Shahir Drayton, 17, rides Shadow back to the stables after a long ride through Southwest Philadelphia. Shahir is one of a group of teenagers that Malik Divers, the owner of the horses, recruits to care for them as a way of teaching the teens work ethic and responsibility.
Shahir closes Mustang back into a stall after grooming the horses and cleaning the stalls. About a quarter of Philadelphia's population lives below the federal poverty line, and many youths lack structured opportunities outside of school. "I'm trying to keep these guys out of trouble," Mr. Divers said.
Shahir leans on Storm while waiting for children to offer pony rides to in Clark Park in West Philadelphia. The teens offer $5 pony rides, of which half the profits are shared between themselves and half goes to hay for the horses.
Man-Man and Shahir ride alongside local children on bicycles near a school. "You don't see a lot of young men riding horses. Everybody else is riding regular bikes and cars; I'm riding a horse. You don't see a lot of people doing that. When we are riding, we feel like we're just one big family," Shahir said.
Shahir and Dominique bathe the horses at an abandoned basketball court near the stables with water piped from a fire hydrant.
Dominique Waugh, 18, sweeps away manure and barn lime in one of the stalls.
Abdurrahman "Man-Man" Early, 16, washes Storm on a summer afternoon in an abandoned basketball court near the stables.
Shahir carries a saddle from the stables as he preps the horses for a ride in July, 2014.
Shahir gallops across a small open field in the center of Clark Park in West Philadelphia. "What I like is the rush. I feel like a different person when I ride," he said.
Shadow rolls in the dirt at the stables to cool off after a long ride in the summer.
Abdurrahman "Man-Man" Early, 16, sits on top of his horse Shadow near the humble stable in a poor part of Southwest Philadelphia where he takes care of the horses. Man-Man loves the thrill of riding, but also the dedication and responsibility of caring for horses. “I grew up in a bad place and I’ve done some bad things in the past,” he says. “I took some time off to think about everything, like, I’ll be eighteen in two years, I got college right around the corner. I gotta sit down, do what I need, and achieve what I always wanted to. I guess the horses just kept me on the right track.”
Shah rears back on Shadow during a ride in Southwest Philly. "[Horseback riding] is the best feeling in the world, cause you're in control of everything. Nothing else around you matters but you and your horse," said Man-Man.
Shahir pauses in front of a mural commemorating a victim of violence in West Philadelphia. The city faces rampant violence that affects youths, particularly African-American children.