "She shows me resilience and that anxiety can be controlled and taken by the horns!"

❤️ Which resident do you have a special bond with?
Hallie again! "She's the sweetest little angel."

😲 Which resident has surprised you the most?
April. "After watching her lose her mother, I have been inspired by April's resilience and her continued desire to connect with other animals."

🐰 Which resident has a personality most like yours?
Bunny. "She always wants to make friends and comes running in from turnout for food."

🧹 What does a typical day at the sanctuary look like?
According to Paige, there's a pretty consistent theme: cleaning. 😂
"Come into the barn around 7:50, take the time to familiarize myself with new information, then 8 o'clock marks the beginning of making meds and grain. Then clean, and more cleaning and cleaning and cleaning. Then hay!! Remake hay, clean up hay, move hay, feed hay and remake hay. Then clean ponies in the evening, make grain, clean… clean… CLEAN… then done!!"

😳 What's something people would be surprised to learn about your job?
"How up close and PERSONAL you get with these guys!!!"

😂 What's the messiest or funniest part of your work?
Cleaning udders! "Some mares love it, and I find it hilarious."

❤️ What's one thing you wish everyone knew about sanctuary animals?
"They are so much more than their hardships. When I look at these guys, I don't consider their stories as them. I look at their strength, their growth, and their wants and needs."

⏰ What keeps you motivated on the hard days?
"It's almost five o'clock." 😂

🗣️ If one sanctuary resident could talk for five minutes, who would you choose?
Shelby. "I know she had some lore she could drop."

🔐 Who would survive the longest in an escape room?
Newt. "He will always find a way out."

👑 Who's secretly the boss of the sanctuary?
"The mustangs… I know they secretly boss Mary around."

🍽️ Who's the biggest food critic?
Petrina. "She hates everything I give her."

🏆 Who would win a talent show?
Levi. "Very talented boy."

📺 Who deserves their own reality TV show?
Griffin. "THE DRAMA this man makes."

And if Paige could switch jobs with any resident for a day? Dante. "If I could just run around and be silly all day, I would die happy." 😂

But underneath all the laughs, Paige has learned something important during her time here: how much communication matters—both between people and with the equines in our care. If she could instantly teach every visitor one thing, it would be how to read and properly respond to equine body language.

When asked what she would tell our supporters, Paige said, "Even if your support is just mentioning us and this place to a friend, it helps. So many volunteers have started here and become a core part of the RBR family just from one mention of us!"

Thank you, Paige, for bringing your humor, hard work, and love for our residents to Red Bell Run—and for doing all that cleaning… and cleaning… and CLEANING. ❤️🐴

08/21/2026

It’s Friday, and Jacques is diving headfirst into the weekend. 🫏

Address

385 Blackwood Road
Columbus, NC
28722

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm
Sunday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

(828) 863-2017

Website

http://www.redbellrun.org/

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