Pony Express promised that they'd expedite all permits and health certificates so they'd take care of everything. And they require half of deposit down. Two days before the event, they cancelled. You can imagine how all the children were disappointed! Getting the deposit back took quite a while and some back and forth but glad to say I received my deposit today and resolved the issue. read more

They provided the most beautiful magical experience for my daughter's 5th birthday party. I had a group of 30 children who fell in love with the unicorn. The farm animals are well taken care off. The package included a sheep, an alpaca, goats, chickens (one laid an egg), bunnies. There was a baby cow!! I also had a bounce house. It was very spacious and we had adults jumping in the bounce house after the kids left. The cotton candy and icees were concessions were yummy and a hit. Great customer service experience. I had a lot of questions that were answered quickly. Arrived on time and smooth setup. read more

Only the lowest of the low people would scam a library. We paid a $265 deposit for a petting zoo event. On the day of the event, over 100 children waited patiently for the animals to show up. They never did, and no phone calls, emails, or texts were answered as to why. Several days later, we were told we would get a refund. Weeks later, and they're now ghosting us completely. read more

Stay far away from this company. This woman Jackie called me at 7AM the morning of my twins birthday to cancel on me after I had confirmed with her two days prior. Yes she did refund my money which I am grateful for but that's defeats the point. Cancelling the morning of a birthday party for small children is absolutely insane. I called many business in NJ all of which told me that she has done this to multiple people and they constantly have calls from people last minute trying to book pony rentals where she either cancelled last minute or didn't show up at all without notice. Absolutely despicable. Luckily I was able to find someone to book last minute by the grace of God and did not have to disappoint my children and all of their friends and cousins for their birthday. She should go out of business. read more

This company is definitely fraudulent and needs to be shut down. I booked ponies for my 5 year olds birthday but they ghosted me after I paid the deposit and signed the contract. I tried calling, texting and emailing to confirm the week of, and got zero responses! They never showed up. I reached out to other companies who have ponies in last minute desperation, and all of them (who were booked at that point) said that they have heard this happening multiple times with Pony Express and this business needs to be shut down. Who doesn't show up to little girls birthdays or have the decency to even cancel so I have time to find something else? I will be fighting the deposit on my card and will definitely be reporting them! read more

I want to preface this with saying that I'm not an "unreasonable person".... I understand that people sometimes call out sick and I would hope that a company plans for these situations because they're running a business... The customer should not be told that people "called out" and so they can't accommodate their party that was planned 12 weeks in advance. I called this company and booked my daughters 4th birthday party (June 4th) on March 5th. Today at about 1pm, my husband received a phone call that they were running late. The pony deluxe was booked for 4pm and we were informed that maybe they could arrive at 6/6:30... at about 5:30pm we received a phone call that they were 30 miles away and could possibly arrive at 7:30pm. On a Sunday evening, they want to arrive at a 4 year old party at 7:30. It's as though there was zero planning, that went into this event. But I should accept a refund and not raise my voice because I'm frustrated that my party was completely ruined and couldn't plan for anything else because I did not receive enough time to plan something different. I AM BEYOND LIVID AND BEYOND DISAPPOINTED ... offering a refund doesn't negate the pain and suffering. Yes, it's pain and suffering when I am stuck with guest who are awaiting this arrival and it never happens. And then call me unreasonable! I planned my daughter's party in advance for a reason. I sent out invitations and had people RSVP. My entire farm party was ruined and I was told "I can give you a refund"... like the refund is actually going to rectify the inconvenience and emotional distress that my child suffered. Yet somehow I am "unreasonable"?? because this company was unreliable and had hired unreliable and untrustworthy people and the incompetence of these individuals who are purportedly running a business is beyond disappointing. I do not recommend a company that tells me, a parent of a 4 year year old, expecting 24 other 4 year olds for a part, that I'm "unreasonable" for expecting a backup plan when a company has their employees call out an hour before their scheduled arrival. Is that "unreasonable"? read more

