About Magic Ponies

GET TO KNOW US

We are passionate about
ponies!

Magic Ponies provides exceptional service for Pony Parties, School fairs, events and Starter rides. If you are looking for a one off ride or to get your child started on the learning ladder of Horses, our Shetland ponies are the perfect solution!

You may recognise our Ponies from Pony Magic Surrey, who have been providing pony rides in Surrey and London since 2010 with Gemma Serdet. The founding Branch of Pony Magic in Hampshire continues to go from strength to strength. Having worked with Gemma for almost 10 years… new owner, Lara Bekker has taken over the Surrey Pony Magic legacy and re-branded to Magic Ponies. Lara’s passion for Horses started at the age of 8, when she had her first Pony Ride. Our aim is to re-create the magical experience she had when she first sat in the saddle, to all of our riders!

Meet the team

Lara
Lara
Lara started riding at age 8 at a local riding school after attending a birthday pony party there. She worked her way up and her dedication and passion was very clear from a young age. She was lucky enough to get her very own horse when she was 13 and now continues to ride regularly and compete. Lara’s background is in Residential sales and hospitality, as well as being a successful hairdresser and maintaining her client base she has had since she qualified. Lara acquired the business and original ponies Dexter and Merla in February 2020 and Magic Ponies was born.
Aimee
Aimee
Aimee started riding at the age of 4 and continued throughout her childhood despite living in different countries. Her passion is for Showjumping and she completed at regional and provincial levels whilst living in Canada. Aimee’s passion for Horses is clear as she has continued to ride throughout her adult life. She loves to see the children improve and grow with confidence around the ponies. Aimee also has a passion for Art and Travel, and spending time with her beautiful dog, Lemon.
Lisa
Lisa
Lisa joined the Magic Ponies team in June 2021 and her extensive knowledge of horse care is outstanding. Lisa has 4 children and 2 of which ride regularly and compete at local riding competitions. Lisa has 2 of her own horses who she cares for before and after coming to work, so at the weekends she likes to let her hair down and go out with her friends. Lisa loves working for Magic Ponies because she is passionate about the Children learning all aspects of pony care as well as riding.
Weekend Staff
Weekend Staff
We are lucky enough to have a great team of teenage helpers who regularly help out with our weekend/holiday pony parties and events! We are so excited to give them the opportunity to grow with the business and maybe one day have sole charge of running our Magical Pony experiences!
Bruce
Bruce
Bruce is the Magic Ponies mascot. He is Lara’s pug who comes regularly to the stables, you may even see him out and about in the Horsebox too! He is very kind with children but he thinks he’s the boss of the ponies! (They don’t agree!) Bruce was born in a house with young children and will always give our riders a cuddle!
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Magic Ponies FAQs

Adults can ride horses that are suitable for their height, weight and capability as a rider. Adults tend to ride horses as they can take adults. The difference between a horse and pony is that a ponies height is classed as 14.2hh and under and a horses height is classed as 14.2hh and over. Our Magic Ponies are all ponies so are all under 14.2hh and not suitable for adults.

We take pride in the fact that we are not a riding school. The average Children’s riding school price around Surrey is £40 for a half hour semi private lead rein lesson. We charge £25 for a 1:1 half hour starter session which includes interaction with the pony, grooming and a lead rein walk around our beautiful woodland. Our Sessions aren’t lessons as such but more of an introduction for beginners before they are ready to move onto a riding school. We do take more experienced children too as a fun activity as they are able to get more hands on with the ponies!

We are insured from ages 2 years and over and usually take children up to 9 years old depending on weight and height.

We are insured from ages 2 years and over and usually take children up to 9 years old depending on weight and height.

We don’t expect everyone to have acres of land for their pony party! As long as there is enough room for 2 ponies to do a ‘loop around’ or a walk up and down for the riders and it’s a safe distance away from anything like bouncy castles etc. You can send Lara a photo of your garden upon booking to check and Magic Ponies will always do a risk assessment on arrival and advise if the area provided is not safe enough.

Yes! Family members and non-riding children are welcome to attend the session. We do ask that at least 1 adult remains near your rider at all times and that nobody is allowed unaccompanied at the stables/barn. If you are bringing younger children with you please try to avoid bringing a buggy due to the ground conditions.

Many children start riding small horses and ponies around 2-3 years of age, and the sooner you can expose your child to horses and ponies the better it is for their confidence to grow around them. With proper supervision, children can start riding a (smaller) horse or a pony as young as 2-3 years old. At Magic Ponies, we are insured from ages 2 years and are staff are fantastic with toddlers and children of all ages.

This all depends on the individual, their level of riding and the pony/horse that they are riding. There are so many different factors to be considered, such as the ponies age, the breed of the pony, how competent the rider is and also how tall and what the rider weighs including with the tack as well. At Magic Ponies, we have small ponies (Shetlands mainly) and therefore the ages we know the ponies can comfortably manage are between 2 and 9 years old and we are fully insured for this. We always take the children’s height and weight into consideration as well.

If your child would like to come in jodphurs, riding boots and a riding top or a princess dress or fancy dress costume we really do not mind! They can wear what they like within reason and we ask that any clothing is weather appropriate. The lead rein walk is outside and we all know what the UK weather is like! We would always recommend long trousers to avoid the saddle rubbing. Trainers are fine too but no open toed sandals/flip flops please. We supply UVEX Riding Helmets, which are made with high quality materials that also meet the highest safety standards. Approved to BSI Kitemark and VG1 safety standards.

Magic Ponies will provide all equipment for the session so please make sure you are dressed suitably and bring anything you will need for 30 minute session. We have an on site snack shop including hot and cold drinks.

As soon as you arrive with us our fantastic staff will make sure you know how to keep safe around ponies. We make the learning fun for the children, but also make sure they are aware how dangerous it is to go behind a pony and that they have to be quiet around them, with no sudden movements or running around. We always have a staff member present with any child and pony and they are trained to watch for dangers and all have experience with horses, ponies and people! We also use the latest in safety riding equipment, such as children’s saddles and our highest standard UVEX helmets. The children are lead by a member of staff who keep their eyes on the child and pony at all times. We also request a parent to walk alongside their child in the saddle for extra safety support or in case the child feels nervous. We strive in giving each and every child a wonderful and positive experience.

Ponies have to have a certain level of training and an outstanding temperament to be suitable for a beginner. Luckily, at Magic Ponies all our ponies have years of experience, wonderful friendly natures and are used to seeing hundreds of children a week. The sessions we offer with the ponies aren’t lessons as such but more of an introduction for beginners before they are ready to move onto a riding school, so that a child can enjoy and gain confidence being around ponies.