Welcome to the NEIGHborhood!

On a cool morning on the day after spring had officially sprung, I was chatting with Mark Carlos, the volunteer student coordinator at CJE, in the bucolic atmosphere of the organization’s two-acre ranch. Birds were chirping to greet the day, backed up by a rooster’s crowing and the bleating of a neighbor’s goat. Dogs strolled around the picnic table completely ignoring us, and the horses, whom I’d come to visit, gave intermittent whinnies. I’m not a morning person, but I was enjoying daybreak in Compton’s pastoral Richland Farms neighborhood. I could always nap later.

When people think of Compton, it’s music celebrities and urban grittiness. Not as many people know about the 10 square miles of residential land that city founder Griffith D. Compton zoned for agriculture in 1889. It’s not a tourist attraction — don’t go knocking on doors and ask to pet the goats — but a neighborhood zoned for residents to keep livestock and ride the horses up and down the streets. The zoning has held up over the years, thanks to a strong community.

The Compton Cowboys, a group of adults that grew up with the horses, are a big part of the community. They work as a team to foster pride in the equestrian culture and heritage that’s been part of Compton since before they were born. They also serve as mentors and guides to inner city youth in the form of the Compton Junior Equestrians (CJE), which grew out of the Compton Cowboys. The CJE is a youth-development program tied in to Compton’s horse culture.

“The mission has always been to provide young people with access to horses, hands-on learning, and mentorship while promoting leadership, responsibility and personal growth,” Carlos said. “It’s much more than just horses—it’s creating opportunities for building futures.”

Honoring cultures

Black History Month and Chinese New Year both took place in February, time is irrelevant when it comes to honoring culture. I wanted to match up the Compton Cowboys and the CJE with the Year of the Horse, and they seem to align as perfectly as the stars. In the Chinese zodiac, the horse represents vitality, speed and perseverance. People born in the Year of the Horse are said to be hardworking, warm-hearted, and independent. Carlos agreed.

“For us, the symbolism of the year of the horse aligns perfectly with what we see here every day at CJE,” he said. “The horse also represents energy, resilience and perseverance, qualities that define our organization — our volunteers especially — and our students. Our young people show up ready to work, to grow, to show energy, and push through challenges, Like the horse, they develop strength, independence and a sense of purpose. Our volunteers and staff mirror the same spirit: dedicated hard work, and deeply committed to uplifting the next generation.”

The Compton Cowboys and the CJE are three generations in existence since 1988.

“It was the Compton Posse at first on Caldwell Street, a group of adults who would grab their horses and ride together,” Carlos said. “Each street in the neighborhood had a different club — there were the Black Saddle Riders, there were the Sunset Riders. As they grew up and had kids, the parents thought, well, what are we going to do with them? So, they created the Compton Junior Posse.”

Carlos, a second-gen CJE veteran himself, was one of the young people who benefitted from the influence of Mayisha Akbar. Akbar became the moral force of Richland Farms after she bought a home there. She was inspired by the positive effect that equestrian skills and horse care could have on children. In 1988, she created a program that would keep kids “on the horses and off the streets.” The neighborhood children and her own kids were among the first beneficiaries of the program. Carlos said that children would always have a safe place to go, but her law was as ironclad as a box of horseshoes when it came to responsibility: If you wanted to stay on with her, you took care of the horses. If you didn’t keep up your grades, out you went until they improved.

“She put in a lot of hard work and effort to make sure that we had a very solid foundation,” Carlos said. ““When we were little, we’d go to rodeos to do fundraisers. Every kid had about 20 tickets, and the kid who sells the most tickets gets a prize — usually ice cream. Miss Mayisha’d give us a script, and we’d have to memorize the script. We’d go up to perfect strangers, just go ahead and give them our ‘elevator’ pitch to sell tickets. We were 9, 10, 11 years old!”

Akbar received many honors for her work, including being elected to the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. The success of her youth program, however, gave her the most pride. When Akbar retired for health reasons, she intended to shut it down, but two generations of Compton Posse members weren’t going to let that happen.

The CJE grew out of the Compton Junior Posse, thanks to Akbar’s nephew, Randall Hook, who lived on the same street as Akbar. Hook had grown up Akbar’s program and founded the Compton Cowboys in 1988. Hook and his team, which included Hook’s father, Louis Hook, addressed the legal documents that had been involved in Akbar’s organization and officially recorded the organization as the Compton Junior Equestrians. Louis Hook became the chief operating officer of the organization.

