Get £110 worth of extra's for your child's August pony party

Got a child's birthday in August? It's a great month for taking advantage of the summer weather and having an outdoor party.

Our pony parties have been described as
'perfect' and 'way better than I'd expected' and that's just the adults!

Your child's party is held in our pretty orchard with our very gentle tiny ponies. They're small and gentle enough for 2 year olds to enjoy and are perfect for children who have never ridden before/don't ride regularly.

So what's a pony party?
Well in a nutshell the children brush and decorate a pony with ribbons and stickers then they each have a ride - but ofcourse there's more to it than that!!

Here's the party format-

- Welcome, safety chat and brief introduction to all the ponies
- Presentation of special birthday rosette to the birthday child
- Groom and pamper one ponies with ribbons and stickers
- Craft activities available
- Paint the pony with cutie marks/paint the birthday child’s name on the pony
- OR go into the paddock and stroke all the ponies
- Ride for each child plus extra ride for the birthday girl/boy
- Half an hour use of our party stable or picnic benches for your party tea
- Free rosette for all guests
- Free luxury party bag for the birthday girl/boy
- Free voucher for all
- Total party time 2 hours

So what's different about Cheshire Pony Parties?

 We do our best to make each party special by interacting with the children and engaging them - we don't just walk the children round on the pony in silence - whether they like it or not!!!! We take time with less confident children and challenge more confident children so that everyone has a great time.

I've been described as ' the lady who makes little people's dreams come true'  - we provide a wonderful environment for creating lasting memories for your little one (and you).

We can take care of  everything for you, and it is my belief that you should be able to relax and enjoy your child's party - and parents regularly comment how relaxing they find our parties.

Offer for August parties
A standard pony party for 10 children with 2 ponies is £350.
This August offer will enable you to bring 10 children for the price of 8 £240 , a saving of £60 on a standard party for 10 children
AND I'll include an extra pony free of charge, which is worth £50
A total saving of £110

This offer is ONLY valid for bookings made before Wed 6th August, for standard pony parties in August 2014.

I have a small number of week-end spaces left and some week-day availability.

Bookings
Prior to booking I suggest you ring me to check availability on 01829 741919.
(please leave a message if I don't answer straight away and I'll ring you back as soon as I can)

If you're chosen date is available simply book  a party for 8 children online and in the comments box tell me that you're taking the £110 August offer. I'll confirm your booking within 2 working days.

Simply click here to book your party

Pony fun for 2-10 year olds in Cheshire

Come and experience a gentle introduction to ponies with Amanda, described as the lovely lady who makes little peoples' dreams come true, in her idyllic orchard with her tiny, gentle ponies.

Your 2 and 3 year old can get involved here as we're insured for children as young as 2 to groom and ride a pony.

Themed pony afternoons
We're running a series of themed pony open afternoons 2-3.30 various dates over the summer holidays.
Themes include fairies, flowers, princesses and knights (and shortly a frozen theme - yeah!)
Your child will love decorating the pony with ribbons and stickers, have a short ride, enjoy some themed craft eg crown making, flower decorating etc and take a wander around our orchard to look at the owls nest or see if the apples are ripe or look at different flowers in the orchard.
At £12.75 per child these are very well received by children parents and grandparents!
http://www.cheshireponyparties.co.uk/openafternoons.php

Pony experience
An hours private visit for 1-3 children. Pony grooming and pampering and half an hours riding, which usually includes going on an adventure on horseback down to the bottom of the orchard!!
These are popular with visitors to Cheshire, grandparents looking for entertainment for their grandchildren and parents looking for a special treat for their children.
These are available week-days and are discounted on a Monday for 2 or 3 children.
From £25 per child on  Monday based on 3 children.
http://www.cheshireponyparties.co.uk/ponyexperience.php

We can also offer visits for groups and longer pony experiences for children aged 7 and over - simply contact Amanda to discuss your particular requirement.
Amanda@CheshirePonyParties.co.uk

10 great activities for the kids summer holidays in Cheshire

I know what it's like planning for the summer holidays so I thought I'd put together 10 things we love to do in the summer holidays.

1.Cheshire Ice Cream Farm at Tattenhall
Free to get in with paid extra attractions including a small playbarn, electric go karts, crazy golf, free mega climbing frame and of course ICE CREAM - whilst is just delectable!!!!!

2. Cotebrook Shire Horse Centre nr Tarporley
Plenty of space for children to enjoy, gorgeous clean café overlooking their tranquil lake, with tasty family food, selection of animals to view and ofcourse the GIANT Shire Horses. Did you know that their 2 stallions (males) are WORLD famous as outstanding examples of this very rare breed and have winning progeny ALL over the world.

