Don´t fence me in

 

In a neighbourhood like North Philadelphia where the pull of the streets is so strong, horses have become a blessing. Here, a community of African American horse lovers created a safe haven by keeping horses in the high-crime neighbourhood of North Philadelphia.

Philadelphia has had a long-lasting cultural tradition of Urban Riding. During the turn of the century, the automobiles replaced the horse-drawn carriages and finally supplanted the horse cart. The people who worked with the horses tended to be African Americans, many of which loved their horses dearly, so they kept their animals, even though they could not use them as working animals anymore.
In the 70 ́s, industries such as textile and breweries left the inner-city borders to profit from a tax release, leaving behind empty warehouses. These abandoned warehouses were perfect for keeping horses because most of them already had a stable. This development brought rise to a tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation within the community ever since. .

Times changed along with the Urban Horsemen Community. What was once a traditional cowboy community mixed up with influences of modern times. Due to gentrification, the Urban Horsemen Community is now in danger of disappearing.