History
Taking the Reins was founded upon the vision of two women who recognized the extraordinary potential of an equine-based educational program for Los Angeles’ most at-risk urban girls. The only program of its kind in Los Angeles, Taking the Reins gives girls the opportunity to ride and care for horses, to study equine science, to practice creative arts, and to be physically active in the out-of-doors within a structured and safe environment.
Taking the Reins responds to documented and demonstrated needs of teenage girls in Los Angeles who face particular odds in growing up healthy and prepared for a successful future. The girls we serve are likely to be in poverty. Few have easy access to public outdoor spaces; few exercise or participate in sports. Their families have scarce resources, these girls have the very steepest challenges to good health and educational achievement.
With some very patient horses, dozens of volunteer riders, teachers and artists, and a deeply committed staff, Taking the Reins has to date helped five-hundred girls learn a range of new skills, develop their sense of responsibility, and their self esteem. By exposing our students to the arts, sciences, and providing an opportunity for physical work of riding and caring for horses, Taking the Reins has sparked these girls’ interests in ways that were brand new, broadening their sense of curiosity, their sense of self, and their courage. Taking the Reins has helped these girls expand their own ideas of what is possible for their lives.