DETROIT – Durell Montgomery is not be your typical cowboy. For starters, he's from Detroit. He grew up riding horses with his family in Alabama but now he is trying to share his love of four-legged transport in the Motor City.
"I ride around and find a location. I park and pull my horses out and just ride around the neighborhoods and give kids rides," said Montgomery.
Motor City Horsemen began three years ago. Its goal is to provide lessons and riding opportunities for underprivileged kids and adults.
Every day Montgomery introduces often surprised Detroiters to the wonder of horses.
"For a lot of kids it's the very first time they have seen a horse. For a lot of adults it's the first time they have seen a horse, you know, so I have had some people that said that I completely turned their day from being bad to being something positive," Montgomery said.
Montgomery and the Motor City Horsemen run lessons out of their Romulus facility. They attend special events and visit schools to share the spiritual and mental healing that horses can provide.
Montgomery recalls the effect getting on a horse had on a friend of his with ADHD.
"I put him up on the horse and his demeanor his personality (were) completely calm," said Montgomery. "He relaxed, he got quiet, he was focusing on what I was telling him and that showed me that these horses have an instant impact on how they affect people."
While the Motor City Horsemen continue their long journey from Romulus to Detroit each week, Montgomery has big plans for the future.
"I would love to try to get a place, a location inside of Detroit and I think I can touch a lot more people a lot better being right there, so I definitely think Detroit needs something like this," Montgomery said.
Turning a passion for riding into an urban experience, Montgomery and the Motor City Horsemen are saddling up the locals in the heart of Detroit.
Heart of Detroit