What is in the name “Bridle Up Hope?"

Written by a Girl's Experience Participant:

What is in the name “Bridle Up Hope?" According to a standard dictionary, bridle means “the act of restraining power or action.” Before I experienced this program, I had been to over a year of counseling and was still struggling to get my feet back under me. I was trying as hard as I knew how to cope with the trauma and subsequent problems I was facing, but it felt like my life was ruined. I truly wondered whether I could ever be happy or successful again.

Hope is what was missing from my life for years, and hope is exactly what I found through this program. Bridle Up Hope taught me, through the horses, amazing instructors, and 7 Habits, how to harness the power of hope in my life to finally begin moving forward.

The most impactful thing I learned at Bridle Up Hope was the concept of personal responsibility. It was a tricky balance to avoid feeling guilty for things that weren’t my fault, while still accepting responsibility for my healing and my current life. Through working with the horses, I learned how to establish and maintain boundaries and communicate them clearly to others. Over time, I felt like my own personal power to create the life I wanted was given back to me.

Learning how to put the 7 Habits skills into practice, and believing that I could achieve the life I had hoped for before the trauma, was the biggest blessing in my life during a seemingly hopeless time. I would like to thank everyone who is involved in Bridle Up Hope, from the instructors, volunteer leads, administration, and donors who have changed the course of my life to a brighter path.

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Names changed to protect privacy