Since the early 1980s, when the Traveller families were driven from the streets and squares of Dublin to the satellite towns of Ballyfermot and Ballymun, a pony subculture developed in Dublin, romanticised by the media as "urban cowboys". The new neighbours (Travellers) see their horses as an essential part of their family. The Piebalds grazed on the few public green spaces in the immediate vicinity of playgrounds and youth centres. This was a special attraction for the children and young people. Since the horse trade also represented a significant part of the Travellers' income, several ponies changed hands in a very short space of time. This is how a spontaneous pony kid subculture developed.
Andy Summer (10 years old) is a horse-mad boy from Finglas South. He rides every day on the small square in his neighbourhood.
Vitor Nichol and his daughter ride a sulky on the main street in the Ballymun district.
Wild horses on a fenced waterworks site.
Lorna asks her father if she can ride more.
The horses became a symbol of identification and status for the young people. At the height of this subculture, in the early to mid-1990s, there were up to 300 piebalds in the two districts of Ballyfermont and Ballymun alone. The Ballymun stabels, a "youth center" set up by the local population, became synonymous with the desire for freedom and self-realization of the suburban youth.
Darren's (left) pony foaled on April 29, 2009. He and Garry (right) are looking after the foal, which they have placed between the houses on a vacant lot. They are already looking forward to the profit they will make from the sale of the foal at Smith Field.
Vitor Nichol with his youngest daughter. He takes his horse out of the stable, which is located in an empty apartment on the ground floor of the block of flats.
A group of young people stand around Vitor's horse.
At Ballymun Stables, a “youth center” set up by the local population, two boys look after the ponies.
A young man rides along the train tracks downtown toward Smithfield.
Since the mid-1990s, the Dublin administration has been trying to severely restrict the keeping and trading of horses. The "wild" stables were all shot down and three public stables were set up in their place. However, these are no longer in the catchment area of the suburbs and, like the "Ballymun Horse and Animal Centre", are not accessible to young people without a car. As a result, there are currently only five ponies in Ballymun itself. Most piebalds are kept in Finglas. This district in the south of Dublin, which is dominated by single-family homes, still offers enough space for young people and their horses to retreat to. The public wastelands, some of which are extensive and hidden between the houses, allow horses to be kept without hindrance.
Buyers and sellers at Smithfield.
Horses on the Smithfield.
For young men, the bridle of horses is a special quality feature when purchasing them.
Da die Jugendlichen im Regelfall nicht das Geld (ca. 300 Euro für einen elektronischen Chips der in den Hals des Pferdes eingelassen wird) besitzen, um ihre Piebalds beim Dubliner Horse Control Center zu registrieren zu lassen, werden bei Razzien häufig ihre Pferde beschlagnahmt. Ein neues Pony können sie sich jeden ersten Sonntag im Monat auf dem Smith Field für weniger als 100 Euro kaufen.
A man grooms his horse in the Finglas district.
Keith and Wayne hanging out on their ponies.
Darren (15 years old) is training to be a chef and washes his horse in the river. For him, it is an investment.
Darren (front) and Garry try to catch a horse.
Keith and Wayne riding their ponies.
A young man plays with his child and his horse in a public square in the Finglas district.