The age-old phrase “it takes a village” applies to many things that Taking the Reins girls get to do. Taking the Reins has a dedicated team of staff and board members, but also relies on their greater community to make things happen for their girls. Southern California Arabian Horse trainer, Dana...
Healing and growth are common themes in girls’ experiences at Taking the Reins. Board member, Gail Mills not only enjoys witnessing that, but also feels she can relate to girls at TTR on a deep level. Mills’ mother died when she was young. She says one of the most therapeutic things that her...
Hi friends – I recently had the honor of joining Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on her podcast Smart, Amazing Conversations with Dr. Nancy. I first came to know this wonderful woman as a fellow Arabian Horse owner and breeder. Over time she and her foundation, Women Connect4Good have become supporters of the...
Sarah is a junior at Cal State Long Beach pursuing her degree in animation and preproduction. She also is one of many Taking the Reins alumni who credit the organization with giving them valuable life skills. For Sarah, she says her work ethic and confidence are the two most significant things to...
Competition season has kicked off for the Taking the Reins youth judging team. There are four girls on the team this year – Sally, Lacey, Tai, and Kaeli. They travel locally, and hopefully nationally, to adjudicate horse competitions. The first competition for 2023 was held at California Polytech...
After 25 years of operation Taking the Reins caught up with co-founder Debra Avery, assessing how the nonprofit has evolved over the years. She could have never imagined it would grow to its current size; however, at the same time, she – and fellow co-founder Judith Hopkins – knew it would never...
Taking the Reins student Lacey is still on a high from her first show with the Taking the Reins show team in early April. The weekend ended up including more firsts than originally planned. As Lacey’s excitement grew the week leading up to the show, a brand new horse, Moonlightt Cyzzle, arrived at...
“Always remember that once a horse has touched your soul, they will always be with you.” In times of celebration, and in times of sadness, you turn to friends for support. Right now, we are coming to you with some very sad hearts. A beloved member of our herd “Scotty” was laid to rest on Monday,...
Robin McCary is a dedicated Taking the Reins board member. For as long as she can remember, she has prioritized finding ways to have horses in her life. It started by working at a local farm to pay for her horse’s board as a young teenager, and now it looks like spending her free time supporting,...
Taking the Reins is most known for transforming Los Angeles girls’ lives through its extensive equestrian program; however, a somewhat hidden gem within this organization is Seed-to-Skillet, which teaches girls effective gardening and food preparation skills. Year-round girls are taught about seed...
When Sally was 10 years old, her mom decided it was time to do something about how debilitating her daughter’s anxiety was getting. Sally was especially nervous around animals, so her mom wanted to find a place she could work through that. A friend recommended Taking the Reins (TTR) – not only so...
Many young girls struggle with self-esteem, fitting in with their peers and feeling confident. Girls growing up in dense, underserved areas of Los Angeles have those “normal” burdens, while also being exposed to things like poverty, homelessness, alcoholism, abuse and abandonment. Most girls at...
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