3. Applejacks nr Warrington
This is like an outdoor play area on steroids!!! Great for ALL ages! Long zip wires, huge hay bales to climb, sunken bouncy castle, pedal carts, maize maize, café with plenty of under cover seating, tractor ride and nerf gun shoot out (my favourite!!!!)

4. Wet n Wild at Winsford Lifestyle Centre Swimming Pool
Only on one day a week but keeps kids entertained for ages! They must be able to swim 2 lengths of the pool to participate. Basically it's a bouncy castle type assault course in the water - great for using up energy on an 'indoors' day!!!

5. Delamere Forest
Great for walking, bikes, running - just great to get the kids outdoors. You can hire bikes there and there are 2 cafes, one in the forest (Linmere Visitor Centre) and one just at the entrance to Linmere (Station House Café). They've just introduced a Gruffalo walk - I think (?) you follow it!!!

6. Soccerlocco at Bromborough on the Wirral
Footie mad or not this was a GREAT place to wear out 3 lively boys (!) It's a massive industrial unit converted for kids with footie pitches on one side and footie themed activities on the other. The pitches have inflatable men to 'defend' the goal (or just run into and jump on!) and the activities are things like kick the ball up and through and hole etc - Small but adequate café WELL worth a visit

7. Candle Factory, Burwardsley nr Tattenhall just outside Chester
Kids can make lovely candles and/or there are various activities to do upstairs eg paint a model, make a keyring etc - great for primary aged kids. There's a café too and walks to be had in the nearby woods. (The ice cream farm is nearby  too)

8. Manley Mere Adventure Centre
As well as offering canoeing/kayaking and windsurf lessons, they also have a 'trail' walk with various 'obstacles' along - the aim of the trail really is to get as muddy as you possibly can - so go with VERY old clothes that can be thrown away! There are outside showers at the end! Usually my kids strip off at the car (completely) and change and the dirty clothes go in a thick black bag!! Obstacles include logs over streams, tunnels, huge swings, slides, wobbly bridges, cargo nets etc - prob suitable from around age 5.

9. Go-ape at Delamere Forest
They've recently added a junior go ape which I think (?) is from age 7.
Walk along the high ropes, 'jump' off into mid air, monstrous zip wires  - takes around 2 1/2 hours to complete the 10 years and over one. Pricey but great fun (I think!)

10. Cheshire Pony Parties
I couldn't possibly put a list together without including Cheshire Pony Parties! With various activities for ages 2-14 including our well loved themed pony open afternoons. A more gentle afternoon of pony fun including grooming and pampering a pony with ribbons and stickers, a short ride, some craft and a lovely orchard walk to find the owls nest! OR for 6-12 year olds can come for a whole day and learn about looking after ponies.

3 pony activities your 6-12 year old can enjoy

I don't just cater for infant children -

Here's a list of 3 things to do here for your 6-12 year old

Would your child enjoy a full day of pony fun? Pony days are from 10-4, cost from £32.50 and include a short ride, grooming, pony games and quizzes as well as a bit of pony theory and practical all based around looking after a pony.

Max 6 children per  group/pony  ensure plenty of interaction (questions!) with the group leader.

Perfect for pony mad kids and  kids who love ponies who don't go to riding school.

Absolutely NO riding experience necessary so great for even the least confident child!

This is an unaccompanied day so parents need not stay!!!


Our themed pony afternoons are really popular with the 2-10 age group - An hour and a half including pony pampering, short ride, themed art/craft and a lovely orchard walk to finish if time permits! ONLY £12.75 per child (no charge for adults).

Max 10 children per pony. Max 16 children per afternoon.


Want to bring between 1 and 3 children here for a private activity? No problem! Our pony experiences are an hour as standard but these can be stretched for older children.
Includes half an hour of pony pampering followed by a short ride each - usually around the orchard to see the owls nest!
For children too tall to ride - usually 11-14s (or on request for younger children) they can have a go at 'driving' a pony (minus the carriage ) - this is something most kids don't get to do and is quite a challenge!
Prices from £25 per child (based on 3 children on a 'manic monday')

So there's plenty for your junior/pre-teen to do here during the summer holidays!!!!

FAQ - do you do pony rides for 3 year olds?

I'm insured for children as young as 2 to groom and ride the ponies.

As well as parties, 3 year olds can come for

a private, 45 minute tiny riders session, which can be shared with up to 2 friends


one of the open afternoons which run during the school holidays - these are usually themed and are popular with mums of pre-schoolers

a series of 4 private, half hour 'regular rider' sessions-can be shared with a friend

one of the toddler pony mornings which run week-days during term time and are just for pre-schoolers with with one of our smallest ponies!

All activities are age appropriate so sticking stickers on the pony are a winner, as are the orchard walks looking at the owls nest and baby apples amongst other things on our open afternoons.

