Overview
- The program launched this summer and enrolled about 20 inner-city Pittsburgh children for free horseback-riding and horse-care instruction in Washington County.
- Detective Dorothea Leftwich, who is the first African American woman in Pittsburgh’s mounted unit, created the program after using horses to cope with grief and to help young people.
- Riding Into the Future is a collaboration with 4-H and Sunnibel/Sunni Bell Stables and centers on seven sessions that will conclude with participants appearing at the Washington County Fair.
- Organizers say the curriculum teaches practical horse-care and riding skills, aims to build leadership and confidence, and offers exposure to agriculture-related activities, field trips, 4-H programming and scholarship opportunities.
- Community demand has been strong but capacity is limited this year, and organizers plan to expand the program’s reach in future summers.