Absolute scam. Had confirmed them months in advance for my daughter's 2nd birthday party in Greenwich, CT. Re-confirmed 2 days prior. And the morning of (about 30 minutes before they were supposed to show up), got an email from the owner saying something about her trailer breaking down. In a panic I offered to have my dad send his suburban to wherever she was to transport her and the animals; at which point she panicked and started saying things that didn't make sense. I'm like "can you just load some bunnies into the car?" and her answer was "no." I'm not sure what the scam was since we didn't pay anything upfront to reserve, but it absolutely sucked to have 30 2-year old show up for a petting zoo that never materialized. The owners should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. read more

My husband who turned 70 had always wanted a mini donkey. Since we couldn't own one I rented one as a surprise! Jackie and her husband arrived early with the donkey, an alpaca, 2 goats and a sheep. Because it was at our house we were happy to have them arrive early. They also needed to do the pick up later as their other job ran later. But it was great to be able to interact with the animals as if they lived here instead of being rushed. It was a terrific surprise and all the guests from the youngest to the oldest had a great time. The animals were incredibly tame, loved being petted, and especially love being fed!! read more

Pony Express Entertainment - Party & Event Planning Near Me

I booked this petting zoo for my child's party for one hour. They dropped off the animals on time with a half a bucket of feed and left the attendant with the animals after hitting one goat for head butting the other goat. Two hours after the petting zoo arrived, the attendant told me that the company would be picking them up in an hour. After the party had ended and everyone had left, the animals and attendant were still there and were not picked up until four hours after they were supposed to be picked up. When we had the attendant call again, she said they were getting gas. Then a half hour later we had the attendant call again and they said they "had to stop at a gas station," "the wind was preventing them from getting there sooner," "they had other jobs" and plenty of other excuses. Four large animals were left in an 8x8 (if it was even that big) enclosed area for 6 hours and we had to start feeding them fruit from the dessert table and they ate all the grass in the enclosure because they were not left with enough food. At one point the attendant tied one animal up because it was head butting the other animal. There was not enough room for these animals to move freely for hours. The animals were neglected, not healthy looking and treated poorly. Pony Express expects a 50% non-refundable deposit and then cash on arrival for the balance. When the trailer came I asked the man if he needed anything he said "just the balance" and left the attendant and animals. I wish I didn't pay them until they picked everything up. Because they were picked up after the party had ended and after and 3 hours after i had the venue booked, we incurred a late fee from the venue of $150. When I emailed Pony Express about wanting that amount refunded, they never responded. This is a terrible business and I'm pretty sure they are scammers. Do not book with this company. You will be very disappointed if you do. read more

Booked them through a google search ,they came on time , booked them for 1 hour , they stayed longer than an hour past there time for the kids which was cool ,paid the deposit and the other half up front , would def book again , my son loved it ! read more

Pony Express Entertainment - Party & Event Planning Near Me

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I have always wanted to have animals for my sons birthday but was having trouble finding someone willing to come out in November. A friend suggested Pony Express to me, and I'm so glad they did! I ordered pony rides, popcorn, and their biggest zoo for my sons party last week and it was amazing! Magic, the pony, was very sweet and didn't even mind the kids crowding his face to pet him. And the mini cow? So cute!!! All the animals were cute to be honest, and the parents had tons of fun with them too! My son still asks when the animals will be coming back I will definitely be contacting them for his birthday next year! read more

Should've done a deeper dive when my assistant confirmed Pony Express for my daughter's 4th birthday party. She confirmed again that week that we were all set and was assured they would be there. Morning of the party, I received a text that the "trailer broke down" (which it seems is their go to excuse) and they would need to reschedule (you can't reschedule a birthday party!!) or offer refund. Based on all of these other reviews it appears this must be an ongoing scam that Jackie has going on. When they were contacted to confirm, they just could've said they were double booked or had to cancel and we would've had 72 hours to figure out an alternative surprise. Instead I wound up spending ample hours before the party trying to find a solution which resulted in not being ready for guests and tears shed by both myself and my daughter that day. There is a special place in hell for a company that centers their business around surprising LITTLE GIRLS for their birthday and cancelling 50% of the time. read more

