Meet the Animals

The ponies and petting zoo crew who show up to every party, from our farm in Clayton, Wisconsin to your backyard across the Twin Cities metro.

Bam Bam, Tinker Bell, Nellie, Ruger, and Zipper, five Pony Parties Express ponies, standing together in the pasture with young handlers

The whole herd, from our farm to your party!

Ponies, a full-size horse, a beer burro, and the petting-zoo crew. Every one of them lives on the farm in Clayton.

The herd

Our Ponies

Duke, a bay quarter horse, with Kyle Knops in the saddle holding a small child, next to a white pony in the farm arena.

Duke

Duke is our full-size quarter horse, and we have owned him for 11 years. He has done just about everything under the sun and been our rock at home: camping trips, trail rides, drill performances, barrel racing, team roping, mounted shooting, and dragging, doctoring, working, and sorting cattle. Now, in his older age, he is ready to add party events to his resume for people to enjoy him. He carries riders of any age or size, so at a party the parents and older kids can ride too. Calm, steady, and used to a crowd.

Nellie, a quarter pony, nose to nose with a young girl who has her hand on Nellie's cheek.

Nellie

Nellie is our biggest pony. She is a 14-year-old quarter pony that we ADORE to pieces. She is the sweetest, most loveable pony you can ever find. Nellie is irreplaceable to us! She is our oldest daughter's pony as well when she is not giving kids rides at parties and events. She is such a wonderful mare that LOVES her job giving kids rides and loves all the attention!

Bam Bam, a chestnut pony, standing beside a smiling young girl in a cowboy hat.

Bam Bam

Bam Bam is our older guy. He is 19 years old and still going strong. He is what we always call our rock. He is so reliable and he is such a trustworthy dude. We love him so very much and can count on him every single time! He is our perfect size pony that is hard to find, not too small and not too tall. He has been doing pony parties for lots of years now and knows his job very well!

Ruger, a miniature blue roan gelding decorated with pastel bows, being groomed by a handler.

Ruger

This little dude is all personality! He is a flashy, rare little registered miniature blue roan gelding that is compacted just right. He truly looks like a mini normal-size horse (has all the right conformation traits). Ruger is mischievous and makes us laugh every day! He prefers attention from kids over adults. He LOVES his kids! He is so great and he has our hearts! Absolutely nothing fazes him and he is always up for any good time!

Buttons, a golden pony, giving two young girls a bareback ride together in the pasture.

Buttons

This cute little dude is 15 years old and truly a GOLDEN pony. He is the true definition of a starter kids' pony that is such a babysitter! He lets our kids hang all over him and will ride anywhere with no hesitation. Our kids have learned how to ride on him and he is teaching them how to be good riders. He is so patient with kids and will let them do absolutely anything with him. He is one of a kind and a very rare find. We are blessed to own him!

Tinker Bell, a white pony, with her mane braided and woven with pastel flowers.

Tinker Bell

Tinker Bell is our most-requested pony. She is white, with a braided mane woven with flowers, and she is gentle with even our smallest riders. She loves her job and the attention that comes with it.

Belle, a brown and white pony, held by one girl while another rides bareback.

Belle

Belle is our retired old lady who is 29 years old! She is a very healthy old girl though! She is still going strong with zero health issues. She looks so good! She doesn't look her age and still gets to come along to some petting zoos for some kid lovings! Our girls still adore her at home and she gets rode bareback around the yard to casually eat some grass and get spoiled by the girls. She LOVES all the attention. She loves getting brushed and groomed and spoiled in her stall to take naps.

Want pony rides at your next birthday party? See our packages and starting prices.

The petting pen

The Petting Zoo Crew

Sammy, a cream-colored bottle-baby lamb, leaning in close for attention.

Sammy

This little lamb is all for the attention! He was a bottle baby and thinks humans are his family! He doesn't act like a normal sheep. He loves to be by your side and get all the lovings from us! He has a thing though where he thinks he can still nibble on everything! A little bit of a pest, but he brings us so much joy every day! He loves going to parties. He follows us on a leash just like a dog and jumps right in the trailer!

Sugar, a black bottle-baby lamb, held close by a young girl.

Sugar

Sugar is our newest little addition and is a beautiful black lamb that was also a bottle baby. She is such an eater! To say she loves food is an understatement. Hey, I get it girl! She looks forward to her bottles every day and is so funny to watch when she eats. She is loving coming along to the parties and has been doing so great with the animal crew!

Sparkles and Barbie, two white fainting goat sisters, standing close together in their pen.

Sparkles & Barbie

These two white sisters have been attached to each other since birth. They are 3-year-old fainting goats. They are the besties that have been to sooo many parties and know their job really well! They love getting out, seeing the new sites, and all the kids! They are so friendly and we are hoping to get some babies from them soon.

Milo and Coconut, two Nigerian dwarf goat kids, standing together on a large rock.

Milo & Coconut

These are the two newest little additions to our petting zoo herd. They are brother and sister Nigerian dwarf goats. They are about 4 months old now and LOVE people. They are the friendliest little goats I ever did come across. We love them so much and they are out regularly on the farm just roaming around, acting like dogs, running around with the kids. They are the cutest!!

Jessica and Tiffany, two mini heifers, nose to nose with a young girl in the pasture.

Jessica & Tiffany

Our two beautiful mini HighPark heifers are such a fun addition to the petting zoo crew! They are the star of the show and are so friendly, and the first to come up to you in the pasture. They come into the barn just like our ponies and horses do and have their own stall. They are very spoiled and go through a bag of treats really fast! They will be a part of our family always and we are so excited to grow our mini cow herd and have some babies next year from them!

Planning something bigger? The crew travels to fairs, festivals, and group events too.

Special edition

Guapo the Beer Burro

Guapo, a grey miniature donkey, wearing his colorful halter with a GUAPO nameplate in front of a green barn.

Guapo

Guapo is our beer burro. He works wedding cocktail hours with a saddle bar and poses for the photos everyone takes home. Ask about the Beer Burro package to book him.

Want Guapo at your wedding or adult celebration? See his page, with photos from his first wedding and pricing.

Ready to book the herd?

Tell us about your party or event and we'll help you pick the right animals for the day.

Request a quote →