Love these ideas! We're having my son's 5th birthday party at a local horse ranch next week - I may have to copy the bandana party favor approach!

As a life long horse lover, I was immediately giddy when I saw this post! I know I'm biased here, but I really love when kids are able to have the opportunity to learn about animals and how to take care of them. I think it's such an amazing way to teach empathy and kindness.

The party looks like it was amazing-love those cupcake toppers!

Just make sure you choose your ranch carefully. Horses are lovely and yet dangerous animals. You want to ensure that the horses are well cared for and don't look skinny or diseased.

Standing on the ground with a horse is as much or more dangerous than sitting on one, so you want to make sure the horse person to child ratio is good, and that the kids are really taught the right things, like how to walk around a horse, to always be alert and ready to move, and to never surround a horse (having people on both/all sides) so that if the horse gets scared, he doesn't have to decide who to trample.

Are the guides experienced? Are they certified? Do they have first aid? You'd be surprised how often they themselves are beginners and don't really know what to do in an emergency.

Make sure the saddles and other equipment look well cared for and are not falling apart - I've known people who's saddles have broken while riding and have fallen off at high speeds (speeds which can get even higher if the horse gets scared and runs!).

Before mounting a trail horse, always check that the saddle is well secured YOURSELF. Sometimes guides forget that last step, but you don't want it slipping down the side of the horse. You should be able to put your hand between the horse and the belly strap (girth), but it should be snug.

For the kids, no screaming or acting crazy - horses don't always do well with that. Also make sure they're in good footwear (no sandals), that they position their feet in the stirrups properly (ball of foot only, heels down - any farther in and your foot can go through - if you fall you'll get dragged). And HELMETS!!! Even bike helmets are better than nothing. That's a long way down and even professional riders have been injured or killed in falls.

Lastly, I'd recommend trail riding only for older kids (7 and up at the youngest), especially if they're not experienced horse kids. Under that age, stick with hand-led pony rides.

I started riding at a local trail riding centre and now own one of my own. I've seen some good things, and some crazy crazy dangerous things where you're just surprised everyone lived. Luckily, the trail riding centre was only 5 minutes from the local hospital - it certainly got used.

Much nicer way to do a horse party than to have someone bring a truckload of ponies to your house. I've seen ponies jammed into the back of a truck with no stall dividers. Many of those "rental" animals are abused and neglected.

Just please check out the record of the horse facility beforehand. Check with your local humane society or animal authority for citations. Go there unannounced and observe how the horses are treated and kept. Peek into the stalls. Is there more than a half-day's waste present? Is bedding dry? Are flies controlled? Are the horses relaxed, clean, free of abrasions or insect bites? Do they have clean water?

Do people really give out favors at a child's birthday party? I can't remember getting favors when I went to parties as a kid.

Macbride, almost always, at least around here (deep south). They are usually not this cute, though! Usually a plastic bag with candy and maybe a plastic toy. For my daughter's rock and roll party, I gave out guitar-shaped crayons in the party colors.Thought it was small and useful, which would appeal to me as a parent whose child was getting the favor.

Fabulous ideas. I love the plastic horses on the cupcakes.