Where Dreams of Ponies Come to Life
Welcome to......
Woodside Barn
Pony Petting
Experience the magic of pony petting parties and one-on-one experiences in our charming equine farm yard. Perfect for birthday parties, therapy sessions, educational trips and outdoor fun!
You can come to us or we can come to your home, event or venue!
licenced Cheshire east AP Equine CE/AE34
Fully Insured with over 55 years of equine experience
Discover Our Pony Paradise!
Come and Join us for unforgettable pony petting fun and parties in the heart of Cheshire!
Enjoy one-to-one or family pony petting experiences nestled in our lovely equine farm yard.
Our unique pony petting therapy sessions offer a dose of sweet comfort and joy in our peaceful yard .
Have a magical time with unicorn dress-ups and pony fun activities for young hearts of all ages!
Celebrate birthdays or special occasions with our pony parties, We can come to you too - enjoy personal visits , educational visits, fun petting & picnic sessions and much much more.
Our Magical Highlights!
Explore the enchanting experiences we offer!
Ready for some pony fun?
Check out these amazing highlights.
Pony Petting Parties any where
Celebrate with our adorable shetland mini ponies at your next party or event! We can come to you or you can bring the party to our yard. We have a lovely garden setting for all your guests to sit and enjoy the moment . All the children get to spend a little time grooming and fussing the ponies on the yard. If we come to you , we create a safe environment for the ponies and our guests so you can enjoy making happy memories.
Therapy Sessions
Our older or taller guests are happy to relax spending time with our lovely Welsh Mountain boy 'Blue' who loves a fuss . Experience the calming joy of a pony therapy session for wellness and relaxation.
Fancy a 'romantic sunset walk' with a horse in hand? Our gorgeous boy 'Blue' loves to walk out as the sun is setting. What could be more romantic and very relaxing.
Unicorn Dress-Up Fun
William and Aggie our little shetlands love your hugs and affection but they also like to be groomed and dress up as unicorns for magical photo opportunities and endless happy smiles! You also get to walk your pony in our lovely safe paddocks where you will meet the rest of our lovely equine family.
Which of our magical
experiences will you select ??
Here are our most popular selection of activities but we are always happy to structure a bespoke visit specially for you, and remember all our activities can be done on our yard, or we can come to you !.
One to one Petting and Therapy sessions at our yard
We have two beautiful Mini Shetland Ponies ‘Aggie’ and ‘William’ and a much bigger, very handsome Welsh Mountain Pony, ‘Blue’ who are all waiting for lots of fuss and hugs.
Our ‘one to one’ petting or therapy sessions are for one child or grown up petter with their very own pony for the session. Accompanying adult / parent included free.
Your visit will be lots of fun and includes guidance and information on petting, grooming, cleaning feet, and general care of the pony.
You may wish to help to muck out the stable, make up a feed and fill a hay net.
You may wish to adorn your pony (Shetlands) with pretty flowers in their mane and tails (optional) You may wish to magically turn your pony into a unicorn.
You will be able to take your smart or dressed up pony for a little walk on the lead rein in our safe paddocks where you will meet the rest of our lovely equine family.
Depending on the weather and time of day of your visit, you can bring a little picnic and have some of your allocated slot just watching the ponies.
Additional children, younger siblings etc are free to watch and must be supervised at all times. FREE
Additional children are welcome to participate in your ‘one to one’ experience, we may then introduce them to more ponies.
Additional adults, Grandparents etc are welcome to watch or join in.
All our adult guests will be offered a complimentary cup of tea or coffee while they relax and enjoy the magic. Children will be offered juice.
FREE 7x5 Photo print of participants with their chosen pony.
Cost £30 child and adult
Additional participating children £10 each,
Additional adult £2.50 each.
Pony Party Fun with friends and family at our yard or at your home
Looking for a special memorable fun filled birthday party? - this is perfect!
Our two beautiful Mini Shetland Ponies Aggie and William just love a party and are waiting to join in the fun.
Have lots of fun including petting, grooming, dressing up.
Come in fancy dress, why not make it fairy or unicorn party, or any other theme you may be thinking of.
You provide your own party food drinks and decorations at home or at our yard and picnic area.
You are welcome to set up our yard a full hour before your guests arrive.
