maddykate Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Supposing that you wanted to give your young child a birthday party that had pony rides, what would you be willing to pay for it? We would bring pony, and all equipment that would need to be used. Pony would give rides for one hour, for children up to 60 pounds. I can't figure out how to attach a pic, but imagine a white, fluffy cotton ball with four legs that comes up to an adults mid-thigh. That is our pony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Your best bet is to see what on-site party entertainers in your area go for. I know when this comes up on music teaching boards there is often a range that spans several hundred dollars depends on where you are in the USA. I'd also look at liability insurance. As soon as you start charging money, it becomes a totally different ball of wax than simply letting a child's friend ride when they're visiting your house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourisenough Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 My kids have attended a couple of b-day parties where pony rides were offered. We've never hosted one ourselves, so I have no idea about fee structure, but I think that would be a viable business if you live in an area where such things are the norm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 I cringe at taking a pony or horse to a party where there are children with no horse sense. The pony might be as good as gold, but if something goes wrong and the pony bites or (God forbid) kicks a child, I could lawsuit written all over that. Not to mention worry over if the child is ok. I would expect it to be a few hundred dollars but that would vary depending on where you are. Also I would make sure that waivers are signed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena1277 Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Darn on only the 60 pound thing because that sounds pretty and fun! :D Exactly! I want to ride the pony also if I'm going to be paying for it!:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 We used to do pony rides for local field days and some church events. One of our requirements was that the event cover the pony ride insurance as they could afford it more easily with an extra rider to their insurance. When we priced it for ourselves, it was far more than we wanted to pay (but I don't remember how much and this was years ago). Some events we did for free (charity on our part). Other events we charged $200 - $250. (Remember this was about 10 years ago.) This was for 2 ponies, tack, leaders, etc, and generally 2 hours. Our ponies were taller and could accommodate up to 100 lbs or so. We made sure small children had people walking next to them. The actual ride took place behind a roped off area to keep kids from running out to the ponies. We never had the insurance to want to go after the birthday party market. We live more rural, so I'm not sure the payback would be there and it's not really what I'd want to do for a living. For a few local events and some charity stuff, we kind of enjoyed it. (And we knew we had saints for ponies.) If I were going for that market, I'd price insurance first, then see what other places charged. Google ought to help there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 It's a popular idea in our area, but the 60lb thing sounds so light as to really limit your market. My 7 y.o. would not be able to ride for example, which would mean 6 and below only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Both my (just turned) 8 and 11 year old are 60-some pounds (11 year old small). But I have a huge nephew that just turned 5 and he is close to 60 lbs if not over. So I do think the weight limit could be a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnificent_baby Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Yes, I would be willing to pay for pony rides. My kids would LOVE that. BUT, I wouldn't at their ages (all early elementary) due to the weight limit. Even if just one of their guests couldn't ride, I wouldn't consider it at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acorn Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 I would bet liability insurance will be expensive. You can ask for signed releases but that doesn't really prevent lawsuits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Our next door neighbors had a birthday party with horse rides. (I am not expert, but adults could ride, too, so I am guessing they were horses.) It was awesome. We got to feed the horses, too. And they cleaned up all the poop afterwards and took it with them. I can't find a price for that. To have the party at the local stable is $250 for up to 20 kids, $220 for up to 10 kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Those were really popular when I was a kid. Loved them. Not a clue what would be reasonable to charge though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.