Ghuan Featherstone sits high on top of his beloved horse,“Showtime" named for his affinity for the spotlight. The two longtime pals ride together often on city sidewalks and streets in South Central Los Angeles.

Founder of Urban Saddles, Ghuan Featherstone and his horse called "Showtime". (Photo Courtesy/Ghuan Featherstone)

Onlookers in the area can witness firsthand the confident and springy clickity-clack of Showtime’s hooves on the pavement.

Featherstone, an army veteran and the founder of a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization called Urban Saddles, is living his cowboy dream in the city of South Gate on the edge of South Central LA. He’s the leader of a group of dedicated volunteer cowboys who are leading a local initiative to make a positive impact on the lives of young people of color. The group’s mission is all about sharing with others their take on the modern cowboy lifestyle.

The cowboys believe that Urban Saddles offers a solution for young people struggling with their mental health, the pressures of grade school or college, social anxiety and more.

Working outside and with horses, Featherstone says, provide a soothing presence. Another cowboy, Mike Gammage agrees saying “it’s like natural medicine.”

People in South Central LA need something like this in the community to address the long standing mental health issues that disproportionately affect the region. The high costs of healthcare, medical racism, poverty and the existing social stigma of mental illness are barriers for timely treatment. According to an LA County mental health study conducted by the Center of Disease Control in 2019, more than a third of residents in South Central LA live below the national poverty line at 34%.

Even further, the study also reports that there is a severe lack of adequate mental health facilities, psychologists and therapists to support the majority Black and Latino populations who are suffering from untreated mental health problems. The city of Compton only has five licensed psychologists compared to the city of Santa Monica’s 361, despite the latter having a smaller population.

Things get worse if a patient wants to be treated by a psychologist that also shares the same racial or cultural background as themselves. It’s more likely a person seeking mental health treatment from South Central LA will have to go to someone further away who may not understand their specific needs because of a lack of cultural understanding and lifestyle similarities.

Unfortunately, that can be a deterrent for some who may need the support the most.

Mount up, let's hit the streets

In popular American culture, California is widely known for its cowboy and horse riding heritage.

Nowadays though, it’s rare to see people traveling on horseback in big metropolitan cities like Los Angeles. Technology has evolved and advanced dramatically since the early 1800s, as cars have replaced the horse as people’s primary means of transportation.

Equestrian road sign in South Gate, Calif.

Spotting any person riding a horse on the streets, regardless of racial background or social status, excites people because it’s unusual and interesting.

Featherstone and the cowboys at Urban Saddles want to be seen in their community on horseback. They’re keenly aware of the oddity of riding a horse on city streets but that's exactly the point.

Seeing a group of Black cowboys on horseback draws attention, yet it’s been an effective way of conducting community outreach for them.

Cowboy Kamal Miller, the youngest member of Urban Saddles, says “they look at us as superheroes. Especially being Black men, Black cowboys and Black cowgirls on horses.”

He continues, “we have fun hitting the streets, but it's more about making the community happy. When you give them that opportunity to see something like that, they want to do it now and that makes us feel good.”

Urban Saddles has a program called the “Saddlers Program” that teaches young people basic horsemanship and life skills. A benefit of this program is the opportunity to join the cowboys on community rides.

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In South Central LA, there are areas of gang turf that are dangerous. Some of these groups try to recruit young people to join them. Another goal of Urban Saddles and their work in the community is gang prevention for at-risk youth.

If a young person meets them on a community ride and expresses interest in visiting the cowboys in South Gate, they’ll do what they can to set up a visit.

Miller says, “and when people do come visit us, they find peace here. They find a form of serenity here.”

He concludes, “it's a big escape from the world when you're here and you don't feel like you're in LA. You don't feel like you’re in danger of gang banging or whatever there is that people try to escape from.”

We can be our own worst enemy

LA County is often at the forefront of change. As an economic and cultural powerhouse with the largest population of any county nationwide, things are constantly in motion.

It’s a place of dreamers and doers.

Yet, despite being a place of opportunity, there are still very few Black-owned equestrian organizations that exist in LA County. The real estate costs, building maintenance, animal healthcare, quality feed and more remain a barrier for entry.