Fun and Interactive Pony Experience for Kids in Costa Blanca

*We were lucky to be gifted a free pony experience session for our 4 young children with Michelle Johnson, in return for online promotion through this website and our social media channels. All opinions expressed below remain our own.

Introduction

There’s just something about horses that children seem to love. I know that for my kids, from pretty much as soon as they were able to sit up on their own, whenever they’ve seen a horse they’ve wanted to ride it.

While we’ve enjoyed horse riding with them several times before, sometimes the size of a fully grown horse can be a bit overwhelming for a small child. Therefore, the chance for them to ride a smaller pony in a safe environment presented the perfect opportunity for us.

In addition to giving them the chance to ride a pony, this pony experience in San Miguel de Salinas also aimed to educate them in how to care for these lovely animals, most of which have been previously rescued from being kept badly by former owners. It is nice that they are now being offered a second chance at life in loving surroundings.

If you’re more interested in riding larger horses, see also our review of horse riding for kids at Lo Rufete in Costa Blanca. Or, if you’re looking for other exciting activities including quad biking, check out our best adventure activities for kids in Costa Blanca.

Here though, we are reviewing taking our 4 young children on an interactive pony experience for kids in Costa Blanca.

Where is the pony experience located?

This pony experience is located in stables just outside of the town of San Miguel de Salinas, in the south of Costa Blanca.

The pony experiences are run privately by Michelle Johnson, who has many years of experience in riding and caring for horses and ponies. She can be contacted through Facebook.

How long does the pony experience last?

The pony experience for kids in Costa Blanca lasts approximately 1 hour, if attending with only 1 child. Multiple children from the same family or friends can attend together and this will obviously extend the duration of the experience, as the children take turns in riding the pony. Michelle will only ever allow 1 private group at a time though, she won’t mix unrelated single child bookings together. This ensures that children get a private experience and her full attention at all times.

The experience begins with meeting the pony, called Coco Chanel, as well as some of the other horses at the stables. Children can then learn about how to care for the pony by helping to brush her, clean her hooves and correctly fit her saddle and ankle protectors. Kids even get to choose a novelty hat for the pony to wear during their experience!

There is then the chance to ride the pony at the large, covered sand school. Instructions are given for how to control the pony and steer it through a small course of obstacles.

After riding, the pony is cleaned down before being returned to her stable.

How much does the pony experience cost?

The pony experience costs €20 for 1 child, €30 for 2 and €40 for 3 (as of May 2024). There is a maximum of 3 children at any time (she made an exception for us with 4 kids, but that is not normal). Reservations can be made by contacting Michelle Johnson via Facebook.

Review of our interactive pony experience for kids in Costa Blanca

Our kids all had a great time on their pony experience. They always love being around and interacting with horses and other animals, and this was no exception.

Michelle is abviously very knowledgeable when it comes to equestrianism, and she immediately put us at ease with her manner around both the horses and our kids (who I think are much harder to control!). It is always relieving to see animals being properly cared for and not just being exploited for profit. Michelle’s dedication to a lifetime of rescuing injured and sick horses and ponies is very commendable.

Rather than offer regular riding lessons, Michelle only runs these pony experiences on a not-for-profit basis. Any money raised contibutes to the upkeep and care of the horses and ponies at the stables

The facilities at the stables for riding are first class. There is a large, covered sand school that is perfect. The shade from the roof and the open sides make for a pleasantly cool space to ride in. There are a variety of small obstacles to use to help with learning to control and steer the pony. There is also a raised viewing gallery for spectators to watch from.

My 4 kids are all different in age and have different levels of prior experience of horse riding. They all got a session that was personalised to their ability and left with smiles on their faces.

All safety equipment was provided. Wearing of helmets is rightly mandatory, while back protector vests are also available if desired.

In Summary

If your kids are anything like mine, they love ponies. Riding ponies, feeding ponies, brushing ponies, they love it all.

It therefore came as no surprise to me that they really enjoyed this pony experience for kids in Costa Blanca. If you are looking for a fun introduction to horses and ponies for younger children, then this experience would be perfect for you.

The obvious skill and teaching experience of Michelle, combined with excellent facilities for learning and perhaps most importantly, a good natured pony to ride on, all combined to ensure that we would have no hesitation at all in highly recommending this pony experience for kids in Costa Blanca.