About us
Freedom Reins is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit equine-assisted therapy organization situated in the Central Valley.
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(Why we exist)
We exist to help people find freedom, confidence, and a way forward through real, hands-on experiences.
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(What we do, for whom, and how)
We help people with physical, emotional, mental, or social challenges build confidence and move forward through working with horses.
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(Where we’re going)
We want to see more people find freedom, confidence, and hope—because they finally had access to something that works.
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(How we operate)
We show up honest, ready, and here to help.
We meet people where they are
We take our responsibility seriously—this is real work
We keep things simple and do them well
We treat people with respect, patience, and consistency
We do what we say we’re going to do
Our Story
A Letter From the Founder
Sometimes life deals you a hard hand. You lose people you love. The support structures around you—as well-meaning as they might be—don't always have the capacity to catch you. When you're young and hurting and don't have a lot of guidance, it's easy to make choices that cost you everything.
That was my story.
I ended up in group homes. I lost my parents. I was introduced to drugs early. I've been homeless. I've burned bridges I thought I'd never rebuild. Some of that was the hand I was dealt—and some of it was the choices I made with that hand. I own both.
I'm not telling you this to earn sympathy. I'm telling you this because it's the reason Freedom Reins exists.
In the middle of all of it—the darkness, the loss, the dead ends—I kept finding small pieces of light. Moments that reminded me something better was possible. That I wasn't too far gone. Those moments didn't come from a program or a system. They came from people who showed up, and experiences that made me feel something real.
That's what I want to give people.
A lot of what passes for "help" out there isn't actually helping anyone. It's checking boxes. It's moving people through. I've seen it. I've lived it. And I'm done watching people fall through the cracks of a system that was never really built for them.
Freedom Reins is built differently. We work with horses on 140 acres of open land—and what happens out here is hard to explain until you experience it. A horse doesn't care about your past. It doesn't judge where you've been or what you've done. It responds to who you are right now, in this moment. For people who've been written off, overlooked, or let down—that's powerful. Sometimes that's everything.
I started this because I know what it's like to need a way forward and not be able to find one. I started this because acts of service aren't just something I do—they're who I am. And I started this because I believe that even in the darkest places, there is light. Sometimes all a person needs is for someone to show it to them.
That's what we're here for.
— Jacob Burkard
Founder, Freedom Reins