NEW 'Shortie' pony party for £150

Up to 8 children, hour and a half, week-days,( open til 7.30pm), only £150

We've just launched this new week-day party which works well both for little ones for whom two hours is a very long time! and primary children for a small  after school party.

We cram virtually everything in that we do in a standard party, we just spend a little less time pampering the pony, ensuring there's enough time for each child to have a ride.

‘Shortie’ Pony Party overview – hour and a half (max 8 children)
- Welcome, safety chat and brief introduction to all the ponies
- Presentation of special birthday rosette to the birthday child
- Groom and pamper one pony with ribbons and stickers
- Craft activities available
- Ride for each child plus extra ride for the birthday girl/boy
- Half an hour use of our party stable or picnic benches for your party tea
- Free rosette for all guests
- Free luxury party bag for the birthday girl/boy

Craft options (these can then go into party bags!)
- Decorate a wooden horseshoe with paint, ribbons and jewels £2 per child
- Pony colouring pictures
- Pony stencils to draw and colour
- Create your own mug mat
- Make a pom pom pony £1 per child

Activity options
- Pin the tail on the pony
- Toss the horseshoe
- Outdoor pre-school toys (ride on pony, noisy footpath, tunnel, see saw)
- Lead a second pony around our obstacle course £50
- Extra pony rides £50
- Jewels to decorate the ponies feet £10
- Princess , Cowyboy, Pocahontas or Unicorn themes incl suitably dressed pony £15

Party food options
- Bring your own
- Picnic in the orchard – great for pre-schoolers
- Frankfurter style hot dog party tea £3.50 per person
- Handmade traditional party tea £6.25 per person
- Eat elsewhere eg in Delamere Forest, at Summer Trees Café (right at the top of Kelsall Hill with fantastic views of Delamere Forest)

Pony Party start times
Summer season (April to October, Tuesday to Sunday)
10.30, 2.00, 4.30 (later by arrangement)
Winter Season (November to March Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday)
10.30, 2.00

Click here to book your party

Click here to check your date is available

Our most popular pony party

Our most popular pony party is for 6-10 children aged between  4-8 (I can  create memorable parties  for 2-22 children and for ages 2-10)

 This is how one lovely lady described her visit in August 2013 which I think ‘says it all’!!

 'Landed safely back from pony land! Seriously it was like an enchanted dreamy wood today amongst a canopy of beautiful big trees pretty little ponies and beautiful princesses play. Thankyou for letting us to be part of a little piece of your wonderful world x x'

‘Amanda, the lovely lady who makes little people’s dreams come true!’

Emma, 20^th Aug 2013

 

 There are often squeals of delight as the children round the corner of the path and see the ponies for the first time!!!!

After  introductions (children and ponies!) short safety chat , quick overview for the parent and directions to the tea, coffee and biscuits (for the parents!) I bring one of the ponies out for the children to touch and feel.  The first part of the party is structured to ensure that all the children feel safe around the pony before they ride-especially important for my younger visitors.

They then go and choose a brush to groom the pony. I have a selection of brushes – different colours, types, sizes and shapes including butterfly and heart shaped brushes with handles specifically designed to be easy to use by younger children.

Then it’s ribbons time – I explain in language that the children can understand how to put the ribbons in the pony’s mane. For older children I show them how to plait the hair.
 
We have LOTS of different coloured ribbons, clips and sparkly bobbles for them to choose from! The children also place stickers all over the pony – something which is particularly popular with younger children!

 Once we’ve exhausted all the ribbons and stickers, usually after about half an hour,  it’s time for riding. The birthday child always goes first AND has an extra go at the end as it’s their special day!

 Usually whilst one child is riding another is helping us to lead the pony around the orchard.

 The remaining children have the option to do a variety of other activities whilst their waiting their turn. Older children enjoy decorating horse shoes with ribbons, paint pens and gems, or making pompom ponies, pre-schoolers have the option of pony colouring pictures or our pre-school outdoor ride on toys (choice is yours!)

We also have a hand painted pin the tail on the pony which is popular!!

 If your budget allows we can provide alternative craft activities and/or addional entertainment, eg age suitable fairground rides!!!

 If the party is with 6 children we usually have just enough time to either paint the pony (ages 6 up) or go into the paddock and stroke all the ponies.

The pony then returns to her friends in the paddock , the children wash their hands and have half an hour either in the orchard  in view of the ponies, or in our decorated party stable for party tea.

Total party time 2 hours.

 Our chit chat is relevant to the ages of the children – what works for 3 and 4 year olds is quite different to the things we talk about with 8 and 9 year olds!

