The City of Horses
10 September 2021
For those living or working in Swansea, it’s not unusual to see scores of horses strolling by at any given time. The area’s urban horse culture has been a staple of the community for decades, yet it’s under threat by new regulations from the council to stop tethering (tying up horses close to home).
The horse community of Swansea take over the city
The horse community of Swansea drive through the city in celebration.
Gary Martin, or Tracker to those that know him, organises horse drives for the community. He’s behind the biggest drive of the year through Swansea city centre, where he proudly rides his beloved Swansea cob, Swansea Jack.
He explains: “I started the drives up eight years ago, and that’s where we all get together and everyone loves it. Our main drive is the Swansea city drive. We literally drive through the Kingsway, the High Street and Wind Street, it’s one hell of a sight. Basically, it’s horses taking over the city for the one day.”
Billy, or as he’s known locally, ‘Billy the Brick’, thanks to his 9-5 as a bricklayer, has grown up around horses. The new restrictions mean Billy must go further afield to keep his horse, and he worries for the future of horses in the city and the effect losing them will have on younger generations.
He reminisces about his childhood in Penlan:
“You go out on the horses and you haven’t got a care in the world. I was always out on the horses, every day in the summer. 6 weeks holidays, every single day out on the horses, never sat in the house.
“The horses do mean a lot to us, it’s what we do, it’s what we know.”
The city of Swansea and the surrounding estates are unique, and underpinned with this age-old custom, but will their traditions continue through the next decade as they work to overcome the obstacles they face?
There’s one thing every horse owner agrees with, “it wouldn’t be Swansea without the horses”.
Our Lives: The City of Horses, has drawn attention to Swansea, and with an impressive 2 million people tuning in to the first transition, this community is having their voice heard.