Invite up to 10 children to your party we can seat them all to eat and enjoy the party.
While the children are having fun with our ponies they will be supervised by our lovely staff at all times.
Your booking will last for up to two hours, ( plus one hour for you to set up if its at our yard ) this will give all the children enough time to make special memories with their favorite pony.
The host will receive a free 10x7 photo to commemorate the special birthday / event and a gift voucher for the birthday child.
Please make an appointment to come and meet us to view our lovely venue before you commit.
On booking a non refundable deposit of £50 is required.
At our yard - up to 10 children £200
Additional children £10 each
At your venue or home up to 60 children. £250
Please use the contact form and we will get back to you with further details.
School and Educational Group sessions
'A lovely informative introduction to the magical world of equine'
Up to 10 Children with supervising adults at our yard.
Session lasts for aprox two hours.
Petting and fussing the ponies.
learning all the important facts about them and their ideal environment.
How they live what they need to survive and thrive.
What they eat and why.
Preparing meals and filling hay nets,
Keeping them clean and healthy.
Mucking out a stable, what we have to do and why we do it.
Safe handling and grooming.
Learning about tack and other riding and yard equipment.
Although this is an educational session, we will make it enjoyable for all involved.
Children will be encouraged to ask questions throughout the session.
A group photo will be taken at the end of the session and a 10×8 picture print will be provided to the school free of charge
All the children attending will receive a 7×5 photo of the same image.
Children must be supervised at all times and follow the rules for their own safety and the welfare and safety of our ponies.
Deposit £50 is required on booking
Cost includes - 10 Children with supervising adults £200
Additional children £10 each
If you would like our gorgeous ponies to visit your school, nursery, open day, event or other location £250 .All your children ( unlimited number ) get to enjoy our ponies, please contact us for full details.
Eleanor's way - Eleanor's story
We aim to encourage people with dementia to have therapy sessions with us and
we invite you to come along and join us for what we hope will be a truly memorable experience.
Today we had the privilege of meeting Eleanor who suffers with dementia,
Following our first meeting with Eleanor and the lovely feed back we received, we would like to encourage other people with dementia / alzheimers to take part in therapeutic pony petting sessions at our lovely quiet yard. We feel this could be so beneficial and calming for both the individual and the horses alike.
It was heart warming to see Eleanor so relaxed and happy to be with the horses, she helped to groom and walk them. As a child ‘she rode before she walked at a very young age’ and spending this peaceful moment with Blue, Aggie and William our lovely petting ponies took her back in time to her life with her own pony.
It was remarkable how Aggie our little sweet rescue pony who is usually shy, moved towards to her and they both spent quiet time together. Eleanor communicated with her and the pony was so relaxed and they gradually moved closer and closer together. The interaction was quite remarkable and beautiful.
It is lovely to give people like Eleanor, with dementia this opportunity to integrate and communicate freely, whilst feeling safe, relaxed and comfortable.
Client review : “Thanking Angie and the team for a glorious afternoon for my mother and us too.
What a wonderful place and lovely people. So hospitable and kind, so welcoming and relaxing.
It was truly outstanding and what a great integration for adults and children with the horses.
We met and helped with Blue the horse and walked with the Shetland ponies. We adore Blue he’s a beaut xx My mother Eleanor was at home once again with her memories of riding and her childhood. I think this is amazing. It's a new beginning at the end of their dear lives with dementia, such a great place, Ma absolutely loved it!. I would highly recommend anyone to have a visit.”
Special Events to look out for
Meet the ponies and make new friends, with our 'meet and mingle' family fun days
Look out for our very special 'pony petting party days', at our yard. You get to meet and pet the ponies while mixing with other guests and making new friends.
You get lots of time with the ponies, grooming and petting them, help around the stables, bring a little picnic lunch and enjoy meeting other like minded guests. Up to two hours of delightful pony fun.
For details of upcoming dates please follow us on facebook at Woodside Barn Pony Petting or telephone 07484 510137
£15 per child
Get in touch
Phone, message or watsapp : Angie on : 07484 510137
Address : Woodside Barn, Bridgemere Lane, Nantwich, Cheshire. CW5 7PL
follow us on FACEBOOK @ Woodside Barn Pony Petting