Jared Howard is the owner of 2 R Equine, an equestrian center in Fort Worth. He wants to teach others about “cowboy culture.”
FORT WORTH, Texas — Every day starts the same way for Jared Howard. When he heard the rooster crowing, he knew it was time to get serious about his work.
“I'm always grooming, cleaning, feeding,” he said as he brushed off a horse named Ghost.
Howard is the owner of 2 R Equine, an equestrian center in Fort Worth.
“You can come out here and scoop up poop for eight hours and it’s perfect,” he said with a laugh.
Howard is a cowboy. There was a black cowboy there.
He started riding horses 10 years ago and was hooked. For the past two years, he has been teaching everything from riding lessons to horse rehabilitation through the center.
“This is where I get high,” Howard said. “You’re in the middle of the city and you’re in the middle of nowhere to come out here.”
In every class Howard teaches, in every encounter he has with people, he leaves them with a history lesson. Howard says not too many people are aware of its existence. That's how prevalent African Americans are in cowboy culture.
Black cowboys are an important part of American history and Texas history. There are many pioneers like Bill Pickett and Bass Reeves, to name a few. Howard said many black cowboys worked as bronco busters, ropers and trail cocks.
Through the center, he not only wants to teach people about this culture, but also to show young people how successful it can be in a career and how pervasive it is in our daily life.
“This gives young people something to do other than go get drugs,” he says.
Dear Berry Mitchell is a historian. Her ancestors are cowboys.
Mitchell said “cowboy culture” teaches more than just how to rope cattle and ride horses. We also teach life skills.
“It teaches you things like responsibility. It teaches you things like appreciation for nature,” Mitchell said.
In the early 19th century, about 20 to 25 percent of cowboys in the West were black, she said. Mitchell said this legacy of black cowboys should continue today.
“We didn't get enough respect back then, and I think it's really important to continue that tradition today,” she said.
That's why Howard wakes up with the same routine every day. It's his passion and his way of ensuring the culture he loves survives.
If you would like to contact Howard, find him on Instagram or email him at booking@2requine.com.
