Opening times
We take bookings all year round.
How do I book?
Visits must be pre-booked online at least 12 hours before your visit.
All activities can be booked online (see the book here page) or over the phone.
To check availability please ring, email or book the activity and I’ll confirm if I’m able to fit you in.
Where are you
We are located close to the village of Kelsall,(near Chester, Cheshire) just off the A54 Manchester to Chester road.
We are 10 mins from Chester, Tarporley, Cuddington and Frodsham and within 30 mins of Warrington, Knutsford, Mold, Wrexham, Nantwich and Northwich.
You should receive a detailed map and directions within 3 days of booking.
When to get here
Please arrive at least 5 minutes before your activity is due to start. If you are the party host you are welcome to arrive up to 20 mins before the start of the party but PLEASE closely supervise children until the party is due to start-children may stroke the ponies but MUST NOT go in with the ponies and must not put hands near the ponies mouths!
Activities will start on time so please ensure you/your guests have read the directions provided!
How much is it?
We offer a range of activities and price is very dependent on which activity you wish to do.
What happens if it rains?
Most pony activities will continue if it is rainy or windy! Should it be EXCESSIVELY windy and/or snowing, to the extent that we feel it would be unsafe to proceed, we reserve the right to cancel the activity and will refund any monies paid in full. In such cases we will endeavour to contact you as early as possible.
In the case of rain we are usually able to hide, either under the canopy of our trees or in one of our large stables. If you are here for a party, party tea will then be enjoyed in our marquee.
How many adults can come?
For parties we welcome as many adults as you’d like to invite.
For pony experiences we prefer to restrict adults to max 2 per child participating.
For our pony mornings/afternoons one adult is included with a child’s ticket. Additional adults are welcome but need to be paid for (£5 per additional adult)
Your child’s safety
Your child’s safety is extremely important to us. We have lots of experience of horses/ponies and use quiet ponies, however at the end of the day the ponies are animals with their own minds.
All our activity leaders are are experienced with both horses/ponies and children.
Cheshire Pony Parties has £1million of public liability insurance.
All visiting children must be accompanied at all times by an adult. (except where specifically stated)
Children under 5 must be accompanied at all times.
With a lifetime’s experience of being around horses and over 10 years of working with children and ponies I have developed my own safety procedures and have written a book on this subject for those looking to set up as pony party providers. I believe your child be as safe as possible.
What to wear
Children need to wear trousers/leggings and our insurance company states ‘stout walking type boots’! Both children AND adults should wear shoes that will give some protection should a pony stand on toes! An old pair of winter school shoes are better than flimsy wellies or delicate canvas summer shoes.
Please make sure children are suitably dressed-
This is an outdoor activity and neither children or adults are running round so even on a warm day a warm top layer may be required.
On cold days I strongly advise 2 coats (eg fleece coat and an outer coat/waterproof) plus hats and gloves-for adults and children plus 2 pairs of socks can help!
We provide hard hats which must be worn when riding
Parking
You will be advised where to park on your confirmation email OR it will be indicated by a board on arrival. We may park you in one of our fields or in the house drive.
The activities
Unless we are visiting a private party etc, activities take place in our garden.
As activities take place in our garden we would appreciate it if you could respect our privacy and keep children the Orchard side of the rhododendron hedge (ie between the marquee and the fence to the pony paddock unless they are accompanied by an activity leader.
Facilities
We do have an outside toilet which is located on the garden side of the garage.
At present this doesn’t have running water but we do provide antibacterial wipes and sprays in various locations for handwashing. For larger groups we usually provide a small water container with a tap and antibacterial soap just outside the toilet for handwashing.
This is a farm type environment and official DEFRA guidance states that hands should be washed with soap and water before eating and also before you leave the premises.
We do not have a cafe but sometimes offer light refreshments in the marquee.
Environment
The activities take place in our orchard at the bottom of our garden-we are not a big farm but a small private stables.
We offer a rustic, rural environment, complete with the odd cobweb and weed!
Our orchard is virtually flat, though not a bowling green! Parking is in a gently sloping field which IS rutted as it is the ponies grazing field-if you require wheelchair/pushchair access OR a chair to sit on (eg expecting mums/grandparents) please contact us in advance and we can arrange alternative, more suitable parking/seated viewing.
Do’s and Don’ts!
For insurance purposes children under 2 may not go near the ponies (sorry!)
We recognise that children love the outdoors and we are happy for children to come and enjoy their experience with us. We do ask parents to be aware of any potential dangers and also to ensure their children respect our premises and our animals.
For safety:
No dogs allowed on premises
No ball/throwing games
No running near the ponies
No smoking
Our ponies are used to children and animals and whilst we understand that children love to run and be loud, we do expect children to behave and reserve the right to ask parents to remove children who may/may potentially upset our ponies or other visitors.
We are happy for adults to take photos of their children during their visit. Occassionally some of these photos may appear on our website. If you are unhappy with this please let us know.
Whilst we have tried to make safe all areas we cannot be held responsible for any damage or injury caused whilst on our premises.
Finally-we hope you enjoy your visit!
Having said all that we want EVERYONE who visits to have a great time, including mums, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents and anyone else!
I believe Cheshire Pony Parties leads the field in its unique range of pony activities. We are constantly striving to create new activities and improve existing activities so welcome ANY comments you make. Please complete our quick comments form whilst on site, or email us or comment on our blog so that we can consider any suggestions you may have for future visitors.