Summerfield Stables is a Birmingham-based charity established in 1970 with the aim to help children and young people from Yardley Wood and surrounding areas interact with horses. The stables welcome children from age three upwards, including those with mental and physical disabilities or those who may face challenges in mainstream education. We aim to increase the confidence and practical skills of children and young people through working with the horses and believe that working with these animals helps them to learn to follow instructions and to practice teamwork.

What we do

Summerfield Stables is a multi-faceted riding school and charity that puts its members and animals at the forefront of everything that we do. As a BHS and Pony Club approved centre, we regularly take part in exams, competitions and shows. We also put on yearly Pony Camps where we take our members and ponies out of the urban area where they can take part in hacking and multiple days of riding.

Our volunteers

As a charity, we rely heavily on volunteers. Our volunteers have dedicated days where they will come and help out for a number of hours. They are all aware of the daily routine of the yard and take part in jobs such as mucking out, making feeds, lunging ponies and tacking up - all of which are essential tasks to run the day.

Our horses

Many horses at Summerfield are rescued, so there is an organisational focus on re-schooling. However, most of the horses enjoy competing in local shows on a fairly regular basis and the experience for young people is very much like owning their own ponies, whilst at the same time learning to share them and help others. Every single one of our horses has a unique care plan and has their individual needs met through their daily routine.

Mental health and wellbeing

Summerfield stables is not just a regular riding school, with many of our members often regarding it their favourite place or a safe space to be themselves. Research suggests that interacting with horses can be beneficial for mental health. These benefits include reduced stress and anxiety, improved self-esteem, enhanced communication and social skills and increased emotional awareness. We encounter a wide range of people from all walks of life everyday, so it is of utmost importance that they feel welcome and we have a variety of programmes to ensure this.

The waiting list

Despite efforts to reduce it, we currently have an 18-month long waiting list. This is mainly due to the fact that our ethos is to make riding accessible to everyone which in turn means that we do not price our lessons at the commercial rate. These subsidised rates don't cover our operational costs, so we rely heavily on funding and sponsorships to bridge the gap.

Funding and Support

We are extremely grateful to our supporters, both companies and individuals who have donated to us in order to help us to continue our work. We are actively seeking additional funding, particularly to support essential areas like training, yard upkeep, and animal care costs.. Due to the cost of living crisis and many other factors, it is imperative now more than ever that funding is secured to ensure the long-term sustainability of the yard.

Training and Exams

Alongside riding, we encourage all our riders and volunteers to look into essential training that will help them progress in the equine industry. We are both a BHS and Pony Club approved centre which means that we cater to a wide number of age groups. We have training days and theory sessions for all of those who wish to take these exams and we regularly have a successfull number of members passing and progressing throughout the year.