An Interview with Ebony Horse Club
Ebony Horse Club is a London-based charity that empowers young people from disadvantaged communities by providing access to horses, riding lessons, and opportunities to develop essential life skills. Based in Brixton, they offer a safe and supportive environment where young people can build confidence, resilience, and friendships while connecting with animals and nature.
Ariat has been a long-standing supporter of Ebony Horse Club, kindly providing them with footwear that their young people can wear when attending the stables. This partnership has played a role in enabling the young people at Ebony Horse Club to take part in all their equestrian activities, helping them build confidence and stay focused as they hone their riding skills.
In this Quick-Fire Q&A, we sit down with Ebony Horse Club's inspiring “Seniors” Demba, Helen, Iona, Liezl, Onyi, Renee and Theo, to hear their thoughts, experiences, and insights as young equestrians at Ebony Horse Club.
What emoji best describes Ebony Horse Club?
- Party emoji because it’s fun.
- Horizon because when I look at the logo I see a city block but the horizon behind it shines.
- The hands holding together because it explains the family that we are here.
- Poop emoji – because of all the, well, poop.
How would you describe Ebony to someone?
Ebony Horse club is a youth based charity that has horses, it’s quite an unusual thing to have horses in London. It brings the chance to young people to have access to horses in the inner city. It’s a unique, warm and very welcoming place.
What does it mean to be a “Senior” at Ebony?
Being a Senior means we’re responsible for the horses and the yard on Saturday’s. It means you have a lot more responsibility and a lot more is expected of you – it’s about being a role model to the younger youth and taking care of our community. We also have the chance to give feedback to Ebony and let them know if we have any ideas to make Ebony even better.
What is your favourite memory of a time at Ebony?
We got the chance to go to Italy! We got to wake up and see the amazing horizons and ride every day. It was an opportunity to escape life in the city and it gave us time to be ourselves without any extra stress.
Who in the equine industry has inspired you?
Ivy, an 18 year old girl on YouTube who does big jumping competitions, she’s really cool and inspiring! Also Khadijah Mellah and O’Shane, they’re both people who used to go to Ebony and have now got a career in horse racing.
What are some skills & lessons you’ve learnt with horses that you can apply to life outside of Ebony?
Horse riding has taught me patience and resilience. It has shown me how to be more patient and communicate using not just your words but different things. It also instils resilience - for example if you give up the first time you won’t get it again. If something isn’t working try a different approach, try to work out what’s wrong and try to fix it, figuring out what the problem is and finding a solution. It also teaches life skills, I used to get bullied in Secondary School and Ebony definitely taught me some key skills, making me better socially and I felt like I was happier around the horses.
How have horses influenced your life?
They’re a mental therapy, it’s an escape of life. They have also influenced my career path, I want to do something with horses, I’ve been at the Newmarket Equine Hospital for a week now (Renee), as an equine vet. I wouldn’t have wanted to do it without Ebony Horse Club and riding horses.
In 10 years’ time what do you see yourself doing with horses?
To be an icon, one that’s an inspiration for people of a different demographic that don’t typically get the opportunity to ride. I see myself being around horses my whole life.
How would you describe Ariat to someone that has never heard of it?
Ariat are the company that makes the most comfortable jodhpurs! It’s one of the best brands, making aesthetic, quality equestrian clothing. It’s based on Secretariat and his 3 Triple Crown wins – the 3 horseshoes logo represents Secretariat’s 3 wins. Wearing Ariat makes me feel like I’m a million dollars!
If you could design your own equestrian product for Ariat, what would it be?
Fluffy socks! Long ones, with warmers, fluffy so it just peeks out the top of tall boots – so it looks like UGGs… collaborate with UGG! A hat that changes with your hair, for when you have different hair styles. They should be made a certain style and size for people with different hair types; people who have bigger or longer hair, that way it makes riding accessible for everyone.
How has being a part of Ebony impacted your life?
Ebony helps me to regulate my stress, emotions and how I respond to things. It helps me to get up early! At Ebony I’ve formed lots of long-lasting friendships that I hope will last forever. It’s helped me to grow as a person, understand who I am and how to interact with people. If I didn’t have Ebony then I probably wouldn’t have turned out the same way I am now; it’s impacted my life in a positive way, I believe it’s given me so many opportunities and I’ve learnt new things that I wouldn’t have learned elsewhere.