Pony Fun – by Lisa Gregory
I can’t believe that we are already into the second month of 2020 and we are about to start our special programme of activities for our young riders.
We have a popular programme of pony fun for every school holiday and, as February brings half term, of course, we will kick off next week.
Pony Activity Sessions
Our Pony Activity Sessions are fun and informative;they are for four-year-olds upwards. The two-hour session includes a riding lesson, grooming, helping to tack up, and lots of pony games. It also includes a drink and a small snack. I think these ‘My Little Pony’ mornings are perfect for introducing the joy of riding and pony care to children who do not yet have riding lessons, but we also find that our young pupils who are already learning to ride enjoy them just as much.
It is a chance to really get close to your pony and begin to learn handling skills in a supervised and controlled environment. And, of course, it’s lots of fun too!
Our first pony activity session is on Wednesday, February 19th, from 10am to 12 noon and the cost is £45. Don’t worry if you can’t do this first one, as we have lots of other dates throughout the year, which are Wednesday, April 15th; Wednesday, July 22nd; Wednesday, August 5th; Wednesday, August 19th; Wednesday, October 28th; and, finally, Wednesday, December 30th, for a fun-filled festive morning.
We have a very special themed session planned for October 28th! Dress up in your Halloween costumes and enjoy pony apple bobbing and lots more spooky pony games. The morning includes a riding session.
Magical Unicorns Experience
Lots of children love the sparkly world of unicorns, so we are also offering a magical unicorn experience on the last Sunday of every month.
Aimed at children from the age of four upwards, this 45-minute session starts at 2pm and costs £40, which includes a special unicorn hot chocolate in our Ranch Bistro.
This is a fun-filled experience that children will love. They can dress up the ponies with sparkly accessories, paint their hooves with glitter and then ride their ‘unicorns’. This activity can also be booked for parties.
Children’s Riding Courses
And, of course, throughout the year we will be running our weekend children’s courses. Each course lasts for six weeks at a total cost of £150 and each lesson last for 30 minutes.
Our highly experienced instructors guide our youngsters from our Intro To Riding course, through Riding Improvement, on to Intermediate and, ultimately, our Advanced level. Again, we accept children from the age of four upwards.
The timings for these courses are as follows:
Saturdays – Children’s Riding Improvement, 9.30am; Children’s Intro To Riding, 10.15am; Children’s Intermediate, 11am; and Children’s Advanced, 11.45am.
Sundays – Children’s Intro To Riding, 9.30am.
Private lessons can also be booked.
Paddock Rides
On Sundays, we also have paddock rides for children aged four upwards. These are available at 10.15am and 11am, and each lasts for 30 minutes. They are perfect for giving children their first experience of sitting on a pony. The cost is £20.
Daily Treks
Of course, alongside all our special children’s activities, we mustn’t forget our daily 1- and 2-hour treks. Our 1-hour trek, costing £40 per person, is perfect for younger riders (from seven years upwards), and is walk and trot only. Older children (those ten years old and above) are also welcome on our 2-hour mixed ability trek, and those children with more riding experience may be able to join our 2-hour experienced trek. Both 2-hour treks are £60 per person.
25th Anniversary Celebration
This is a very special year for the trekking centre. We celebrate our 25th anniversary on Saturday, 20th June, and we are planning a full day of celebrations that promise to be lots of fun for children, and for mums and dads too! So keep watching our website and Facebook page for further details.
And please don’t hesitate to contact the centre directly if you have questions or need further information. A full list of our activities can be found on the website.