I attended a birthday party with my four year old daughter last Sunday, June 4. She was so excited. The party was supposed to have farm animals. The animal entertainment delayed/canceled with very short notice. My daughter was so disappointed and so was I. Very unprofessional of his business to do something like that very last minute. read more

Terrible...ruined my 4 year olds party! Had 30 children waiting for animals and no show! Called 5 minutes before they were suppose to be there giving me the same excuse yes I said the same excuse as last year that her trailer overheated! Seems to be a running excuse based on these most recent reviews. I should have known not to rebook her after she canceled on me last year as well. I did not need her last year did not have a huge party because of Covid but I did need her this year! When she called she was telling me she was even doing me a favor bringing the animals out in the heat before she broke down! A FAVOR! I was paying for a service there was no favor! The amount of money they charge if her trailer really overheats this much she should be able to repair it! 2 weeks now and still no refund on my money! e-mailed and called no response! read more

This does not merit 1 star, but this must be stated for all trusting & unsuspecting parents. The Pony Express Entertainment were paid UPFRONT for an event by an unsuspecting mother and then they proceeded NOT TO SHOW to her 3 year old daughter's birthday party! It's heartbreaking because it was the "one & only" request of her daughter for her birthday. I don't understand how anyone could claim to be in the business of entertaining children, charge for an event beforehand and then simply not show to a toddlers birthday. It is beyond cruel. There aren't any excuses for such an act...none. read more

Payed the deposit for my daughters 3rd bday party for the unicorn and got confirmation that we were all set. the day of the event they were supposed to come at 7pm. I waited until 7:15 to start calling/texting and they didn't even have the decency to even answer. Very disappointed as this was supposed to b the highlight of her party. read more

DO NOT BOOK WITH THEM. IT'S A SCAM. I booked a pony and a bouncy house for my daughter's first birthday with them. They never picked up their phones or answered emails after they took my money through Pay Pal. They are almost impossible to get a hold of after they take your money. The only time they called was to tell me some excuse that their car broke down an hour before the party and said they would be late. What kind of reputable business doesn't have a back-up plan (another car or an alternative to fix a car quickly) or doesn't leave early enough to plan for the unexpected? They never showed up at all and stopped answering my calls, emails and texts. I have been requesting a refund and have yet to receive one. It was more than a week ago and they are avoiding me. My husband got a hold of them once after calling from a different number and they said they would refund us in a few days because that's when they process their orders. That never happened. Not only did they ruin my little girl's first birthday, they also robbed me of my money and now I have to waste more time taking them to small claims court. They are rude, irresponsible and unresponsive. Do not book with them! I wish someone warned me. read more

Highly recommend! They seem like a Mom & Pop business but had all their ducks in a row. They were able to provide a ​certificate​ of insurance and help with acquiring​ a permit for the public park where we had the party. They almost always picked up the phone whenever I called. And the ​event was perfect! They showed up on-time, set-up quick, really cared about the condition of the grass. The Horse handler was amazing with children. He knew how to turn over-excited little boys into well-behaved horse-handlers and kept them out of harm's​ way​. The petting zoo was really fun too. Well kept/friendly animals. Our guests had a great time. read more

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It's raining out and the horses were scared and nervous!!! They were stressed. They didn't care for them. I could hear that one was crying and had a cough. C'mon there has to be a rule for this. The sound that they were making was not Pleasant to hear. If they don't know how to care for them properly..why use the animals like that... don't use them for anything. read more

This company defiantly exceeded my expectations. The owner came earlier which gave us some time to make the surprise that much better for my daughter. The horse, which we requested a white pony for her unicorn themed 10th Birthday, was exactly as pictured. The owners sprayed the horses hair purple, just like we requested. The owner was knowledgeable and friendly with all of our guest. We had around 20 kids and each child got to ride the pony more then once. The kids even got to feed the horse and really enjoy themselves. I would defiantly re-booked this company for future parties. read more

Pony Express Entertainment - Party & Event Planning Near Me

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Do not book with them! They tried to cancel last minute stating "their trailer broke down" but after multiple pleas from my daughter, they finally showed up 3 1/2 hrs late to my granddaughters birthday party!!! The white unicorn was filthy! I only gave them one star because they did finally show and took some money off the already ridiculous price. read more

