Rescue helps heal horses, find them homes

Paulette Brown threw up her hand to make a bid at a horse auction and left with a large, long-limbed horse named Clydesdale, who suffered from crooked feet.

Brown attended the auction in January 2021 with a rescue group to save horses from the horse meat industry. Upon arrival, the rescue group began posting videos and photos to Facebook and Instagram. Within two hours, over $2,000 was raised — allowing them to save 16 horses.

"It was really humbling because it was one of those situations where you're like, ‘Wow, people want to help,’ " Brown said. 

In addition to Clydesdale, Brown took home five other horses, and the rest went to other members of the rescue. She began training her five horses at her farm in Colbert and she eventually opened ReDux Equine Rescue.

“It just sort of fell into place,” she said. “In April 2021, we applied and received our 501(c)(3) nonprofit status — the rest is kind of history from there.”

Clydesdale and nine other horses reside at the rescue, where her goal is to help the horses heal physically and emotionally, and then find them new homes.

Although it took over a year of rehabilitation to make his feet straight, Brown doesn’t regret the price tag.  

"We've adopted out two (horses) so far, and I've got two that are ready to go," Brown said. "Our goal is to rehome." 

Prioritizing animals 

In 2012, Brown moved to a farm in Oconee County and started Fiddlehead Hollow — a business producing raw fleece, wool and yarn. This work required the management of sheep, alpacas and llamas. 

Initially, she worked in finance while running Fiddlehead Hollow. Brown shifted to working with animals full-time after the growth of the business. 

"At one point, I felt like I couldn't take care of the animals properly and build my business while taking care of all my clients at the bank," she said. 

After leaving the bank and focusing on Fiddlehead Hollow, her rescue work began. Brown moved to her current farm in Colbert in 2015 and started the rescue in January 2021, following the horse auction.

Since then, the rescue's population of horses has grown. However, Brown said the staff of volunteers and trainers at the farm is still forming. 

"There's the horses, but then there's the people," she said. "We're trying to figure out our crew. It's pretty small right now."  

Positive reinforcement 

One challenge Brown faces is finding trainers who are ready to start and follow the non-profit’s training guidelines.

"We use a lot of positive reinforcement and give the horses time to decompress before we start asking them for things," she said. 

Meg Eades, a positive reinforcement trainer who has worked with ReDux for over a year, lives on the property. She works with the horses in her spare time when she isn't running her training and coaching business, Firefly Training. 

"My favorite part is getting to witness (the horses) starting to trust people," she said. "It's magical to me every single time I see it happen." 

Eades’ upbringing included horses. She has been training them and coaching owners since she was 18. 

"I got my first horse before I even had a chance to wish for one," she said. "When I'm working with horses, I feel like I'm home. They bring me joy, and I try to give some of that joy back to them." 

Firefly Training requires Eades to travel, so she implements new techniques to her practice as she learns them, such as massage therapy.

ReDux raises money to fund its staff and training through fundraisers, events and donations, after being entirely financially supported by Brown and her husband during its first year. 

Fundraising events — including barbeques and trail rides — are being planned for ReDux.

Brown reflects on that day at the auction, where she bought Clydesdale, as one of her best memories with horses. 

"Every time I look at him, there's not a second that I regret what I did," she said. "I wouldn't have done it any differently."