Stirrup Fun! Pony Rides & Petting Zoo

I will never forget the moment that a full barnyard of animals pulled into my Mission Hills driveway for my son's first birthday in April 2009. The rooster was crowing and the horse was neighing. You could hear them from a mile away. And it was the most fabulous, glorious moment of my life.

I would give Stirrup Fun six stars if I could, but the rating system here only goes up to five.

The fact is, Stirrup Fun is a magnificent idea and Trina's team executes it flawlessly. Trina is exceptionally organized and sends you plenty of information and details in advance. They arrived early enough to install a charming paddock for the petting zoo in our backyard. She brought enough helpers for our 1-hour engagement to keep everything flowing smoothly. We also booked one pony, "Patrick", to provide pony rides around our block. She brought riding helmets for the little kiddies to use.

Both the petting zoo and horsey were surprises for our guests, most of whom as adults got just as much of a kick out of it as the kids. When our guests arrived one by one, you could see the shock and excitement on their faces, especially the kids, whose jaws would drop when they found out they could ride the horse.

As far as safety was concerned, I was confident in Trina's staff and their equipment. I even let my one year-old ride the horse, with Daddy's assistance, of course. Stirrup Fun provided hand sanitizer to be used prior to entering the petting zoo and also upon leaving it. So it was all good.

I wish I could post some pictures here so everyone could see how outstanding of a concept the mobile petting zoo is. This is sure to be the most memorable event in my son's lifetime (yet, at only twelve months of age, it's too bad he won't remember much of it!. Thank goodness we took a million pictures!)