Pony Rides at Childs Birthday what requirments??

[horsefeed]

I am thinking of diversifying and doing pony rides at children's partys alongside livery. I have a 11hh donkey and would also buy a 11/12hh pony. I already have a lorry and own yard so those expenses are minimal. No facilities to do it yard as literally few sheds and grazing! I am thinking of extending Public Liability insurance to cover pony rides at peoples houses or partys. Both myself and OH have DBS checks and I have a full 1st aid certificate. Is there anything else I need to get legally? I would do 1 hour of purely leadrein rides for upto 12 children, under 10 and under 8 stone for £120. What do people think?

 

[sandi_84]

People will pay for it, I know that Also during birthday parties you can spend some time with the kids grooming, plaiting and generally teaching a bit about horses and donkeys

You will need to get some hats for kids though, the ones that are adjustable work brilliantly.

Not sure of the legal requirements though, would you then be classed as teaching/riding school?

 

[be positive]

I think it would still be classed as a riding school, keeping the ponies for hire and reward, without a license you will not get insurance.

 

[khalswitz]

My friend does this - it works out EXTORTIONATE in insurance to do it at people's houses as risk assessments are ridiculous. She therefore does it at home - has a barn and a small paddock (hires an indoor school with attached cafe in winter) and she has gone through the necessary procedures to cook and feed kids from the house. She has six ponies, three of which are used for the ridden portion and the other three for grooming etc so none of them get fed up.

She has them all arrive, make name badges and fits hats, then they split into teams for 'games' with a pony per team, where they do lead rein games activities like bean bags, flags, cups of water etc, mainly in walk with short bursts of trot for the adventurous. Afterwards, they groom the ponies and plait manes, use glitter hoof oil/safe to use pony paint/glitter to doll up the horses. Then it's hand washing, in for food, cake and sweets, and then (depending on party length) there are horsy based crafts for them to do until home time.

However you have the hired horses aspect (does require a license, and specialist insurance both for the business and for the horses, as well as specific customer insurance as well as general PL), the child protection/PVG aspect (which needs to be redone every time you start a new venture, or else the business has to be a PVG member), first aid, food preparation and serving, having appropriate child protection approved helpers for leading, plus rates on using the home to run the business (although was worse for doing it at people's houses!).