The number of Philly’s Black-owned stables has plummeted in recent decades. Redlining often prevented stable owners from buying the land, Berne says. Other stables fell victim to what Berne calls “the slow violence of gentrification.” The disappearing stables mean a huge loss. “They help level the playing field in a city fraught with inequities, but that land use doesn’t make money for the city,” Berne says. “I’ve seen kids who are clearly dysregulated walk up to a horse, wrap their arms around its neck. You can watch the kid decompress, see the healing taking place. Every single Black stable is a place of reclamation, of healing, but you can’t give the city a receipt that says ‘This horse saved this kid’s life.’”
Read the Full article, "The 8 Seconds Rodeo spotlights Black horsemanship" https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2025/12/01/the-8-seconds-rodeo-spotlights-black-rodeo/