In the middle of busy south London, England, is a school where children get to, well––horse around. The Ebony Horse Club is a riding school for children. It’s located in the hustle and bustle of the busy city, only a 10-minute walk from a subway station. The club gives children an opportunity to learn important life skills through horseback riding. Every week, volunteers provide 140 rides to children from poor backgrounds. The club is a charity. It depends on fundraising. Lesson fees are based on how much families are able to pay. 

The program’s eight horses recently came off a long rest. That’s because the club stopped meeting during virus lockdowns. They spent some months in a country setting. But now they’re back in London, ready to work. Splash, Molly, Bailey, Joe, Rose, Eddie, and others are getting saddled up weekly.

Shaddai McLeod is one of the club’s youngest riders. He is nine years old and thrilled to be back in the saddle. Shaddai rides after school on Thursdays. But he’s spotted at the stable on weekends too. Shaddai helps measure horse feed, groom the animals, and clean out messy stalls.

Shaddai’s hard work is paying off. He received his first award—a Pony Club badge for horse grooming. His older siblings also ride. His 13-year-old sister Zion always chooses Eddie for her horse if she can. She knows it’s a privilege to be a member of the club.

“You would never think this was here in the middle of Brixton,” says Zion. The London neighborhood of Brixton was once known for crime and violence. God is using the Ebony Horse Club to help families there. Only God can take a hard place and change it into something safe and good. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”