After-School Pony Rides Offered in Midtown Manhattan

Chateau Pony Parties, a family owned stable in Midtown Manhattan, now offers after-school pony rides for children, as well as its popular pony birthday parties.


Since 1967, Chateau Pony Parties has been offering weekend pony rides to children in Manhattan. This month, it will begin offering after-school pony rides for children who are looking for a fun activity after the school bell rings.

The stable will still offer it’s weekend walk-up rides from 12-5pm, but now it will also offer walk-up rides for groups of four or more children. Regular walk-up rides are $10 each, but Anita Gerami, vice president of Chateau Pony Parties, says the stable will “offer the second ride for half-price, so they could get two pony rides for $15.” The after-school pony rides are offered Monday-Friday from 3-5pm.

The family operated business’ main feature is birthday parties for children. The stable offers a basic 3-hour party package, which includes up to 12 children plus the birthday boy or girl (additional children are $15 each), 3 ponies decorated to the theme of the party available for rides for the duration of the party, games and activities, balloons and decorations (including paper plates and cups) that match the party theme, music, and setup and cleanup. “All the family needs to do is order in the food and drinks,” says Gerami, who runs the business with her mother, Gloria McGill, owner, and her husband, Alex Gerami. Party themes include Cinderella, PAW Patrol, My Little Pony, Cowboy or girl, medieval knights, Barbie, carnival, and farm.

Anita Gerami, vice president of Chateau Pony Parties says My Little Pony is the most popular theme the stable offers.

The basic party package runs for $600, and there are add-ons available for an extra fee. Add-ons include a Cinderella Coach or Hay Wagon ride, a face-painter, and goodie bags.

“We’ve always had the ponies as pets, and when we would walk them around on the streets, we got a lot of attention from people wanting pony rides. Pony rides and pony parties just don’t exist in Manhattan,” Germai says. “We do theatrical work with them and we thought we’d give them another job, and we started the pony rides. The children love them, and the ponies love having something to do.”

Main photo: Leo, a Welsh pony/miniature horse, decorated at Rainbow Dash for a My Little Pony party at Chateau Pony Parties.