Stepney Bank Stables is an urban equestrian centre in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne. We run activity days, own your own pony days and internal competitions.
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We provide the wellbeing benefits of access to horses to those who wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity. Stepney Bank Stables Equestrian and Activity Club (EAC) is an inner-city project working with horses as part of the team to help young people develop across a broad spectrum of personal and social skills such as resilience, confidence, positive self-esteem and employability skills. The EAC w
elcomes youngsters aged between 8 and 18 to take part in a range of activities such as workshops, tackling issues like bullying, county lines, and healthy relationships, in addition to team building events and excursions. As well as all of this, they also help look after the horses for the British Horse Society approved riding school and help Instructors with lessons. All of the activities are run by a team of well-qualified, enthusiastic equestrian and youth staff who take pride in seeing the club members blossom under their care. The EAC has been recognised multiple times including the Queen’s Jubilee Award. The riding school has a range of well-mannered horses and ponies who work with our superb, qualified instructors to help our customers learn all about how to ride. There are also opportunities to undertake Association of British Riding School and British Horse Society qualifications and some of our young people take part in external competitions.
30/01/2025
⭐️ customer survey results⭐️
Thank you to the people who took the time to give us their feedback. The results showed:
91% rated the customer service as very good or excellent
88% rated the quality of instruction as very good or excellent
100% rated the horse welfare as very good or excellent 🎉
Today we had a team meeting to discuss areas for improvement which include reviewing the lesson levels, how we communicate feedback and rider progress. We will also be providing more help to navigate ECPro. We’ll have more details to share soon.
Happy birthday Paula! This year you’ve taught us so much. Including but not limited to:
How to scope a building for danger
Baton twirling
How to navigate an assault course
How to communicate with a wide variety on animals
How to sing heads, shoulders, knees and toes in French.
Not Training and Development Manager for nothing! Happy birthday 🥳
26/01/2025
🙌 Developing the emotional regulation aspect of equestrianism is vital and often overlooked. Taking the time to develop self-awareness and the ability to calm your own nervous system also has huge pay offs in your wider life! Come along to our Parents Evening on the 8th Feb 4-6 to learn more.
Many successful athletes become so because of their intense dedication to practice.
Horse sports, though, are “different.”
The intense riders, with an almost fierce and driven hunger to succeed, are often practicing skills, while overlooking the practice of emotional characteristics like patience and calmness and kindness, which in turn create better partnerships with a horse.
Emotional traits can be practiced just the way jumping, dressage, any riding skill can be practiced. The fierce competitors can be good at competition but bad at horsemanship. They needed to have spent more time calming down than in revving up, but try telling that to some hungry go getter with his/her eyes on the prize.
In later years they may “get it,” but probably not while they are in the midst of their heat of battle years.
This is one reason that current competitors are not the ones most likely to make good decisions about the direction of their sports?
26/01/2025
Yoga is such a brilliant way to support and develop your riding practice between lessons and it has a whole load of wider health benefits too!
🦄 FREE Yoga Taster Session 🦄
Would you like to benefit from -
💜Improved mental clarity and awareness
💜Increased calmness and inner peace
💜Increased balance, strength, and flexibility
💜Proper physical alignment and symmetry
💜Possible injury prevention
🐴Achieving union with your horse
Problem solving, strength, balance and coordination 💪
24/01/2025
When you’re trying to film a serious video but Rio has more pressing concerns. Like bum scratches!
24/01/2025
If you need a safe and secure indoor space out of the wind for zoomies drop us a message!
24/01/2025
Worth bearing in mind today! 💨
Ever noticed your horse gets more tense and spooky when its windy outside?
There's a really valid reason for this! (As there always is with horse behaviour if only we seek to truly understand it!)
When the wind blows it carries scents in the air- the stronger it blows, the further it can carry scents. Because of this concept, our horses are suddenly exposed to scents from much further away that they don't usually have to contend with on less windy days. This can be very unsettling for them, they don't recognise the smells and have to decipher if they are threatening or not; as prey animals this is a little unnerving.
