It started with a stinky fish and a steady horse.
Katherine, who was 15-year-old Aliciana’s mentor at Hope Reins, now laughs about the day a stinky fish became a turning point.
“Aliciana wiped her hands on my shirt after catching and releasing a fish,” Katherine recalls. “Even though it was a joke, I admit I felt hurt.”For Aliciana, laughter had always been her armor. After years of neglect and bouncing between homes, she’d mastered the art of deflection: jokes, loud stories, anything to keep people from looking too closely and noticing who she really was.
Aliciana’s mask did not fool Hero.
“Hero would follow Aliciana around the arena, nudging her shoulder until she slowed down,” Katherine says. “Eventually, she began to mirror his calm. Instead of filling every silence with chatter, she began to breathe, process, and slow down. That’s when the walls began to fall.”
One afternoon, after weeks of sessions, Aliciana became a leader, and guided Hero through an obstacle course. No jokes. No chatter. Just quiet focus as she walked steadily with him.
“It wasn’t about the task,” Katherine explains. “It was about trust. Hero showed Aliciana she didn’t need to perform to belong. She could just be.”
Your support creates these sacred spaces. Training, feed, and vet care turn rescued horses into unwavering allies for kids like Aliciana … kids who’ve learned to hide their pain because they don’t know what else to do with it.
Right now, your gift will DOUBLE to support all of Hope Reins’ herds — and help welcome 2 new rescued horses. Each dollar ensures these gentle giants can keep offering what Aliciana found: a safe place to shed the mask and rediscover their strength.
Will you give today to double your impact?
Thank you for your generosity and for helping kids in crisis find true hope and real healing!
In Hope,
Kim Tschirret
Founder & CEO
Hope Reins
P.S. When Aliciana apologized for the stinky fish, Katherine had already forgiven her. Your generosity helps kids in crisis learn to shed their masks, to be themselves, and to find the peace they deserve. It’s a peace that echoes through all their relationships. Don’t wait. The match deadline is June 13.