We are so enjoying doing PONY birthday parties at Normandy Stables!  Signs announce the pony party and guide guests to the party room.  The party room is on the second storey of this up-scale stable, with an outdoor balcony and plate-glass windows overlooking the indoor arena (where trainers and owners are frequently working horses). The large round table is decorated with horse shoes holding down helium balloons, pony coloring pages (on the back of our pony-camp flyer) with crayons at each place, and crepe-paper ribbons. There are streamers and horse decorations all around the room, complimented by the stables decor which is sort of a mix between "elegant equestrian" and "antique".   Frequently the hostess brings cowboy hats, bandanas or sheriff badges, and the kids color the pony picture they find on the table.  When all the guests are gathered, we discuss stables safety with the kids and then everyone goes on a tour through the barn.  We see hunters and jumpers and dressage horses, some western horses and even the wild mustang that belongs to the barn owners. The kids love to see the huge horses, walk into a stall to see the horse's bedroom, and check out the wash rack where horses take their showers.   Then we go outside, where we visit the cow, see the chickens and watch the roosters crow. In the turn-out pens horses are playing; running, bucking and sparring with each other across fences. Near the outdoor arena are tied a couple of our tiny ponies, and the kids get started grooming one pony while we put the other one to a cart. The kids can ride three at a time in the cart. The pony travels at walk and trot, and the kids giggle and laugh in delight. When cart rides are over, we do saddle rides, and each child gets the chance to try steering the pony themselves, if they want to.   While waiting for their turn to ride, they can rope the plastic calf head and decorate the petting pony with ribbons, flowers, glitter, and feathers for his mane, and star stickers for his hoofs.   After all the rides are done, the birthday child gets to climb up on the petting pony and all the guests gather around for a group photo with the pony they decorated.  Then, the birthday child rides the pony ahead of the entire group, like a parade, back to the party room where the food, cake, presents and so on await. You should see the little ones galloping and whinnying about the room after all that pony fun! After the party, the guests all go home with their goodies and we do all the clean-ups.   The entire party lasts 2 hours, and accomodates about 12 kids. While we still do the parties at people's homes, our clients seem to especially appreciate the parties at the stables because of all the added excitement provided by the stables venue, and the availability of indoor riding options in case of bad weather.    There is a web site, www.Critterplaces.com you can visit to learn who the pony companies are in your part of the USA. Each company tends to have their own specialty, and most are willing to let you suggest creative ideas.   Some of our clients have had kids doing crafts at home-based pony parties while waiting for their rides.  They might make stick horses out of socks with felt ears, eyes and manes, and a tightly rolled poster board for a kid-safe stick.  Others have made and decorated western vests cut from large, flat, brown paper bags.  You just cut out the neck and arms, and make a slit down the middle of the top layer for an opening. Then use brown paper fringes, stickers, glitter glue, sheriff badges and so on to decorate.  The kids then wear their vest when they come to ride the pony.   Another great idea was to give each child a water pistol and let them shoot paper cups off the banister rail of the porch. Each cup had a piece of candy in it, which kept it from blowing off in a breeze, and provided an instant reward to whoever managed to shoot it down. Other clients have us bring an extra pony to decorate, the plastic calf for roping, or an extra saddle for a straw-bale.  Small kids really love climbing on and "riding" a straw bale pony, and the photo oportunities are awesome!  I know I'm biased, being in the business, but I really think pony parties are one of the greatest ideas since pop corn! I still remember my first encounter with a horse... do you?  Pony parties make for great memories, fantastic photos and exciting oportunities for kids to do something extraordinary. (www.theponyladyllc.com)