Trigger stacking can easily occur in windy weather- new smells emerge, and to make matters even worse a horses hearing is compromised by the loud gusts; this just adds into their anxieties whilst trying to work out if they need to be worried about new olfactory stimuli.
Windy days are far more taxing on your horses mental, and also physical, health than you'd expect. They aren't spooking for no reason, they're trying to figure out if new threats are on their way, and this is stressful work for them. Their prey animal instincts are compromised significantly by wind, and as a result they tend to be much more on edge and ready to react in the face of danger far more easily in an attempt to be prepared and compensate for the sudden hindrances in some of their key senses.
They may run around more, flaring up pain or soreness in their bodies, and as a result become a little lack lustre as a result. They might feel very stressed and struggle to come back down from this at the end of the day.
If our horses don't seem their usual selves after a day of high winds give them a break, there are plenty of very valid explanations for this and all they need is our understanding to work their way through the experience.
24/01/2025
Just our charity patron Adam Short having a word with the Queen about Stepney and the importance of urban equestrian centres! 🧡👸
23/01/2025
Rio and Sam 🧡 letting you know that Heather is having a well earned week off next week so, if you’re someone who likes to book over the phone, please call tomorrow as office cover will be patchy next week. We currently have spaces to ride on Tuesday with availability on Junior Jockeys at 4.30, novice jumping at 6 and level 2 at 6.50pm,
23/01/2025
After 3 years of trying to work out how to use the arena screen a young person figured it out in 5 minutes 🤦♀️
Bob is happy to watch TV from a safe distance with Theo as a buffer, Theo is wondering where his photo is on the slide show!
22/01/2025
🙌
21/01/2025
Do you know a horse loving 8-11 year old? Check out Junior Volunteers. Fun, friendship, learning. Visit our website for more information
Children learn all about how to care for the horses from understanding their behaviour to how to know if a horse is healthy to feeding and nutrition. Junior Volunteers is a great way to make new friends, gain confidence and learn new skills.
21/01/2025
Thank you to the mysterious donor who sent this note and kind donation. We really appreciate your support 🧡
20/01/2025
Over the last couple of sessions Pony Club have been learning about nutrition for humans as well as horses will help from students studying at Northumbria University. Tonight they made some healthy flapjacks 😋
20/01/2025
Just some gorgeous pony noses and lovely munching noises to cheer you up on the most depressing day of the year!
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Send a message to Stepney Bank Stables:
Videos
Happy birthday Paula! This year you’ve taught us so much. Including but not limited to:
How to scope a building for danger
Baton twirling
How to navigate an assault course
How to communicate with a wide variety on animals
How to sing heads, shoulders, knees and toes in French.
Not Training and Development Manager for nothing! Happy birthday 🥳
When you’re trying to film a serious video but Rio has more pressing concerns. Like bum scratches!
#horses #horse #horsescratches #outtakes #outtakesarethebesttakes
If you need a safe and secure indoor space out of the wind for zoomies drop us a message!
Rio and Sam 🧡 letting you know that Heather is having a well earned week off next week so, if you’re someone who likes to book over the phone, please call tomorrow as office cover will be patchy next week. We currently have spaces to ride on Tuesday with availability on Junior Jockeys at 4.30, novice jumping at 6 and level 2 at 6.50pm,
#horses #ridinglessons #horseriding #newcastleupontyne
Just some gorgeous pony noses and lovely munching noises to cheer you up on the most depressing day of the year!
#bluemonday
🐴 Alternative Provision at Stepney 🐴
We have a limited number of spaces available this term on our Changing Lives Through Horses program.
The program is designed to support and engage young people who are struggling in mainstream education. Mapped across the National Curriculum it provides an alternative to traditional learning. Young people attend in small groups or individually. They learn about all aspects of horse care; riding is also included for those who want to.
Key outcomes are:
🐴 confidence
🐴 communication
🐴 responsibility
🐴 team work
🐴 perseverance
🐴 building relationships
To arrange a conversation contact [email protected]
#changinglives #changinglivesthroughhorses #alternativeprovision
During the Christmas holidays we trialled a new workshop on emotional regulation with a group of young volunteers.
