Established in 1962. Lessons led by BHS-qualified coaches, including a BHS Stage 5 Coach and a BHS Stage 4 Senior Coach, at a 5-star licensed centre in Aldridge, Walsall near Birmingham
Riding Lessons & Prices at Bourne Vale Stables
Bourne Vale Stables is a family-run riding school in Aldridge, near Birmingham. We have been teaching adults and children to ride since 1962. Our riders include complete beginners and returning riders, children working towards their Pony Club tests, teenagers and adults sitting BHS Stage exams, and adults who have made riding a fixed part of their week.
We are a BHS Approved Centre, an ABRS+ Approved Riding School, a Pony Club Centre of more than twenty-five years’ standing, and we hold a 5-star rating under our riding establishment licence, issued by the local authority and inspected annually by an independent vet.
Adult riding lessons
For adults at every stage, from complete beginners and returning riders through to experienced riders refining their skill. Every adult starts with a private lesson so we can understand your riding, your confidence and what you’d like to get from your time with us. The pace is yours.
Many adults come to us wanting to learn to ride and find they get rather more from it. Time with horses is a real break from work, family pressures and digital distractions. Riding week after week with the same group very often turns into proper friendships.
Group classes run on Friday afternoons and Sunday afternoons. Private lessons are arranged through the office and run on weekdays between 9am and 5pm and at weekends.
Adult group classes from £53.50. Adult private lessons from £55 (weekday) and £61 (weekend).
Children’s lessons (age 6 to 18)
Children’s lessons begin at age six. Complete beginners join Pony Pathway, a 45-minute weekly group class on the lead rein that builds the foundations of riding in a small group. As they progress, children move into Young Riders, a 1-hour weekly class that develops canter, polework, jumping and the all-round riding skill that supports Pony Club tests and, from age 13, BHS Stage exams.
Our ponies and horses are chosen for temperament, and we deliberately put children on a range of them so they grow up as adaptable riders rather than dependent on a single favourite. Many children start at six and stay with us through their teenage years.
Pony Pathway £44 per lesson. Young Riders £51.50 per lesson.
Read more about children’s lessons →
Tiny Tots (age 3 to 5)
Tiny Tots is our gentle introduction to ponies for children aged three to five. The thirty-minute sessions run in a small group of up to four children, with a calm pony chosen for temperament and an experienced instructor. Children meet the pony, have a little sit on, and a walk when they feel ready. Parents are welcome to stay for the whole session.
The aim is not to teach formal riding. It is a calm, happy first experience of being around horses, so that when a child is ready to start structured lessons at six, they walk into the yard comfortable, confident and excited to learn.
Tiny Tots £20 per child per session.
What’s included in every lesson
Every lesson at Bourne Vale Stables is led by a BHS-qualified coach, in a team that includes a BHS Stage 5 Coach (the top of the BHS Stage exam pathway), a BHS Stage 4 Senior Coach, and Stage 2 Foundation Coaches in Complete Horsemanship across the rest of the team. All our coaches are DBS-checked and hold first aid and safeguarding qualifications.
You ride one of our own school horses, picked for the rider, in our riding school. Riding hats are available to hire from the office at £1.50 if you don’t have your own. There is nothing to buy upfront before your first lesson.
Price List
Prices below are per lesson and apply from 31st March 2026.
| BHS Stage 2/3 Coach | BHS Stage 4 Coach | BHS Stage 5 Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Classes = 1 Hour Class lesson | £53.50 | £53.50 | £53.50 |
| Childrens Classes (6- 18 years of age) = Beginner classes. | £44.00 | £44.00 | |
| Childrens Classes (6- 18 years of age) = 1 Hour Classes | £51.50 | £51.50 | £51.50 |
| Tiny Tots Sessions (3 - 5 years of age) = 1/2 Hour Session | £20 | £20 | £20 |
| Private Lessons (Adults Only) = 1/2 Hour private lesson Wednesday to Friday 9am-5pm | £55.00 | £58.00 | £59.00 |
| Private Lessons (Adults Only) = 1/2 Hour shared private lesson Wednesday to Friday 9am-5pm | £51.50 | £55.00 | £57.00 |
| Private Lessons (Adults Only) = 1/2 Hour weekend private lesson | £61.00 | £65.00 | |
| Private Lessons (Adults Only) = 1/2 Hour shared weekend private lesson | £59.00 | £62.50 | |
| Stable Management lectures = BHS careers pathways/challenge awards or Pony Club assessment Training POA Courses run throughout the year during the week and weekends | from £55.00 |
Adult private lesson pricing depends on the BHS qualification of the instructor and on whether the lesson is solo or shared.
Please Note: All class lessons must be booked at least one week in advance. To help everyone plan ahead, we encourage clients to book their lessons at the start of each month for the sessions they wish to attend.
This policy helps us plan horse and staff schedules more effectively to ensure the best experience for everyone.
Why ride with us
We are a riding school that has been in the same family since 1962. We are a BHS Approved Centre, an ABRS+ Approved Riding School, a Pony Club Centre of more than twenty-five years’ standing, and we hold a 5-star rating under our riding establishment licence. In 2024, our work with Pony Club was recognised with a plaque presented by HRH The Princess Royal.
