OUR MISSION

We partner with horses to create transformative opportunities,

helping Detroit’s youth and communities grow, connect, and thrive.

Detroit Horse Power’s vision is to give under-resourced youth a safe and enriching space that furthers their future development. Horses teach children critical traits, including Perseverance, Empathy, Responsible risk-taking, Confidence, and Self-control. 

In 2015, Detroit Horse Power incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and launched two pilot summer camps serving 18 youth. Since then, Detroit Horse Power has brought approximately 1,000 Detroit youth to partner horse barns outside the city for free summer horse camps and an after-school program. Our programs teach kids how to ride and take care of horses and offer exposure to guest speakers representing various equine professions. But the most important lessons are what horses can teach kids about themselves: the confidence that comes from riding, taking responsibility for another living being, not giving up when things get hard, and more. These lifelong lessons that our kids learn through their horse experiences will help them succeed in school and in life.

At the same time, Detroit Horse Power had been searching for the right vacant land site within Detroit’s city limits to build an urban equestrian center. This new facility will increase the scale and accessibility of Detroit Horse Power’s youth impact program and strengthen the Detroit neighborhoods where students grow up. In October 2024, DHP purchased the former Paul Robeson Academy property at 2701 Fenkell, Detroit 48238 from Detroit Public Schools Community District. Construction began in September 2025 and has proceeded on budget and on schedule to allow for significantly expanded access to the power of horses in Detroit’s future.

This project has also strengthened our commitment to environmental equity and increasing access to critical resources in the Detroit neighborhoods where our students live. The environmental sustainability aspects of our new building have created new pathways for all members of Detroit Horse Power’s community - youth and adults - to practice the PERCS traits we learn from horses to make a difference in our everyday lives.