A unique nonprofit in Philadelphia is teaching kids how to ride horses. Along the way, it helps them take the reins in their own lives and communities. "CBS Saturday Morning" co-host Michelle Miller reports.

Philadelphia

A nonprofit organization in Philadelphia, the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club, is providing local youth with the opportunity to learn horseback riding at no cost. Founded by Ellis Farrell, the club not only teaches riding skills but also encourages responsibility, confidence, and community engagement among its young participants.

The club has a long-standing presence in the neighborhood and has helped many children develop life skills, with some alumni going on to become professionals in various fields. Despite raising significant funds annually, the club faces uncertainty due to neighborhood changes, prompting Farrell to begin transitioning leadership to his son to ensure the tradition continues.

Philadelphia nonprofit teaches kids how to ride horses

It's been said that there's something about the outside of a horse that's good for the inside of a man. And that may be even more true for young men and women who grew up in the city and may not have an opportunity to ride. CBS Saturday Morning co-host Michelle Miller saddled up with some kids in Philadelphia who are learning to ride with the help of a unique nonprofit. And along the way they also learned to take the reins in their very own lives and community. On the streets of Philadelphia you may be surprised to hear horses and see who's riding them. Andre Baker is just 10 and sitting atop his favorite pony Pandora changes his whole perspective. Here on historic Fletcher Street nestled in North Philadelphia the opportunity to saddle up in the sport of Kings doesn't cost Andre or his family a thing. At Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club young people like Andre learned to take care of themselves and their community by learning to take care of horses. The goal here isn't to keep kids off the streets but to teach them to ride roughshod over their fears. The horse knows who's scared. Yes. All I gotta help is tell myself don't freak out or the horse is gonna freak out and I might get thrown off. Hoofsteps have echoed down Fletcher Street for over a century and this unique community of urban horsemen that endures to this day. Would you consider yourself a cowboy? No I'm not a cowboy. You're a horseman. I'm a horseman. Ellis Farrell grew up just steps from the stables and has been riding here almost as long. This is my passion. I'm 86 now and this is what keeps me alive. How long have you had a love for horses? All my life. I always wanted a horse so I said well as soon as I get me a job I'm gonna buy me a horse and then I ended up with 23. 23 horses? Yes. A few too many for Farrell to ride all alone so he decided to share his herd with kids in the community and quickly saw how the horses helped them. Farrell who's affectionately known around here as El Dog founded Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club in 2004 and built this barn on what was literally a pile of manure transforming the land and the lives of neighborhood kids who've gone on to become jockeys, trainers, police officers, even an NFL player. El Dog was an inspiration for the 2020 Netflix film Concrete Cowboy. Aziah Blackwell watched that and wanted to give this a try. When I first came around I was afraid of everything. The horses, the neighing, the snorting, every movement because they're big animals. They're unpredictable. But then she fell in love with this one-eyed horse Victory. Like say if I had a long school week I come down here and it helps me clear out my mind. It's therapy. It's your therapy. It's my therapy. This fall Blackwell will become the first member of the club to go on to college. But despite raising about a hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year in grants and donations, El Dog fears the club's future could face new challenges as this neighborhood changes. Sooner or later it's gonna be gone. So to make sure the tradition rides on once he's gone, El Dog has begun handing the reins over to his son Darren. All of this is soon to be all yours. Who wants to continue helping the next generation. They're learning. They're learning. Learning about life. We don't just teach horse, we teach life. And how to reshape their futures with so much riding on it. If I get on a horse and ride, it'll probably make my day. For CBS Mornings, I'm Michelle Miller in Philadelphia. I love that. So many parallels to life. Yeah. Learning how to ride horses. Yeah and it's important for kids to be outside and interacting with animals. Like it's the way we were meant to be. No doubt about it.

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