For decades, Hollywood has offered brief looks at Black and Brown horseback culture. Films like The Harder They Fall, Django Unchained, Wild Wild West, and Fire on the Hill brought cowboys of colour into view – though often quietly.

These stories stood out not just for their characters, but for reminding us that horseback riding isn’t new to Black communities. It’s a living tradition across Black America, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Now, with Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour turning the cowboy aesthetic global, the spotlight is back on. But beneath the hats and boots is a deeper story. The question isn’t whether Black people belong in equestrian culture. We always have. The real issue is how little of that history is taught or seen.