 Your party can sometimes be themed – currently the children can dress the pony as a unicorn or a princess with the children coming dressed as princesses and kings and cowboys and Pocahontas. So far we humans have cowboy outfits and I’m sure we could stretch to princess outfits too!!!! You can always try me with your idea!!!!

 Your child receives a lovely birthday rosette on arrival and one of our luxury party bags at the end of the party.

To check if your preferred party date is available please complete the form below and I'll get back to you asap!

 

How I ended up with my first pony at the age of 10

My parents are not horsey AT ALL, but after me rocking my rocking horse all around the living room at the age of 5, my mother relented and took me for pony rides at the local pony centre.
By the age of 8 I was still bonkers about horses so my poor mum took me to a 'proper' registered riding school for proper lessons - she had to wait for me in the freezing cold!.

Each summer my brother, sisters and I used to spend a few days on our own with my grandparents over on the Wirral. Whilst I was there one summer, my grandmother took me on a visit to a distant relatives house, which happened to be next to a horse stud.

We got chatting to the owner who was telling us about a poor little foal who's mother had died of a bee sting when he was only 3 weeks old, and how she'd reared him on bottled milk. He was black with a white stripe along his back. Would you just know it she was looking to sell him.....

Well, I'm not sure how I persuaded my parents to take him on - he was still only 5 months when we got him - but foolishly they did!! A field and shelter had been arranged for him but at the last minute the farmer refused to take him as he was still so young (normally foals are only taken away from their mothers from around 6 months).

As he'd been hand reared 'Hunky' was a little 'weedy' bless him so he was really only like a big dog! In the end my parents created a stable in the garage and put a paddock on the garden (that's what you did in those days!!!!!). He stayed at home until he outgrew our facilities- at the age of 1

What fun we and our friends had - we took him on walks like a dog, dressed him up in all sorts and gave him lots of love and care.

It was obvious that Hunky was never going to be big enough for me to ride (he was a Welsh Mountain pony and would grow to around 44" to his shoulder) - so not long after we got Hunky my parents bought me a pony big enough for me to ride - Caprice - there's a WHOLE book could be written about Caprice!!!!!

Hunky was broken to riding and my sister rode him briefly. I broke him to driving when I was 17 and we had lots of fun driving around the countryside. Hunky remained with us until his late teens when he contracted a type of skin cancer and we had to take our very first dreadful decision to release him from his pain.

Demi, one of my current ponies is very much like Hunky!

I maintain that horses are in my genes- they must be as all my cousins on my father's side are potty about horses and are horse owners, as is one of my sisters! Apparently there's a distant relative that used to work on the racing yards - it's all his fault!!!!!

Not such a good day!!!

Many of you will know that my daughter and I each have a 'big' pony and each of us competes.

Well yesterday we took both ponies to a practise session jumping - my pony is fairly young, inexperienced and new to us (September) so a great opportunity for me to take him over a course of jumps with no competition pressure.

He (Merlin) has a big jump in him - I used to jump a reasonable size (3'3") but haven't really jumped in 15 years. Merlin jumps better over larger fences (over 2') - under that and he's more concerned with the scenery!!!

We started off OK in the 2' section - some looking at the scenery, some concentrating on the fences!!

We then set off in the 2'3" section. He was really focussed and was really popping over the fences. He soared over fence 3 but unfortunately he went left after the fence and I went right - I hit the ground fairly hard - oops!!! You don't bounce as well when you're older!!! I was too dazed to get back on and finish the round but we'll be back for more at the next session in January!!!!

School holiday pony fun for ages 2-10

Our tiny, gentle ponies are waiting to entertain your child-

Pony experience

A wonderful hour for between 1 and 3 children grooming, pampering and riding one pony. 

Book onto one of the scheduled times or request a time to suit you.

From £45
More details
Book here

90 minute kids holiday activity 

- a popular activity for between 5 and 8 children including grooming, pampering, riding plus another activity eg a wander around the orchard to look at the fruit trees, a pony quiz or mucking out the paddock!!!

THESE ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR UNDER 4s - on alternate weeks.

Book onto a scheduled times or gather a group for your own private session!

£17.50 per child

More details
Book here

 

3. Pony Agility

Coming VERY soon!!! Yes it's like dog agility only much slower!!!

This is a test of understanding and relationship between handler and pony and gets people thinking about how to interact with their pony to get the best out of them - some good life skills there too me thinks!!

Children will be taught how to handle a pony correctly and safely before attempting the course.

More details to follow shortly!!!

Maybe not suitable for tiny tots!!!

Whatever the reason for your visit to Cheshire Pony Parties you will be greeted with a warm welcome and receive personal attention.

You will then be blown away when you see our tiny, gentle ponies, happily grazing in our idyllic orchard setting.

You/your child will enjoy a very special time here, with the emphasis on fun and confidence-building. No prior experience of ponies is required.