Horses are incredibly sensitive to our emotions so, if we want them to be calm and focused when we’re with them, first we need to show up as our most calm and focused selves!
Here’s Phoebe to tell you more about it. We’ll be running something similar during February half term. Parents - if you’re interested in finding out more about how horses help with emotional regulation pop along to our Parents Evening on the 8th February 4-6pm! You can ask questions or take part in a taster session.
The Happy Brain Co
Horses - known for their elegance and poise!
Horses would naturally browse shrubs and trees as well as grazing at ground height. Feeding at different heights enables them to use their bodies in different ways. These Silvermoor swingers purchased by Janet from our Amazon Wishlist are keeping the horses busy, giving brains and bodies a workout, preventing boredom.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/42II8R7142UR/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_2
#stableenrichment
The Stepney ponies know their morning routines and enjoy foraging activities, socialising and a roll in the arena so they pretty much sort themselves out!
Routine is really important for horses as they feel safe and secure when they know what to expect. Does anyone else feel the same way?! 🙋♀️
We’re feeling extra grateful for our indoor arena today ⛄️
Lessons will go ahead as planned. Please leave additional time for travel.
Wrap up warm. We highly recommend gloves!
Sid and Braveheart playing ‘capture the flag’
When a teeny tiny interloper comes to scrounge some of your snack! Can’t blame a girl for trying 😳🖤🤍
#ponybarn #foragefreedomfriends
In 2024 we’ve focused on ensuring our incredible horses and ponies have a good work/life balance.
We’ll continue to evaluate and evolve our care practices in 2025. If you have enrichment ideas do feel free to share them with us.
#friendsforagefreedom #friendsforagefreedomandchoice
#enrichmentforhorses
#ridingschoolhorses
#ridingschoolhorsesrelaxing
#Horseshelpinghumans
#humanshelpinghorseshelpinghumans
We are a unique equestrian centre situated in the Ouseburn Valley in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne combined with an Equestrian and Activity Club for 8 - 18s where we help our Members to develop life skills such as self-esteem, self-confidence, and resilience.
We have a superb team of qualified instructors and well mannered horses to provide
horse riding lessons ranging from beginner to advance.
Stepney Bank Stables is approved by the British Horse Society and the Association of British Riding Schools. We are also a Pony Club Centre, this means that we have passed rigorous checks to ensure that our horses, facilities and equipment are fit for purpose and that our staff are appropriately qualified and skilled.
Stepney Bank Stables was honoured by ‘Her Majesty The Queen’ with the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award 2003. We have also been awarded Investing in Children Membership as a result of our continued commitment to involving young people in the planning and delivery of our work and were winners at the Charity Awards receiving a Judges Commendation for our work with children and young people in 2014.
Equestrian and Activity Club (EAC)
Joining our EAC gives young people aged 8 - 18 the chance to be involved with all of our activities at the stables. As well as riding, you’ll help look after our horses. learning all about them and what keeps them well and happy. Our more experienced volunteers also help beginner riders in their lessons and support new volunteers. There are also many other activities to join in with, exciting trips to go on and interesting workshops to take part in.
Vision
To enable young people to transition positively into adulthood and become positive contributors to society.
Mission
Enhancing lives through horses.
We primarily, though not exclusively, engage with 8 - 18 years old children and young people from the local community. We aim to develop the emotional and social capabilities of our attendees resulting in raised self-esteem, self-confidence, levels of aspiration, employment potential and social mobility. Our attendees will achieve physical benefits, including an increase in fitness levels, whilst participating in the Equine Activities Club (EAC) which will contribute to their overall well-being. We attract young people from a diverse range of socioeconomic backgrounds creating a mutually beneficial, socially inclusive environment.
Values
We believe that every young person involved in our project has the potential to achieve success and flourish. We value diversity and celebrate individuality. We encourage our young people to develop personally and reach their full potential. We are committed to supporting our local and wider community and to being an integral and valuable element of both the Ouseburn and wider area of Newcastle upon Tyne. We are fully inclusive and welcome individuals of any gender and from all social and ethnic backgrounds.
We love to hear from you, so please contact us by email or phone as messages via Facebook might not be picked up straight away.