Our coaching team is led by a BHS Stage 5 Coach, who also holds BHS Senior Eventing Coach and Accredited Professional Coach status, alongside a BHS Stage 4 Senior Coach with international groom experience. The high standard of instruction shapes everything from the beginner’s first private lesson to a teenager working towards their Pony Club tests or BHS exams.
Many of our adult riders have been with us for decades. Children often start at three with Tiny Tots and stay through their Pony Club tests and, from age 13, their BHS Stage exams.
Riding every week: our Membership Programme
If you know you want riding to be a fixed part of your week, our Membership Programme reserves your space in your class and brings the benefits that come with riding regularly. Most riders pay as they go to begin with and move into membership when they are ready.
Read more about our Membership Programme →
Other things we do
Alongside the lesson programmes above, we run adult clinics in dressage, show jumping and stable management, corporate days and experience days through Events, and we are a Changing Lives Through Horses centre, working with young people who benefit from time with horses.
Through our BHS Training, we provide training for riders sitting BHS Stage exams, the standard riding and horse care qualifications run by the British Horse Society. BHS Stage 1 starts from age 13, so this pathway is open to teenagers and adults alike, whether you ride for pleasure and want a formal qualification to mark your progress, or want to work towards a career with horses. We also offer Pony Club assessment training. We have been a Pony Club Centre for more than twenty-five years.
Booking information and terms.
- All lessons are booked in advance and paid for in full at the time of booking. We take payment in person by cash or card, or over the phone.
- Class lessons must be booked at least one week ahead. To help us plan horses and instructors around a stable picture, we encourage clients to book the lessons they want for the month at the start of each month.
- We operate a 24-hour cancellation policy. With at least 24 hours’ notice we can transfer your payment to another date. Inside that window we cannot refund or transfer the lesson, because the horse and instructor are already committed to your slot.
- Private lessons are not guaranteed exclusive use of the arena.
- The centre reserves the right to decline any booking.
- The minimum age for riding is 6 years old. Tiny Tots aged 3 to 5 run separately as a pony introduction.
- Our weight limit for all riders is 12 stones (77kg), set for the welfare of the horses and following industry guidance.
For enquiries and bookings please call the office on 0121 353 7174. It is not possible to book via email or Facebook messages.
The office is open 9.30am to 5pm Tuesday to Sunday. Lessons run Wednesday to Sunday.
What to Wear
If you do not have full riding gear it not essential for a novice rider to go and equip themselves immediately. Here are a few points to help you know what is safe to start you off.
- Long trousers that are close fitting, jeans are acceptable. Under no circumstance will riders be permitted to ride in shorts, skirts or dresses.
- T- shirts with sleeves in the summer or Sweat shirts in winter. No Vest style tops
- Boot or a shoe with a sturdy heel of approx. 1″. Trainers will not be permitted.
- Long hair must be tied back. A low pony tail or plait is ideal.
- No jewellery is allowed, you will be asked to remove it before mounting
- Current standard riding hats are available to hire for £1.50 in the office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need any riding experience to start?
No. Complete beginners are welcome at every age. Adults start with a private lesson so the instructor can build a plan around your confidence and goals. Children aged six and over start in Pony Pathway, our beginner class. Children aged three to five start with Tiny Tots.
Who teaches the lessons?
Our coaching team is led by a BHS Stage 5 Coach (the top of the BHS Stage exam pathway), with a BHS Stage 4 Senior Coach, and Stage 2 Foundation Coaches in Complete Horsemanship across the rest of the team. All our coaches are DBS-checked and hold first aid and safeguarding qualifications. The Instructors page carries more detail.
What do I actually get for the price of a lesson?
A lesson led by a BHS-qualified coach, on one of our own school horses chosen for the rider, in our riding school. Riding hat hire is available at £1.50 if you don’t have your own. There is nothing to buy upfront.
What’s the difference between a class lesson and a private lesson?
Class lessons are taught in a small group at a fixed weekly time. Private lessons are one-to-one, or shared with one other rider if you’d prefer. Adults can take either. Our children’s lessons are group classes only.
Can adults sit BHS exams?
Yes. The BHS Stage exam pathway starts at Stage 1 from age 13 and is open to teenagers and adults alike. Many of our adult riders sit BHS Stages for the structure, the formal recognition of progress, or as a route into working with horses. We support BHS Stage exam preparation through our BHS Training pathway.
How are prices set?
Group class prices are flat. Adult private lesson prices vary by the BHS Stage of the instructor and by whether the lesson is solo or shared, and weekend prices are slightly higher than weekday. The full price table above sets it all out.
Is there a weight limit?
Yes. Our weight limit for all riders is 12 stones (77kg). It’s set for the welfare of the horses and follows industry guidance.
How do I pay?
Payment is taken in full at the time of booking, by cash or card in person or by card over the phone.
What’s the cancellation policy?
A 24-hour cancellation policy. With at least 24 hours’ notice we can move your payment to another date. Inside that window we cannot refund or transfer the lesson.
How do I book?
Call the office on 0121 353 7174 or use our contact page. Bookings are not taken by email or Facebook message. The office is open 9.30am to 5pm, Tuesday to Sunday.