Yes your child will groom, pamper, decorate and ride one or more of our ponies, but a visit here is so much more than that-

You will learn some fascinating facts about ponies (ask me about their ears!) and their behaviour, plus hear some personal pony tales.

Some visitors tour our orchard and learn about a few of the many trees and animals in and around the orchard.

No wonder little visitors want to come back every day, or that we have people visiting from as far away as London.

"Nobody does it like Cheshire Pony Parties does it."

Amanda Keech

Amanda Keech is an experienced owner of horses and ponies. She has owned, trained, competed and bred horses/ponies for over 20 years. She has experienced teaching her daughter to ride and how to be safe around ponies.

She is one of the first and longest established pony party providers in the UK. 

She holds the British Horse Society Stage 1 in Stable Management and is keen to understand more about improving our communication with equines to keep ourselves safe as well as have a better relationship with them, which may mean being able to catch a pony to improving our riding.

Amanda enjoys offering her ponies to delight visitors!

http://www.cheshireponyparties.co.uk/

Pony fun for 8-14 year olds

I don't just cater for 2-10 year olds -

Here are 3 things that Cheshire Pony Parties can delight 8-14 year olds with this summer:

1. Pony experiences

An hour's fun catching, grooming, plaiting manes then attempting our obstacle course OR having a go at 'driving' a pony (but without the carriage)  - this is quite a challenge, especially negotiating our trees!!!
For 1-3 children from £45
Find out more
Book here

2. Pony Club with Amanda

2 hour sessions providing a great introduction to being safe around ponies AND learning a little about their care. VERY hands on, no riding involved.
Perfect for anyone new to ponies plus
those who love ponies plus
those who perhaps are less confident riding but would love 'messing about' with ponies!
£22.50 per person per week (4 weeks with flexibility for hols!!)
Find out more
Book here

3. Pony Agility

Coming VERY soon!!! Yes it's like dog agility only much slower!!!
This is a test of understanding and relationship between handler and pony and gets people thinking about how to interact with their pony to get the best out of them - some good life skills there too me thinks!!
Children will be taught how to handle a pony correctly and safely before attempting the course.
More details to follow shortly!!!

Whatever the reason for your visit to Cheshire Pony Parties you will be greeted with a warm welcome and receive personal attention.

You will then be blown away when you see our tiny, gentle ponies, happily grazing in our idyllic orchard setting.

You/your child will enjoy a very special time here, with the emphasis on fun and confidence-building. No prior experience of ponies is required.

Yes your child will groom, pamper, decorate and ride one or more of our ponies, but a visit here is so much more than that-

You will learn some fascinating facts about ponies (ask me about their ears!) and their behaviour, plus hear some personal pony tales.

Some visitors tour our orchard and learn about a few of the many trees and animals in and around the orchard.

No wonder little visitors want to come back every day, or that we have people visiting from as far away as London.

"Nobody does it like Cheshire Pony Parties does it."

Amanda Keech

Amanda Keech is an experienced owner of horses and ponies. She has owned, trained, competed and bred horses/ponies for over 20 years. She has experienced teaching her daughter to ride and how to be safe around ponies.She is one of the first and longest established pony party providers in the UK. She holds the British Horse Society Stage 1 in Stable Management and is keen to understand more about improving our communication with equines to keep ourselves safe as well as have a better relationship with them, which may mean being able to catch a pony to improving our riding.
Amanda enjoys offering her ponies to delight visitors!
http://www.cheshireponyparties.co.uk/

Pony Club with Amanda

FUN FUN FUN guaranteed with Pony Club with Amanda -
4x    2 hour enjoyable sessions introducting how  to safely handle and care for horses and ponies

Perfect for

*  children who just loves ponies
*  children and adults who are new to pony ownership
*  children who go to riding school who'd like to understand more about ponies, their care       and safety around ponies.

The course is designed to provide an enjoyable introduction to safely handling and caring for horses and ponies.
Children will learn by doing. They’ll will;
*  understanding how to safely approach a pony,
*  catch and lead a pony safely,
*  groom using the correct brushes,
*  put rugs on safely
*  put the saddle and bridle on
*  make up pony feeds
*  check the fields for weeds and dangers


To ensure plenty of hands on learning there will be a maximum of 4 children to 1 pony with everyone having the opportunity to practise the excercises.

Numbers will be restricted to a maximum of 12 on each course.

They’ll understanding a bit more about how horses/ponies think to understand how to be safe around horses/ponies and improve their relationship with horses and ponies.

Want to grab a place now - click here


The course is led by Amanda who has over 20 years experience of looking after her own horses/ponies. She has trained, bred and competed horses and ponies for many years, holds the British Horse Society Stage 1 Certificate in Stable Management and is keen to understand how we humans can better 'connect' with our horses and thereby improve our relationship, whether that be being able to catch a pony in the field (!!) to acheiving better scores in ridden competition.

