Stepping into the Horse World of Beth Behrs
Beth Behrs is best known as one of the stars TV’s 2 Broke Girls. If you are familiar with the show, you know that Beth’s character, Caroline, has a horse named Chestnut. What you may not know is that Beth herself has a horse of her own, and is very active in the equine world. State Line Tack had the opportunity to catch up with Beth, and find out more about her passion for horses.
Have you always been into horses?
I’ve loved horses since I was a little girl. I grew up in Southern Virginia, and many of my friends and neighbors had horses. I was able to hang out with them occasionally, but my parents couldn’t afford riding lessons, so I read Black Beauty and every other horse book I could get my hands on. When I began working on 2 Broke Girls, I fell madly and deeply back into my horse obsession and was finally able to afford one of my own.
A lot of people say young girls “grow out” of the horse phase, but it’s obvious that it stuck with you. Why do you think that is?
Horses imprint themselves in your soul. There’s a spiritual majesty to them that is like no other animal. They are magical, mystical, and mysterious, and that’s what draws them to us for life, I think.
Here’s the age-old question... English or Western?
Actually, neither! I ride bareback and bit-less, and find I am drawn to the philosophies of “horse as partner and teacher” vs. competition. Most of the time, I don't “ride” at all; I prefer to play with my horse on the ground and deepen our relationship that way. However, when I have ridden in a saddle, it’s mostly been Western. I tried English jumping but had a bad fall my first time out and got really spooked by it.
How would you rate your skill as a rider not tethered to just one discipline?
Riding bareback, bit-less, sometimes bridle-less on a young half-mustang rescue, I fall off quite often! But she’s small, and I’ve been taught the proper way to “bail” bareback, which is very safe and effective. I recently flipped over her head on a trail and hit my bum on a rock, which was no fun.
Ouch! Do you remember your first time falling off a horse?
My first time ever in a riding lesson, when I was learning English, I was learning to post and the horse took off on me at full gallop after getting spooked and I sprained my ankle. Having to go back to work as a physical comedian was rough after that one!
Horses are known to be natural healers. Was there ever a time when a horse acted as your therapist?
Absolutely, every day. They are the best natural healers in my opinion. After I started on 2 Broke Girls, panic attacks that had started when I was a teenager began to worsen. With the spotlight came even more pressure, and I began “spiraling out” with anxiety. The show’s co-creator, Whitney Cummings, told me about Cassandra Ogier, whose program The Reflective Horse pairs horses with people in various forms of emotional crisis. I began working with her and fell in love with the therapy work and her horses. I continued doing retreat weekends with Cassandra, and at one of the weekends we were joined by a survivor of sexual assault. Seeing the growth in this woman was the catalyst for us to begin creating SheHerdPower, to provide equine-guided empowerment workshops free of charge to survivors of sexual assault and abuse.
What advice would you give someone who is entering the horse world and taking their first riding lesson?
Develop a true partnership on the ground with your horse first. Ribbons and competitions come and go, but the partnership between you and a horse will affect you deeply the rest of your life.
You are very active in the animal advocacy world. What has been one of the biggest issues regarding horses that you have faced?
I am a big advocate for horse adoption and saving our nation’s wild horses. Members of Congress are about to allow the Bureau of Land Management to kill healthy, unadopted wild horses. Already this summer, the House Appropriations Committee has voted to allow the BLM to do exactly that, kill tens of thousands of captive wild horses, instead of holding them accountable for its mismanagement and mandating that the agency implement humane, proven alternatives on the range. Had the BLM done so ten years ago, the number of wild horses and burros removed from the range and stockpiled in government holding facilities would have steadily declined. What most in Congress don’t know is that humane alternatives do exist and do work - when they’re implemented. BLM has only used 1-4% of its annual budget for on-the-range management.
How can people help this cause?
Please call your senators today and tell them: “I oppose any provision that would allow BLM to kill healthy horses, and I oppose any provision that would remove sale restrictions on wild horses. Humane solutions that work are available that can give these American icons the proud, sustainable future on the range that they deserve.”
Tell us more about Belle, your rescue.
Belle is the love of my life. She’s a paint mare, half BLM mustang and half quarter horse. She was rescued with her mom one Christmas morning by the amazing Blue Apple Ranch from a domestic violence/animal abuse situation. She is silly and snuggly, but also incredibly strong and incredibly feisty when she wants to be! She has taught me so much and is truly one of the best parts of my life. Adopting a horse is just as good, if not better, than buying one because not only you are saving this animal’s life, but you’re making room for another animal to come in and get rescued as well. As I always say, “Who rescued who?”
Do you have any goals in place as an equestrian?
My personal equestrian goal is to one day own a farm where I can rescue multiple horses and other animals, and spend every day among them. My other goal is to keep expanding SheHerdPower and make it available to women across the world.