Real Horse Power Coming To Teach Kids In Detroit?
HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - Founders of a nonprofit that teaches children how to ride and care for horses are looking to one day bring their program to a Detroit neighborhood.
A 10- to 20-acre stable would put to use some of the vacant land in the city and increase boarding options for horse owners in the Detroit area, David Silver told The Detroit News.
"Detroit needs to be open to creative solutions that utilizes the existing space and provides more for residents," said Silver, a former competitive rider and Detroit school teacher.
Silver and Paul Mack run the Detroit Horse Power program. It was hosted this past week at Equinox Farms, northwest of Detroit in Highland Township.
Silver said he is working to pitch the idea of the camp and stable in Detroit to city officials. He says an obstacle is the city code which prohibits livestock from being kept within city limits. Horses are considered livestock.
"Larger animals like horses ... should be decided on a case-by-case basis," he said.
The Associated Press emailed the city of Detroit Sunday asking for comment on the proposal.
In the meantime, volunteers with Detroit Horse Power and the program's two horses - Winnie and T.C. - are working with area children with the donated stable time.
Eleven children spent the past week with the horses at the camp.
"I love riding them, feeding them, cleaning them, everything," 11-year-old Shatese Walker told The Detroit News.
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