The course is appropriate for ages 8 and over including adults.

All activities will be ‘on the ground’ ie there will be no riding.

There is a choice of dates to avoid holiday clashes!

£22.50 per person per week, £20.50 per person per week for 2 people booked at the same time.

Click here to book one of the 12 available places

(If you are looking to buy a pony and would like a private session please get in touch (see the contacts page) and we can tailor a session or two to your particular needs!)

One VERY angry pony!

Well, Saturday was a bit of a worrying day - I'd found one of the ponies had dodged the electric fence and having 'stuffed' herself silly was waiting, asking to return to the starvation paddock!!
When I tried to let her back into the paddock one of the other ponies kept coming over, preventing the over-indulged pony from coming back in, which was a bit strange.
When I finally got the pony back into the paddock the other one started attacking her - she was chasing her round, biting her bottom.
Now you do sometimes see this when you introduce a new pony to the group and you sometimes see older ponies attack younger ones - they'll chase one til it's exhausted - I have once seen the after effects and it's just not pleasant.
I didn't have time to figure out WHY this was happening - I just HAD to get the pony that was being attacked OUT.
I grabbed a headcollar, jumped into the field at which point the attacker stopped - the worry is that the one being chased will do ANYTHING to get away - even go through a seemingly impenetrable hedge onto a road (my concern).
Anyway I soon got the headcollar on and moved the pony under attack to another paddock.
By this point we were running late for my daughters opticians appointment so we rushed over and 'did' the eye appointment which gave me time to think about why the attack might have happened - I've never seen these 2 ponies be aggressive in any way to each other so it was a bit odd.
I came to the conclusion that

• the attacker is the dominant female in that group and as such should 'lead' the group to food, water, out of danger etc
• the attacker didn't like the fact that the other pony had found some really delicious, long grass, as they were all supposed to be on a diet on my starvation paddock!
• because the escapee had found the grass, it was taken to be a sign of trying to take over as leader
• hence the attack

Well that's my verdict anyway!

So much for trying to keep them trim!

I have to say I'm now giving them a tiny morcel of hay morning and night, they're all in together, I have kept watch over them and 2 days later all is still calm.

My verdict - the starvation paddock was a bit too restricted for them and they may have been a TINY bit hungry but also they were bored - and what does boredom create - problems (just like in kids!).

Solution - give them something to occupy them and a TINY bit of food - ie hay - it just seems to be enough to keep them and their tummy's happy.

Anyone got any other ideas??

Choosing the best pony party for your child

You don’t get a second go at your child’s birthday party so choose wisely, using our handy guide!


Do they listen to your requirements?

It’s important to create a party that’s suitable for the age group and number of children including any special requirements – does the organization take these into consideration?

Testimonials
A really good indication of children having had a fantastic party is reading any testimonials the organization publishes from happy customers.

One or two is good but a string of current testimonials is a very reassuring sign.

Check out their facebook page - Facebook provides you with a feel of the person behind the business – what they put on facebook can give a hint as to their approach to parties.

Can you visit before the party
A visit to the location is a great opportunity to meet the person who is going to be responsible for entertaining your child and party guests. You can also see the location where the party will be held and look over the ponies, who should appear happy and healthy – not too fat nor too thin.

Safety aspects
Are there safety signs around the location and/or is there a safety briefing at the start of the party?

How do you know the pony handlers have sufficient knowledge and experience to handle the pony and children mix!

Does the saddle/equipment appear in good working order and to fit the ponies?

You should also check that the organization has appropriate insurance (public liability insurance is compulsory)

Cheshire Pony Parties is one of the longest established pony party providers in the UK. We welcome pre-arranged, pre-party visits and can work around most requirements.

Our safety rules are born from many years experience of managing equines, based upon sound knowledge.

Our aim is to provide ‘smiles all round’ whilst keeping everyone safe and our ponies healthy and happy.

Want to find out more?
http://www.cheshireponyparties.co.uk/ponypartyintheorchard.php

What makes Cheshire Pony Parties special?

We want to your visit to be a memorable one with smiles all around.


The following offers a taste of what you can expect.
• Visits here provide a very personal and unique experience.
• Our setting is idyllic, rural and rustic. We are not a large riding establishment simply a horsey family – your visit provides exclusive access to our private garden/orchard which include a variety of established fruit and other trees and bushes.
• Our ponies are adorable, tiny, child friendly, patient, cuddly, gentle, well-mannered, healthy and happy.
• We don’t just ‘go through the motions’- we interact with our visitors to ensure they feel special and make the experience really enjoyable for them – our testimonials give a flavour of the attention we pay to the children
• We also unobtrusively adapt each session to the needs/confidence level of the visitors, taking care to build confidence where needed or challenge more confident children so everyone goes away having had a great time
• Parents also enjoy the relaxed atmoshphere as well as the chit chat about ponies in general and our personal pony tales.
• We’ve got heaps of experience of working with ponies and children and plenty of knowledge, experience and tales from riding, training, driving, competing, breeding and generally caring for horses and ponies over many years.
• We also enjoy giving children such immense pleasure from spending time with the ponies.

