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C H R O N O F H O R S E . C O M M AY/J U N E 2 017 115 >> became the first licensed female jockey in the United States after mounting a legal challenge against the rules of the time, and she continues to campaign for human rights. When Kusner settled in the Los Angeles area, she immediately saw a need to bring a literal breath of fresh air to some of the worst areas of the city. Making a beeline, as she said, to Compton and city neighborhoods like Watts, she started exploring options to help minority groups in Los Angeles, starting HHLA in 1999. "I'm limited in what I can do, but it would be with horses because that's what I know the most," she said. Kusner's idea to start a nonprofit riding program soon evolved into sending students to Mill Creek in Topanga during the summer months when children weren't in school. HHLA and Mill Creek first partnered in the spring of 2003, and the relationship remains strong today. A Breath Of Fresh Air For Everyone Targeting the toughest places in Los Angeles, Kusner networks with other nonprofit organizations to gather groups of 10-12 students for camps. e organizations often cater to individuals and families living on very low incomes, and they sometimes involve minority groups. e Watts Towers Arts Center Campus has partnered with HHLA for four summers now, sending 10 students from its summer program per year, and education coordinator Rogelio Acevedo said most students who attend haven't touched a horse before. Many don't even have pets at home. "We're here in South LA, where we have a lot of concrete and asphalt and not a lot of trees—it's a dense city—so when we get the opportunity to take the students out and up to the Santa Monica area, it's a great experience for them and for the staff, as well," he said. "ey're able to experience riding and learn to ride, and more importantly they get to try something new and overcome their fears—a lot are afraid of the horses on their first days. But by the end of the week, they're riding, so it's a pretty amazing accomplishment for them." Acevedo noted that some students enjoy the experience so much they look for additional opportunities with horses or other animals after the camp ends. "Some come away wanting a horse, wanting to train horses, or wanting to look into becoming a vet," he said. "One student in particular, her family came to us and participated in our arts program, and we took her to the Horses In e Hood camp. She was just blown away by the experience and riding, and the whole week of being in nature and around the horses. "She took it upon herself to look and see what else was available throughout the year," Acevedo continued. "She found groups in Los Angeles, 501(c)3 Horses In e Hood provides a five-day camp free of cost. Participants borrow helmets and paddock boots for safety, and transportation is available if needed. ey learn the basics of good horsemanship—starting with grooming and handling horses on the ground, and progressing to walking, trotting, ground poles, small crossrails and sometimes even cantering during the five days. On the last day, campers demonstrate what they've learned for their families and friends, and HHLA provides a picnic lunch. Show Jumping Hall Of Fame inductee Kathy Kusner founded Horses In e Hood after witnessing the inequalities minority populations were facing in the show world throughout her career. She grew up in Virginia before the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, and many of the grooms working on the horse show circuit were black. "When we stopped to eat, I took their orders and went in because they couldn't go in," Kusner said. "I thought, 'is is terrible. ese are humans.' " Kusner competed at the 1964 (Japan), 1968 (Mexico) and 1972 (Germany) Olympic Games in additional to multiple Pan American Games. In 1968, Kusner Horses In The Hood participants learn about all aspects of riding, from grooming and tacking up to sometimes cantering and jumping small crossrails, during five-day summer camps.

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