The CEJ is a family operation, but it’s a pretty extended family.

“We did a retirement ceremony for Miss Mayisha — there were about 200 people here — and she handed over the reins to Randy,” Carlos punned.

The horses on the ranch are donated or rescued. They’re cared for by volunteers, staff and the kids in the equestrian programs. Community events take place on the ranch, such as a health fair and Compton Mania, a home-grown Compton-based wrestling company. The kids set up tables and chairs and served as cheerleaders. Other times, the Junior Equestrians take part in volunteer days and team up with another organization for a community project. They ride in the Compton Christmas Parade, a huge favorite. At times, stranded horses are offered haven there — during the Palisades fires, the Compton Cowboys lugged in trailers and rescued 20 horses.

“It was like something out of a movie — all the flames,” Carlos said.

The equestrian programs comprise the core of CJE. CJE offers several youth programs; the basic program serves kids ages 7 to 17, particularly from underserved communities. It runs after school Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. A summer camp runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes ages 5 through 17. Other equestrian and garden programs are also available.

In the programs, students are immersed in activities that build confidence and discipline and give them opportunities that they might not otherwise have. Families also benefit as they see the growth in their children’s behavior, leadership and a sense of responsibility.

“[When they first get there,] kids don’t want to do nothing but ride the horses, and we totally understand that!” Carlos said. “But no riding for the first week or so because we want to make sure that kids know that we’re not a grab-your-horse-and-go-ride program. We make sure that they go through all our pillars. We teach equine science, that is, the physiognomy and structure of the horse; horsemanship and hands-on equestrian skills: grooming, tacking [tacking rse involves placing a saddle, a bridle and other equipment on a horse and ensuring that each piece of equipment is secured properly]; garden skills, horticulture— we teach kids the whole process, from germination to harvest. We have our own garden donated by Breathe Southern California, a nonprofit promoting respiratory community health — they gave us the opportunity to zone our area as a green zone. We’re also pretty much a self-development program. I teach kids confidence building, positive coping skills — public speaking is one of my go-tos. I want to make sure that kids are able to go ahead and share their story, and their story alone. But at the end of the day, they don’t want to hear Mr. Mark talk. All they want to do is ride the horse!”

CJE encourages volunteers in the program, but be ready to get your hands and sneakers dirty. Carlos will see to it that you do. Volunteers are trained to support all areas of the program, which include assisting with horse care, helping facilitate equine science lessons and serving as positive role models. Volunteers are also trained in youth engagement, mentorship and maintaining a safe, structured learning environment.

Volunteer Aki Ito is a top volunteer at CJE. She had heard about Compton Cowboys and found out about the volunteer opportunities while researching them.

“I come here every Sunday morning and clean the stalls, feed them snacks, and groom them,” Ito said. ‘To me, it’s so therapeutic —being around horses is calming, and it just gives me a no judgement zone. I can be who I am, and I feel accepted by the sources.”

Running the program, maintaining the ranch property and feeding the horses takes a lot of hay. The horses themselves aren’t cheap, and most of them have been donated to the program. A good deal of the funding comes out of the workers’ own pockets, but the charitable nonprofit arms of corporate donors help provide for expenses. Commercials and promos for products contribute as well — part of the Compton Cowboys’ agreement to participate in a promotion is that the company must make a donation to CJE. The public can also donate on the website or contact CJE to sponsor a child or a horse.

Carlos encourages anyone wanting to enroll their child in one of the programs to fill in the form on the link associated with the program that interest them. Prospective volunteers should also fill out the interest form on the link to a program they’re interested in and note that they want to volunteer. Scholarships are available for a family that cannot afford the full cost of a program. Carlos will review the applications and follow up. He’ll also be there when your kid comes in to master the same skills that Carlos’ sons did and that Carlos mastered as he grew up.

“My proudest moments were seeing my own kids grow up in the program and being able to give them the opportunity that I was given, seeing their skill sets grow,” he said. “I’ve been here for close to 35 years, and a lot of people ask me why I’m still here. Well. I don’t see this as a job.”

I could say “Every year is the Year of the Horse” in Richland Farms, but that’s as obvious as Lady Godiva on a steed. If you have kids who want to gain some horse sense, check out CJE’s programs!

