Many children adore ponies and horses, so a Sydney pony party makes an excellent choice for a special birthday treat. Here’s the story of how one Sydney family choose which pony party option would work best for them. You’ll also find information about a variety of other pony parties and activities you might enjoy.
Why Choose A Pony Party?
By Mireia Garriga Seguranyes
Organising a birthday party should not be a stressful exercise. However, if you have multiple children and a busy life, planning a birthday party can potentially add all sorts of types of pressure to it (budget constraints, logistics if you live in a small place, party etiquette doubts to name a few).
Nowadays, there are endless choices when it comes to organising a birthday party for our children. You can DIY at home, have a party in a park or choose a venue. But the secret for a successful birthday party is simple; choose the right place, activity or theme that you think that your child will enjoy the most and take into account your child’s age.
Then, once you have chosen what to do, adjust it to your budget and considerations like availability, how flexible is the provider, proximity, etc..
Also, depending on your child´s age, it is very important to get him/her involved. While I like to lead the process, it is crucial to keep in mind that reaching a consensus about which party your child would like is also the key for success.
In our case, I was looking for a birthday party idea that could be held outdoors as this felt better during the current Covid-19 situation. My little one loves animals, so I knew that she would love the idea of riding a pony. She got so excited when I suggested it!
Our family chose Sydney Hills Horse Riding Centre for Miss 5-turning-6 . They offer fun children’s pony riding birthday parties in their riding centre located at Dural. While other providers offer a bigger variety of packages, one of the factors that I really took into account is that they have lots of experience with children as they offer horse riding lessons and school camps besides birthday parties.
The horse and pony riding coaches are highly experienced and their ponies are safe and very gentle, picked specially for their beautiful natures.
Also, they are flexible, for example, my daughter´s sisters are older than her, the Sydney Hills Horse Riding Centre provided a horse for us instead of a second pony.
Children got to experience grooming, saddling and riding one of their cute school ponies. The children also had the chance to feed the ponies.
The children had the opportunity to ride these incredible animals in a relaxed and authentic farm setting.
Sydney Hills Horse Riding Centre can supply an undercover table area as well as a table that seats 10 children. They also can supply an additional table if the children numbers are more than 10. However, as our party was in wintertime, we preferred to have the party outside and enjoy the sunny afternoon. If you organise the party in a hot day, you might like to know that they have a fridge that you can use.
Parents do have to supply their own food and decorations however they can suggest catering that you may use. I love organising birthday parties, so it was not a problem for me. However, some families might find it a drawback.
Miss 6, her sisters and friends had a blast. They felt safe all times and the instructors were very patient, supportive and passionate. Only one child got a bit scared after riding the horse, so instead of missing her turn, the coach encouraged her to try again but with the pony.
When children had the chance to feed the animals, they were hypnotised by the instructors who were teaching them how to hold the food and position their hands.
I knew that my daughter would love the pony party, but I never imagined that the rest of children would enjoy it so much, too. We had such a great day for a horse and pony ride birthday party!
The Sydney Hills Horse Riding Centre
66 Kenthurst Road, Dural, 2158 NSW
Phone number: 0421 218 983
Website: https://www.sydneyhillshorseriding.com/pony-parties
Birthday parties: on Saturdays
Note: The Sydney Hills Horse Riding Centre was very professional in implementing Covid 19 measures (restricted number of parents, sign in forms, compulsory masks for coaches and parents) and also offer the flexibility to reschedule the party if the situation changes. Also, there isn´t any big payment at front, except a booking fee.
Other Pony Party Venues And Organisers
Sydney families can organise pony parties at the venue of your choice.
Some companies offering to bring a pony party to your venue are:
Here are some other pony party options, based in other areas of Sydney.
Pony Parties: Cheaper Options
Instead of having a full party, you could always visit a stables with a small group of children and have a simple pony ride.
Read more about this option on this article: Pony Rides in Sydney
Glenworth Valley offers guided horse riding, just north of Sydney, for children aged 7 and over.
Scenic Horse Riding at Denham Court in south-west Sydney offer guided trail rides, pony rides and parties on their 500 acres property.
Presents For Pony-Mad Kids
Whether it’s your child you are planning a party for or your child is heading to someone else’s birthday party, you need to find a great gift that the child will love. I just don’t have the time to search through real-life shops so I love to check out good online gift shopping options. Yellow Octopus is a terrific store, there are heaps of options there so do have a look at that one when you need to find a cool present for a kid.
Extra Things To Do Near Dural:
If your child loves animals like mine, you might like to check the new Sydney Zoo that only opened at the end of last year. Click on here to read our review.
Fagan Park is not far from Kenthurst. So, next time that you go to the Hills you might like to explore this beautiful park.
Besides the Hills Riding Horse Centre, you can find more information where to find horse riding lessons for beginners in this post.
Also, did you know that the Fairmont Resort offers pony rides. Maybe it is time to plan a holiday and enjoy the gardens of this fantastic resort.
My daughter, her sisters and her friends had such a wonderful time! And, I must confess that I did too. The joy on my children´s and friends faces was priceless.
What are your favourite children´s birthday parties and what has worked well in your family? We would love to hear from you.
If you love riding do check out our article on Yarrabin Horse Riding near Bathurst, a wonderful place to stay for riding retreats, kids school holiday camps or just to visit to trail rides.