But don't just take our word for it-see what our customers say at http://www.cheshireponyparties.co.uk/customertestimonials.php

Half term pony fun for the kids

February half term is fast approaching and I've put together a summary of what your children can enjoy here -
They can ride, groom and pamper a pony - we've got red ribbons and hearts for a valentine's themed week!!
Depending on the activity we might do an orchard walk, see if the snowdrops are out yet and find any acorns that the squirrels have left! We may even see if the fairies are playing!
They may do a quizz about the ponies or if they're really lucky go in the paddock and stroke all 4 ponies!
Older children can attempt leading one of the ponies around our obstacle course - a bit of a challenge!!!

As you can see the ponies are fairly hairy at the moment - sporting full winter coats! Lots of brushing required!!!

Here's why we think you should bring your kids;

• Visits here provide a very personal and unique experience.
• Our setting is idyllic, rural and rustic. We are not a large riding establishment simply a horsey family – your visit provides exclusive access to our private garden/orchard which include a variety of established fruit and other trees and bushes.
• Our ponies are adorable, tiny, child friendly, patient, cuddly, gentle, well-mannered, healthy and happy.
• We don’t just ‘go through the motions’- we interact with our visitors to ensure they feel special and make the experience really enjoyable for them – our testimonial give a flavour of the attention we pay to the children
• We also unobtrusively adapt each session to the needs/confidence level of the visitors, taking care to build confidence where needed or challenge more confident children so everyone goes away having had a great time
• Parents also enjoy the relaxed atmoshphere as well as the chit chat about ponies in general and our personal pony tales.
• We’ve got heaps of experience of working with ponies and children and plenty of knowledge, experience and tales from riding, training, driving, competing, breeding and generally caring for horses and ponies over many years.
• We also enjoy giving children such immense pleasure from spending time with the ponies.

But don't just take our word for it-this is what our customers say-

• "I cant thank you enough for such a fabulous day. You, your daughter and your ponies were all fantastic. Thanks a million for making it so special."
• "I just wanted to thank you again for Francesca's wonderful experience last Sunday. She hasn't stopped talking about Poppy and her "horse riding teacher" since. The whole session was perfect for her and she now has lots of envious little friends whose Mummies are gutted you're not closer to us.
• Thank you again, it was truly wonderful and both Rich and I thought great value for money. Hopefully we'll be able to come and see you again next year when we're back at Fishpool."
• "You're one in of a kind"
• "Just wanted to thank you for a lovely party you made the birthday girl feel really special and although Olivia is extremely shy she chattted about the pony tricks being the highlight. She will always have a memorable time to cherish and I have no hestitation in recommending Cheshire Ponies."

To book either ring on book online.

See you next week!

Amanda

01829 741919

amanda@cheshireponyparties.co.uk

Pony care in winter 3

Well this weather is really most weird-this time last year we were taking my daughter to her birthday party at water world nr Stoke and it was so snowy we weren't sure we'd make it. Even our dog had to wear a coat (see pic left!) This year, apparently, November has been the warmest in 350 years. So how's this affecting the ponies?

By now the grass has usually stopped growing and so the quantity and nutritional value both drop. The ponies get fed up as there's not much grass and what there is isn't very tasty!! Normally by this time they're having hay in the field to supplement the grass AND they're in at night to try and keep them off the grass to make it last a little longer!

So far, the ponies have had hay on 2 days-that was only because it was pretty chilly and they were looking a bit bored. By giving them hay they have something different to focus on, and it stops them finding other things to do, like trying to push through the now bare hedges trying to find something succulent to eat! (Oh the mind games!) Equines stomachs are designed to process food 24 hours a day which means they need to be at least picking all day and all night-really difficult in the summer when I'd really like to stop them eating at night and lock them in the stable with NO hay BUT I've found Demi really struggles with that regime-so they HAVE to have a little something!

As it's been much warmer than usual (apart from a couple of days and nights), I've been happy for the ponies to stay out ie not be stabled at night-it's more natural for them, far cheaper for me as no bedding or hay to provide AND it's far less time consuming!! A win win situation!

