Hartford , Connecticut ( CNN ) -- Fred Wright may have grown up on Garden Street , but his early childhood was far from rosy . `` It 's tough growing up here , '' said Wright of his low-income neighborhood in Hartford , Connecticut . `` There 's a lot of negative influences . ... It 's easy to take the wrong path . '' Raised by a single mother , Wright struggled with behavioral issues and was forced to transfer schools several times . He ultimately reached a point where he felt like he had nothing to live for . `` I was walking around with a lot on my shoulders , '' he said . `` I could n't handle it . I did n't care about life anymore . '' But all that started to change when Wright met Patricia Kelly . `` I was 7 years old when I met Mrs. Kelly . ... I was n't used to strictness . I was n't used to hearing the word 'no , ' `` said Wright , now 17 . Kelly , a former U.S. Marine and an equestrian , took Wright under her wing and helped him find hope in an unlikely place : on a horse . `` Fred was like a round peg everybody kept trying to squeeze into a square hole , '' Kelly said . `` He was hurting . He needed a place he could express himself . The ( riding ) arena became that place for him . '' For the last 30 years , Kelly has helped children in Hartford stay on the right track through her nonprofit , Ebony Horsewomen . The program offers horseback riding lessons and teaches animal science to more than 300 young people a year . `` We use horses as a hook to create pride , esteem and healing , '' said Kelly , 66 . `` They learn that they have ability . They just have to unlock it . '' Closing 'the gap ' Connecticut ranks fourth among the wealthiest states in America , according to the Census Bureau . But it also has one of the nation 's largest income gaps between rich and poor . Kelly , who has lived in Hartford most of her life , witnessed the effects of that inequality on the youth . `` It is a divided city ; the children in the poorer neighborhoods have less resources , '' Kelly said . By exposing those children to horsemanship , Kelly aims to give them an alternative to the streets and an opportunity to turn their lives around . `` When you teach a child to ride a horse , they learn they are the center of their environment , '' said Kelly , whose program reaches children from age 5 to 19 . `` Once they make that connection , they can change what happens in school , at home and in the community . '' The group 's equestrian and agricultural center is nestled inside a 693-acre park . Complete with a horse stable , riding arena and an ice cream parlor , it 's a far cry from the dilapidated homes and boarded up school buildings that lie just beyond its gates . Kelly 's equestrian fleet includes 14 horses and a Shetland pony . Also on the farm are chickens , rabbits , fish , birds and turtles , all of which have been bred by the children who have made this urban oasis their home away from home . A brotherhood on horseback . Among the programs offered by Kelly 's group is its unique Junior Mounted Patrol , in which participants serve as park rangers . `` We 're the eyes and ears of the park , '' said Wright , who is the lieutenant of the all-boys group . Led by older male mentors , the special unit is comprised of boys as young as 8 , who meet each Sunday for a day full of activities . They tend to the barn and horses , take riding lessons and participate in wellness workshops . The older boys in the group ride out on patrol through the park . `` The guys have seen quite a number of things , '' Kelly said . `` They have seen drug deals . They 've seen fighting . They 've seen sexual acts . They 've seen dumping . ... If they see these kinds of things , they report it back in and we turn it over to the police . '' In the case of young men like Wright , the nonprofit has been a critical part of their development . `` I ca n't tell you where I would be without this program . It changed my life . It 's helped me set goals for myself , '' said Wright , who has dreams of becoming an equine blacksmith and dentist . He hopes to attend Cornell University after he graduates high school next year . For Kelly , stories like Wright 's serve as a testament to nature 's healing powers . `` Children should have light in their eyes . The light signifies hope , '' Kelly said . `` When they come here , we can begin to turn the light back on . '' Want to get involved ? Check out the Ebony Horsewomen website at www.ebonyhorsewomen.us and see how to help .
Patricia Kelly 's nonprofit is teaching horseback riding and animal science to children . The nonprofit is giving at-risk youth an alternative to the streets . Kelly : `` We use horses as a hook to create pride , esteem and healing ''