Community Spotlight | Black Stallion Literacy Project

Feb 23, 2024

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A child reading a book outdoors, imagining the horse "Black Beauty"

The Black Stallion Reading Project (BSRP) started at Ocala Horse Alliance (OHA) in 2020 with the mission of not only encouraging kids to improve and develop their reading skills, but also to fall in love with the written word and understand its connections to the world around them.

“Every industry in a community has a certain responsibility to that community,” explains Elle Trueman, OHA President. “Encouraging literacy and education through books is part of how we do that. These are our kids, our community, and our horse industry.”

In 2023 Black Stallion Reading Project celebrated the achievement of reaching over 10,000 new young readers and becoming a required curriculum in all 32 Marion County schools in just the four years the program has been active. Provided by Ocala Horse Alliance free of charge to schools, the program provides a copy of The Black Stallion to each student in a 3-week study of language arts, reading, math, geography, and practical application.

“When you see a 10 year old kid touch a horse – there’s that smile, and the kid just starts to beam. Believe it or not, most of them have never been up close to a horse, and it’s magical to watch.”  

 –Elle Trueman, OHA President

Reading and writing are the fundamental tools that give us autonomy and empowerment – which is why throughout human history, they were all too often reserved skills only the rich and privileged were able to learn. The ‘lower classes’ had to make do with symbols and oral storytelling to get by, and in too many eras and cultures, reading and writing were illegal and forbidden for everyone but the privileged. The reason for that was because once a person learned to read and write, they could understand and debate; they could question and discern answers. They could challenge the status quo and move into a much broader world of possibilities. Since antiquity, books have rescued millions from obscurity and poverty and created people like Aristotle, Hypatia, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and Malala Yousafzai.

A little girl feeding a horse.
Along with a Farm Partner who does in-classroom visits to discuss the book and answer questions, the Reading Project helps illustrate and explore tangible, relatable connections between the book and the kids’ own backyards. The Farm Partner also brings horses to the schools so that the students can see and touch them – many for the first time.

“When you see a 10 year old kid touch a horse – there’s that smile, and the kid just starts to beam. Believe it or not, most of them have never been up close to a horse, and it’s magical to watch,” Trueman says. 

These practical experiences with professionals in the equine world make The Black Stallion novel that much more personal and real for the kids. It also introduces them to the diverse opportunities within the equine industry while at the same time inspiring them to discover other stories and read them. 

“When you’re near a horse, you can feel that power and speed they have,” Trueman says. “It helps bring the book alive. It’s not just an abstract idea on the page; it’s real and right in front of them, and then they start seeing so many possibilities.”

“When you’re near a horse, you can feel that power and speed they have. It helps bring the book alive. It’s not just an abstract idea on the page; it’s real and right in front of them, and then they start seeing so many possibilities.” 

 –Elle Trueman, OHA President
The all-volunteer non-profit organization is looking forward to developing more elements that will help reach more students and help them improve their reading and comprehension skills. The ‘Brag Tag’ program is an achievement incentive for the students to write an essay, read another book, or do practical on-site learning. With each accomplishment, they earn a badge, and if they earn 4 or more each year, they’re given a Black Stallion backpack.

BSRP is also knee-deep in planning April 2024’s Horse Education Day at the World Equestrian Center, when 3400 fourth graders will trek to Ocala’s equestrian hub to learn about different horse breeds, spend time with professionals in the equine industry, and discover careers that are available to them right here at home such as blacksmithing, veterinary medicine, agriculture and farming, environmental conservation, breeding, riding, and training. They also have activities planned for horse interactions, trail rides, and tours, but Trueman stresses that riding isn’t a requirement.

farrier taking off old horseshoe from horse hoof

“They can go to WEC or the Florida Horse Park and just be around the horses and soak up the environment,” she says. “What we’re doing is emphasizing what the horse community really means here, and how it affects and benefits the entire industry in real ways. It gets the kids involved, off their phones and televisions and brings them into contact with the world of literature and the world outside.”

Brown horse in a gated field
Agriculture is inextricably tied to the equine industry in Ocala; healthy soil, water, and plants mean healthy food for horses. Farming and farm management are a major part of the area’s successes, and knowledge of how to plant and cultivate crops an imperative for its future longevity. Ocala is blessed with an abundance of rich limestone soil that’s full of nutrients, which in turn gives horse breeders a source of nutrition that their counterparts in other regions have to add as supplements in their feed.

It’s quite literally the foundation of the equine industry in Marion County, so it’s important to BSRP that the kids learn about the connection between the two – and what careers are available to them in the region. Both the University of Florida and the College of Central Florida offer robust curriculums in Food and Agriculture, Farm, Pasture, and Livestock management, Agribusiness Management, Conservation, Gardening, and Animal Sciences.

The BSRP team is currently writing their new 5-year plan after the robust success of the first four years, and Elle is looking forward to creating new ways of getting kids engaged in reading books and discovering more about the diversity of cultures, histories, and possibilities that broaden their horizons. So far, the enthusiasm from parents as well as the students has been nothing but encouraging.

“We get notes from the kids at the end of the year, and I can’t tell you how many of them say The Black Stallion is the first book they’ve ever read,” she beams. “And now they want to read more.”

A group of young children reading outdoors.