Detroit Horse Power brings urban equestrian center to Hope Village

A Detroit nonprofit is expanding its reach and bringing a unique youth development program into the city, with plans to open a new urban equestrian center in the Hope Village neighborhood.

Detroit Horse Power, founded more than a decade ago by David Silver, uses horseback riding as a tool to help young people build confidence, discipline and life skills.

"It's really all about how horses make us better people and equip us with the skills to do better in school and for the rest of our lives," Silver said.

For years, students in the program have had to travel outside the city to participate, often commuting to barns across Metro Detroit, including Bloomfield Open Hunt.

"We've been picking up kids in Detroit at their homes, and we drive to other people's horse barns all across southeast Michigan," Silver said.

That's about to change.

The organization is building what it says will be one of the largest urban equestrian centers of its kind in the country, located at the former site of Paul Robeson Academy on Detroit's west side.

"It's going to be a game changer, not just for our kids, but for our entire community," Silver said.

The project has been years in the making, supported by community partnerships, fundraising and grants that have helped raise millions of dollars.

CBS News Detroit was there when the group hosted a community beam-signing event last year. Now, construction is well underway, with completion expected by December.

Silver said the new facility will allow the nonprofit to expand its impact and make its programming more accessible to Detroit youth.

"We've always been looking to make horses accessible in the city and to scale up how much our students can benefit from these amazing animals," he said.

For Silver, the project reflects a broader sense of pride in Detroit.

"That trifecta of horses, kids, in a Detroit neighborhood, are what's going to make Detroit Horse Power strong and impactful for the long term," he said.