WE'VE had young people come to us who have never spoken a word. After six months, they start speaking to their horse. Another six months later, they start speaking to the staff - and it's the first time they've communicated in their life,” says Sid Holdsworth, chief operating officer of Ebony Horse Club. “It speaks to the power of horses”.
Ebony Horse Club is an inner-city stables in the heart of London's Brixton. Working with vulnerable people from low-income backgrounds, the team there uses horses to deliver a structured programme of youth work to improve the emotional, phys ical and social health of young people.
“We're a charity and don't operate like a commercial riding school,” says Sid. “It's all about helping young people to develop relationships with horses and people, and build self-esteem. We want to break the cycle of poverty that they come from, help them to
