
Photo: Great Big Story/YouTube caption

Photo: Great Big Story/YouTube caption
“When I’m with the horses, it’s like a type of therapy,” he added. “I can have fun and not worry about everything else that’s going on around me. If I would have never met Malik, I probably would’ve been doing stuff I wasn’t supposed to be doing, getting in trouble.” Philadelphia photographer Charles Mostoller, who also grew up around horses, was surprised and intrigued when he first came across teenagers riding on horseback down the streets of his city. He eventually worked with them on a photo essay, telling the beautiful story of the Concrete Cowboys through black-and-white images. One such cowboy is Abdurrahman “Man-Man”, 16, who met Malik about five years ago.
Photo: Great Big Story/YouTube caption
“Being around horses takes the trouble off my shoulders,” Man-Man told Mostoller. “Like, when I’m having trouble at the house, this is where I come to think about things. Sitting up top of there, taking your mind off things, it’s like meditation.” Along with Shahir, he visits the stable every day of the week. Each of them is assigned a horse, and they work together, cleaning manure from the stalls, bathing their horses, and changing their water and feed. It’s hard work, but they enjoy every bit of it. Over time, the boys have developed deep bonds with their horses. According to Mostoller, Shahir sees his horse as a means of freedom, but for Man-Man, it’s about responsibility and dedication. “I grew up in a bad place and I’ve done some bad things in the past,” Man-Man told him. “I took some time off to think about everything, like I’ll be eighteen in two years, I got college right around the corner.”
Photo: Great Big Story/YouTube caption
“I gotta sit down, do what I need, and achieve what I always wanted to. I guess the horses just kept me on the right track.” Malik is currently trying to raise funds through GoFundMe, in order to bring more teenage boys into the Concrete Cowboy program. Over $1,500 were raised by 22 people in 10 days, against a goal of $20,000.