Essays by TTR Students:

Featured Stories:

• South Pasadena Review; Taking the Reins Steers Young Women on Right Path
• Untacked spotlight on Taking The Reins
• LA Times: A tiny kitchen, but it lets at-risk girls work from seed to skillet
• LA Times: ACE Center builds an environment for learning at Taking the Reins
• GOOD NEIGHBORS: Reining in Excellence

“Empowering Girls Through Horsepower” by Bings Wings Productions

 “I was bullied a lot. I would try not to go out as much as possible because I was embarrassed of who I was. And I was my worst enemy. And when I got [to Taking the Reins], my opinion on everything changed. […] I’m a lot more self-confident. The more people I meet, the more connections I can have, the better my life will turn out, instead of following the influences I have.” – Alyssa, 15

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Lu Parker, “Horses Help Put at Risk Teens on Path to Success” from KTLA 

“These horses are teachers and they teach you many things, like how to be patient. […] They know if you’re having a bad day they can feel that. What you put out is what you get back from the horses.” – Stacie, 16

Kathy Vara, “At-Risk Girls Learn to Take the Reins” from NBC 4’s series “Life Connected.

“You’re taking care of a 1200-pound animal. It’s pretty hard to do that, so once you can get that handled, you can pretty much handle anything you want.” – Kate, 15

Danielle Tarasiuk, “Taking the Reins: Teaching Life Skills through Horseback Riding, Urban Farming, and the L.A. River.”

“‘The ultimate goal is to get the girls who come through this program to emerge as leaders in their community and beyond,’ says Janiene Langford, Taking the Reins’ Program Director. ‘A big piece of that is having an ownership of this area, an ownership of this land.'”

Robert Garrova, “Flying the Coop: Why urban farmers should do research before raising chickens” from KPCC.

“Back at Taking the Reins in Atwater, Devyn Heart holds a member of the flock. Even though she’s only 13, Devyn is the resident chicken expert at Taking the Reins and knows all about different breeds and their personalities.”

Vicki Chen, “Urban Barn TeachesTeamwork Through Horseback Riding” from the Annenberg TV News.

“‘The best thing [Taking the Reins] has taught me is patience and control,’ Morado said. ‘Like, before if I was doing something and I messed up, I would immediately getmad. I didn’t know how to control myself. And here, if I make a mistake, that’s okay. I can learn how to improve.'”