Riding to me means forgetting about your outside problems, just focusing on bettering yourself, being confident and focusing on the now.
To mount a horse, unafraid of the unknown, is to be a rider at Ebony Horse Club; where young people are afforded the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that many feel they wouldn’t get anywhere else; where community is exemplified in its truest sense, where “everyone just gets along, we have each others’ back, and it feels like one big family” as Hosanna says. Where space is created for complete beginners to experienced riders alike; from those who dream of showjumping, to those who want to “take a moment where you can think about whatever you want to, and just breathe… You don’t have to want to ride horses to be here,” says Manuela. “You can just come here because you love animals and want to be around them”. Ebony Horse Club – just ten minutes’ walk from Brixton Station – is a place where young people are provided the tools to build their confidence, “work harmoniously” (Celestine) alongside each other and the horses, achieve their goals and, of course, learn to ride.
“Learning to ride is such a big thing;” says Manuela. “You fall down – and I do – I’ve fallen off. But, you get back on and you physically have to face the challenges. Emotionally you do too, but you have the support of other people to help you through it.” For me, horses symbolise a unique balance of elegance, power, defiance and tranquillity. The sheer scale and strength held effortlessly by animals that are as statuesque as they are spontaneous, and as dominant as they are subtle. How are they able to glide so smoothly yet with such force? In their eyes we recognise, as in ourselves, the innate capacity to care, paralleling their ability to injure. This frightens many due to their dominating statures – what if they kick? Fear comes from a lack of understanding, and an unwillingness to be in a position of vulnerability. However, if that fear is turned to an appreciation and a desire to connect, what could potentially frighten becomes a constant source of inspiration; because much can be understood through observation. Although for me horses symbolise the practice of coming back to oneself and finding within myself the grounding and motivation to stand strong even on uneven ground, the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of and the luxury of spending time with horses was stunted due to horseriding being a pursuit that is kept for those with much disposable income. In London it is an incredibly expensive hobby, rarely accessible due to financial positions or proximity to stables. Yet, Ebony Horse club is changing that, through subsidised riding classes and access to facilities.
“Riding to me means forgetting about your outside problems, just focusing on bettering yourself, being confident and focusing on the now,” explains Hosanna. She continues, “[My favourite thing] is probably how you can just be with them and all of your problems from school, or if you have friendship difficulties, just disappear once you are with the horses because of how they can make you feel.” For those at Ebony, riding creates a meditative space to find peace within, regardless of life’s happenings; the necessity of which is continually important, yet unfortunately, decreasingly readily available. Aside from the overcomeable, sometimes unavoidable passing thought (“Don’t fall, don’t die” – Oni; or “Please don’t move because you’re going to spill the bucket or knock over the brush” – Antoine), the riders are able to cultivate valuable relationships with the horses and each other. “I, oddly, do love the dirty work of the chores,” says Manuela, “because when you build a bit more of a relationship with the horses, [you learn that] they each have their own personality. So getting to know them, understanding – oh these two are arguing, oh they’re flirting, or oh, he’s having a bad day – you have to respect them and learn their behaviours even though they can’t speak to you. It’s really fun to observe an animal that’s obviously not human and just see how they have little habits that you can see in people as well… This morning we were all complaining about how dirty the horses were and we all took it in turns [to wash them] and we were absolutely covered in soap and grime, laughing our heads off. I think you do learn a lot about being friends, and being happy with what you have.” As Oni explains, “[Getting to a place] where you can understand something that doesn’t talk helps you to understand other people in general.”
Ebony Horse Club is an atmosphere that beams a distinctive ray of pride, inspiration, confidence and dedication into its surroundings; the infectious sense of enthusiasm, warmth and care offers a welcoming arm around its community on entering the space, and can be heard within the energetic voices of the riders as they speak to each other; offering words of support, guidance and motivation, in celebration of their unique lives that have led them to be together at the club. “It’s in the sort of area where you wouldn’t expect people to be riding – and the sort of people I mean is children of colour – and that caught my interest, and inspires other people,” says Oni. “The history that we’ve been [presented] only shows white people riding, so to see someone that looks like you… in positions of power doing what they’re doing, when [they can be made to feel] like they’re not meant to be doing things, but, [that] they are exceeding and doing well inspires me. I also think that if people can come up with something completely new, then it’s easy to do the stuff that’s already been done.”
All quotes collected from interviews with Ebony Horse Club riders: Celestine, Oni, Antoine, Gesse, Hosanna, Liezl, Manuela and Samuel. With thanks to Ebony Horse Club and everyone involved in documenting it
Riders: Antaan, Celestine, Gesse, Hosanna, Liezl, Manuela, Samuel. All clothing, fabrics, and materials used are secondhand, upcycled and customised; with thanks to Work and Play Scrap Store. Hair: Takuya Uchiyama. Make-up: Michelle Boggs. Tailor: Josie Ainscough. Styling assistant: Philip Smith. Production: The.curated. With thanks to Ebony Horse Club