Beth with Belle her half Mustang/Quarter horse who she rescued

While Taking the Reins service demographic is young girls ages 6 – 18, that does not mean that they are the only population of people whose lives are moved by the organization. That is the special thing about a place like Taking the Reins. By watching what it does for the girls it serves, it has the power to change other people’s worlds too.

Beth Behrs is a great example of this. She is an accomplished actress, host, writer, and self-proclaimed “horse girl.” She found Taking the Reins when seeking out a local organization that she could support with her time, influence, and reach. Not only was she touched by the work you can see being done on the outside for these girls, but also by the internal progress being made. From experience, she knows the impact that horses can have on things like self-confidence and healing from trauma. Both things are common hurdles our girls face.

“They aren’t just learning horsemanship,” Beth explains about what really happens at Taking the Reins. “They are learning who they are on the deepest level. There is no better place, in my opinion, to learn this and own this than in the presence and power of horses. I believe deeply in what this program does, and I want to help ensure that it’s available to as many girls as possible.”

The access young girls get to horses and all the programming at Taking the Reins is one thing the staff and board are most proud of – and always working towards expanding. They know these girls could not have these experiences on their own, and therefore we work extra hard to bring them the best opportunities possible. Simultaneously, Taking the Reins evolves their programming and gets into new communities as often as they can. The work done at TTR is so important for the girls who are experiencing it firsthand, but to Beth’s point, it also has a “ripple effect” in entire communities.

“Programs like [Taking the Reins] strengthen families, neighborhoods, and communities,” she says. “Taking the Reins is more than a program. It’s a sanctuary. It’s a reset. And in today’s world, especially in urban environments, that kind of access to nature and healing shouldn’t be a luxury—it should be a right. Every young person deserves access to healing, connection, and a sense of personal power—no matter their zip code or circumstances.”

Beth is someone who has accomplished a lot of things in her professional and personal life – the kind of person who Taking the Reins girls would (and should) look up to. But, she is very open and vulnerable about how TTR would have helped her as a young girl, and the unique ways that horses have helped her through some of the toughest things in her life.

“A place like Taking the Reins—where nature, animals, and leadership all intersect—would’ve given me a safe space to explore who I was without needing to perform or be perfect,” Beth says when asked about how TTR would have helped her during these same formative years.

Beth with DBR Tru Blu her HA/AA Dressage Horse

Beth is right. Taking the Reins is safe for these girls – a safe space to be and a safe space to process things that caused them pain or distress. Although not publicized often, many girls who attend Taking the Reins have endured some kind of trauma in their lives. They have been harmed at the hands of others, exposed to things that are unsafe, or raised in environments lacking basic needs. Any variation of these realties can lead to trauma being part of their stories, needing to be dealt with. Beth talks a lot about how horses have helped her and others through trauma as well, making it feel appropriate to work through this kind of topic in her story.

“Sometimes, it’s in the quiet rhythm of brushing a horse, or the calm weight of standing next to them in stillness,” Beth begins. “[Horses] regulate your nervous system without ever saying a thing. And for anyone who’s experienced trauma—especially young people—that kind of steady, nonverbal connection can be profoundly comforting. It’s a reminder that you don’t have to explain everything to be seen and felt. That you are safe. That you’re strong. And most importantly, that you are not alone.”

Beth’s words signal something else – the need for a healthy community. This is undoubtedly found at Taking the Reins. Girls grow up alongside each other, sharing things that are unique to the TTR experience. They are bonded for life in friendship over the memories made in their home-away-from-home. They know that the world may misunderstand them, but at TTR they are seen, heard, and valued.

Beth continued with her words by adding, “so much of healing from trauma is about rebuilding trust—trust in yourself, in others, in the world around you. And Taking the Reins creates the exact kind of environment where that kind of trust can grow safely, over time.”

Taking the Reins has four pillars: responsibility, confidence, teamwork, and leadership. And every girl learns those valuable lessons here, but TTR also respects that every girl’s story is different. They are encouraged to find their niche, whether it be in the barn, in the kitchen, in the classroom, or out in nature. For Beth, her wholeness (like many of the girls) comes from spending time with horses.

“When a girl realizes that she can earn a horse’s trust, that she can guide and communicate with a being ten times her size—it shifts something deep inside,” she shares from her own experience. “The horse gives us the gift of empowering us, the gift of solidifying and trusting our own resiliency.”

Beth’s reflection and perspective is welcomed by the Taking the Reins staff and board who all do their best for these girls every day. It is not often that someone has a chance to share these thoughts, especially with the eloquence that Beth does. Her willingness to share parts of her story reminds the community, supporters, and most importantly the girls attending TTR that there is strength in being vulnerable and that there is beauty in every story.

“In a world that often pulls us away from ourselves, horses bring us home,” Beth states in closing.

Taking the Reins is proud to be “home” for the many girls who rely on them. To learn more about Taking the Reins or to support the mission visit www.takingthereins.org