YOURS DROOLY

The rescue or shelter and the pets in the Yours drooly adoption section usually have some connection to the main article, but it didn’t seem to serve the readership at large to feature a horse rescue. If you want to help horses, you can always sponsor one at CJE.

The next best thing, then, to a connection with the article is a cat rescue centered in Compton.  was the sole cat rescue that exists in Compton. TippedEars Rescue Foundation performs TNVR (trap/spay-neuter/vaccinate/release) on stray cats in the city of Compton, where there has historically not been a focused effort to mitigate the community cat population.

As with all TNVR efforts, kittens and friendly adults have the good luck to live with fosters while they’re waiting for forever homes. Lucky humans get to visit some of them at the unique kitty boutique, the Cool Cat Collective. The cats are just one (albeit outstanding) reason to visit the Collective. Art that doesn’t feature fuzzy kittens, shirts that don’t show fuzzy sentiments either, and high-end cat toys and furniture are on display. Check out the events here: tonight, for First Fridays on Retro Row, TippedEars’ community outreach coordinator will be there to talk about TNVR and answer questions.

Meanwhile, meet the kitties!

Wanda is the TippedEars cover girl. Note her classic pose and how she rocks that signature tipped ear. Wanda is an adorable gray tabby girl of a year and a half who’s looking for her forever home! She’s sweet and affectionate and loves spending quality time with her people. She’s always rubbing up against her human fosters while purring and makes biscuits on laps.

She adores pets, especially belly rubs and head scritches. She also has an adorable little meow that she uses to request pets! As her name suggests, she enjoys playing with wand toys but loves pets and affection more than anything else. She gets along with other cats but doesn’t need to have cat friends. She’d be totally happy with other cats or as a solo cat!

Unlike the iconic virtual pets, this Neopet is actually real! Neopet is a curious, playful and talkative kitten who enjoys being around people. He loves to explore and get pet. He's a bit less of a lap cat and more independent, preferring to chase toys and play. However, once he wears himself out, he'll lie down next to you for some cuddles. Neopet would pair well with his brother, Tamagotchi, whom you’ll meet next.

Tamagotchi is a loving, cuddly kitten. He's constantly meowing to be picked up or petted, and he has the loudest purr! Tama also loves other cats and will snuggle with his brother, Neopet, but he seems to prefer the company of humans. He probably thinks that he is one! Tamagotchi is great for anyone looking for lap cat. He would pair well with Neopet.

TAIL-WAGGIN' AND NOSE-BOOPIN' EVENTS

Pet Loss and Illness Support Groupthe

The worst day in the life you share with a pet is the day you have to say goodbye forever. Grief is personal on the one hand, and on the other hand, you have a lot of company who get what you’re going through. Helen Sanders CatPAWS rescue gets it, too, and offers a space for anyone who also gets it, who’ll never say to you, “But it was just a cat.” Or a dog, or a rabbit, or a horse, or a goldfish. The members of this group will listen, connect, and support you, and you’ll do the same for them.

The Pet Loss and Illness Support Group takes place Saturday, April”, 5100 E. The Toledo, Long Beach. No cost for the meeting, but let the leads know that you’re coming here.

Running for the Rescues

Support our wonderful dog rescues by going the extra mile — or 10 of them, or a quantity of kilometers — in the Running for the Rescues races, with our own K9 Kismet dog rescue (and rehabber) as the organization’s official partner and beneficiary of the funds. Compete in one of four races, from 5K to Half-Marathon and be literally in the running for a shiny medal! A fully stocked water station is located along the course; the finish line will also have an aid station stocked with water, electrolytes, gels and fruit snacks. A first-aid kit is ready at each station, and all High Tides crew members have received CPR training. Proceeds benefit rescues. Access this link for registration and race information.

Running for the Rescues opens Sunday, March 29 at 6:20 a.m. at Claremont Beach, 5400 E. Ocean Ave., Long Beach. Parking is available in the beach lot beginning at 8 a.m. at $2/hour. Runners in the Half-Marathon and 10 mile run may use the Passport app to pay for parking. Street parking is free.

Need a low-cost veterinarian, information about trapping community cats, places to volunteer, pet food, veterinary assistance, rescues and shelters to adopt from — anything pet related? Follow this link for resources. Please add your own ideas in the Comments section.