Urban Horses

by Tom Szustek

Irish love for horses is known worldwide. Keeping horses without a license in an urban area is prohibited under the 1996 Control of Horses Act. But young residents of north Dublin don’t pay too much attention to regulations. They just want to have some fun. Teenagers’ dream here it’s not a bike or motorcycle but a pony or horse. Animals are kept in garages, sheds or just in the backyards and there were cases of mistreated animals reported.

Most of the residents don’t mind the horses in the area and think it keeps kids out of the trouble, others suggest moving animals for pastures outside the urban area, because free-roaming animals and riders disturb traffic.

Horse market at Smithfield, Dublin city centre is a place where horse breeders gather on the first Sunday of every month to buy and sell horses, ponies or just to chat with old friends from horse business. Teenagers from Dublin ride to the market on their ponies as well…

Unfortunately, the recession took its toll on horses and ponies. Many of them have been left to survive on their own after being abandoned by their owners who could not afford to feed them any longer. Severe winter conditions 2010/2011 caused a number of deaths of the animals across the country.

Photos were taken between 2007-2013

  • Teenage bareback rider on the street of Dublin
  • Horses graze in urban area, Dublin
  • Sulky without a horse at the Dunsink Horse Club
  • Free roaming horses on the street of Dublin
  • Horse stands on snow covered pasture inside industrial estate, Dublin
  • Teenage bareback rider on the street of Dublin with a church in the background
  • Young man stands in a back alley touching the horse's neck
  • Horse is being washed with a water by a teenager
  • Horse is being washed by a teenager with water from a hose
  • Bareback rider on the street of Dublin
  • Horse and his owner at Smithfield horse fair, Dublin
  • Bareback rider at Smithfield horse fair, Dublin
  • Bareback rider at Smithfield horse fair, Dublin
  • Young man leads a horse at the Dublin city centre
  • Portrait of a boy talking on the mobile phone at Smithfield horse fair, Dublin
  • Hand of a man with a horse shoe tatoo holds a horse by the bridle
  • Portrait of a boy with his horse at Smithfield horse fair, Dublin, Ireland
  • Bareback rider on the street of Dublin
  • Portrait of a boy with his horse at Smithfield horse fair, Dublin
  • Braids on a horse's mane
  • Teenage bareback rider
  • Portrait of a boy with his horse at Smithfield horse fair, Dublin
  • Boy walks at Smithfield horse fair with horse at the background
  • Crowd at Smithfield horse fair, Dublin
  • Boy leads a horse at the Dublin city centre
  • Sulky with 2 teenagers rides through the streets of Dublin - view from the passing car Dublin
  • Horse grazes in front of the house at the Dublin's suburbs
  • 3 bareback riders on the street of Dublin waiting for a green light
  • Teenager sits on the wall while the horse stands beside