Fantastic experience with the staff as well as the animals. Animals were well cared for, arrived on time, stayed longer than the one hour we had originally booked at no extra charge, and the handler was patient and very accommodating to the kids as well as the animals. If you want to give your child a unique birthday experience, I Highly recommend hiring Pony Express. read more

First let me start out by saying the horse handler and the pony were great. They arrived at 2pm as scheduled for my daughters birthday party. However, they were left at my house until 12am with just a bucket for water. This was completely unacceptable and unprofessional. They were scheduled from 2-3pm. The last guests left at 8pm and the horse was still there! As we were not comfortable leaving this poor girl outside all night since it was getting dark and cold out we felt obligated to invite a complete stranger into our home. Not only were they there for 10hrs I was left with piles of horse manure all over my yard since it was midnight when they arrived and only had flashlights. At 11pm the police were called to my house by a concerned neighbor regarding a horse making noise tied to a tree on my property. My 4yr old daughter wouldn't even go to sleep until 12am because there was a horse right outside her window. They arrived at midnight and all the answers I received were "there was traffic", "one of our vans broke down", "we had other jobs". I said for 10hrs and they said "yes for 10hrs". When I asked about the poor girl left here all day I was told "she's on the clock". Luckily for her we were very accommodating and offered her food, the use of our bathroom and our house to warm up. I also asked to speak to boss but apparently he didn't even have the decency to come over and apologize for the inconvenience or offer any kind of refund. Now I know why you asked for my money BEFORE you even stepped foot on my property at 2pm. The children weren't even allowed to ride the pony after 3pm because I only paid for an hour. This was one of the worst experiences I've ever had with a company. Completely unprofessional and rude. Do not take on so many jobs if you can't handle the work load. I generally do not leave reviews but felt this was warranted. I do not recommend them nor will I ever use them again. read more

Outstanding, reliable & respectful. My organization has been using this company for a few years now and I could not see us using anyone else. Workers are kid friendly but also keep safety first which is extremely important. The owners are absolutely amazing. I look forward to our event this year with the help of them! read more

SCAM, FRAUD! I hired pony express for my 3 year olds birthday party. They took a deposit in August for the party in October. Come the week of the party, I cannot get hold of anyone. I tried calling and emailing but got no response. Throughout the week of the party, I must of called hundreds of times. The number would bring you to either the company's voicemail, a guy named Pete, or a woman named Christine. All of the voicemails were full and u could not leave a message. I was forced to hire another company on two days notice as I wasn't willing to take the chance of Pony Express actually showing up. The day of the party came, and Pony Express didn't arrive. The fact that they were willing to ruin a child's birthday is truly disturbing. I hope this review is read prior to anybody else wasting their time and money on this fraudulent company. read more

Very happy with the service we received from Pony Express Entertainment. I was looking for a company to provide pony rides for my day camp of 270+ campers and I found the right company! Prior to our event they called to check in and confirm and were happy to accommodate our need for a fourth pony at the last minute! Very professional and easy to work with. Pony Express would be great for other day camps and birthday parties! read more

Pony Express provided an amazing experience for the Community Street Fair.Everyone was excited and happy to play on the games and pet the variety of animals. I will call them for future events read more

We were so happy with Pony Express Entertainment! We had a live Nativity at our Church and they were on time and fun to work with. The animals really added a lot to our celebration. I highly recommend them! read more

Don't let your child's party be ruined too!! Pony express was a nightmare to work with. They promised to deliver my tables and hay the night before my party and only delivered the hay at 10pm. They were supposed to arrive my 9am with animals and tables. By 9:30 no word from them I called frantic. I was told they were on their way. By 10 (start of my party) I called again to be told they were in a minor accident and they were working to get to us asap. Throughout the party I received no updates or apologies from the party company. I spent the party calling them to see if they would make it before the parties end. Eventually they showed up after the party ended with a pony my safe for kids to ride. They said they would pick up their hay the next day and never did. I've tried to call only to get a number with a mailbox full. No one has reached out to apologize or refund my deposit. My son was crushed. Will report to better business bureau. Do not use this company! Super shady. read more