Now I'm a believer in leaving them as natural as possible, given the very unnatural environment we keep our equines in in the modern world. The native Shetland and Welsh Mountain ponies I have are built to withstand tough weather conditions. However nobody told Poppy or Demi that and they do actually shiver when they get chilly!! They can usually cope with cold air but they really suffer if it's raining heavily and there's a wind-it just pushes the rain through their coat and onto their skin-THAT's when they start shivering.

So far this year none of the ponies have had rugs on. In nature there would be some shelter-small wood, overhanging hedge etc, however, again in the modern world we have our hedges neat and most horses are kept on neat handkerchief patches of grass with few trees for protection. Ideally I'd like the ponies to have some shelter to hide in if necessary. Both the fields we use do have good hedges, however when the weather does turn I'll move them to a different field where they can go in to the stables if they want to.

Jinny and Maisie have a double coat-they have shorter hairs plus really long hairs that keep them super toasty-I had to drag Jinny into her stable last year when it was -17' outside-she wasn't bothered at all-neither of them wear rugs-I do keep checking to make sure they're not shivering under all that hair but they're quite happy outside!

We've also managed to keep the horses out 24/7 so far-they feel the cold far more than the ponies as they're not built to withstand harsh weather, however they've all had rugs on for about 4 weeks AND they've had hay in the field day and night to keep them busy and full! They'll come in at night now to preserve what's left of the grass to try and make it last as long as possible!

Oh, and my old lady, Katie, who's a real foodie started leaving her hay towards the end of the winter-it's pretty dry, not very tasty by then and I guess not really very palatable, especially if you're an old lady! This winter I'm going to try her on a bit of haylage-just as hay it's dried grass, but not left to dry out as much before being baled so it's more juicy and I think holds more nutrients-hopefully she'll eat it and the extra nutrients will help to keep the weight on her (a particular problem with older horses).

Oh and my big girl, Kandi who's in foal has to be fed to keep the weight on and let the foal grow but NOT let her get too fat-if you over-fuel the foal it can cause real problems with their joints when they've popped out-so she's the only one getting 'hard' feed ie feed in a bucket-I've just started giving her a specially formulated mix for broodmares as I thought she was losing a bit of condition.

Ahh-so how do you tell if they need more food?

Well I'll leave that to another post!

Anyone got any questions?

If you'd like to know more about caring for ponies-perhaps your a new owner (horse OR pony) or you'd like a refresher please take a look at my 'keeping ponies happy and healthy' course which also covers safety of children around ponies!

http://www.cheshireponyparties.co.uk/ponybusinesstrainingcourses.php#pony care

Now you can learn to run your own pony party business

With the ponies being a little quieter now we're into Autumn, I've finally had time to create some courses to show others how I operate my pony party business-what works for me, what others do, how I price products, how I entertain the children, how I manage to get such wonderful testimonials and referrals from parents, how I care for the ponies etc.
My experience is available in short courses, one 'everything you need to know' 'ultimate pony party training course' or in electronic versions (well they will be shortly!).
I'm also working on a really easy franchising option ,where the office here does all the 'office stuff' for you, leaving you to concentrate on delivering fantastic experiences, parties and activities for the children.
You can contact me or find out more at the link below .
http://www.cheshireponyparties.co.uk/businessopportunity.php
If you'd like to listen to my story it's here;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn9Ssx0m2G8&feature=player_detailpage

School trips with a difference!

We're bringing learning to life!

Imagine your child applying classroom lessons in Maths and English to real life aspects of pony care .....
Well now they can, with the help of our miniature ponies as the subject!

Measuring, placing them in size order, multiplying, ratios, comprehensions, listening, reports and more.

Our outdoor workshops have been designed by a primary school teacher and are very closely linked to the national curriculum.

Learning couldn't be more fun!

School visits for September and October 2011 now being taken with introductory offer available

Find out more here


Contact us

First miniature pony centre in Cheshire

It seems that Cheshire Pony Parties is the only miniature pony centre in Cheshire!

Your child will enjoy lots of hands on pony activities whilst they're here including grooming a pony PLUS he/she will get to ride one of our very gentle, child friendly ponies around our delightful orchard.

There's plenty more too with an educational orchard walk to learn about some of our trees including why we've got pears on our pear tree this year for the first time in 7 years-do you know why??? Sometimes we even try and find the fairies at the bottom of the orchard!

A visit here is very interactive-we don't just stand back in silence-I'm afraid I'm a bit of a talker and have LOTs of fascinating facts and pony tales to draw on from my life so far with horses and ponies, including some fascinating information about foals we've had-ask me!!I'm also quite happy to answer the many questions fired at me from inquiring minds!(young and not so young!)

So whether you're a native from Cheshire or just visiting Cheshire your child(ren) will thoroughly enjoy their private visit to meet the ponies. Just check out all the activities available on our website-
Cheshire Pony Parties