Irvine Park Pony and Horse Rides

My daughter absolutley loves the pony rides. The owner Paul is so sweet and great with the kids, horses are always gentle and well taken care of. We always have an enjoyable experience and love that the horses are on a leash and not connected to a metal pole going around in a small circle all tightly together as some other pony rides are (which we wont ride as we feel that is cruel). Irvine Park is AMAZING for toddlers and kids, love love love this place!

Located inside Irvine park very close to the train. My daughter loves to come here and ride the ponies. The staff is hot and cold. Some days they are super nice and friendly and sometimes they look at you like I really don’t want to be here or help you.
We will continue to come back because she has fun.

I recently visited Irvine Park with my two children. I was very impressed with the entire park with the exception of the pony rides. The staff was incredibly rude. The gentleman running things was on his phone arguing with someone for over 20 minutes. He was short tempered and rude. The girls were indifferent. The entire experience was not worth the wait. If you happen to visit this park avoid the pony rides.

Pony ride is $ 5 per child, sounds great but it lasts 1 minute. The kids did two laps around and that’s it.
The train was the same thing, very uneventful, $ 15 for 3 of us. Took you in a small loop to see nothing and came back.
The zoo is well worth the $ 2 per person however.

Very disappointed with the staff! My family and I were visiting the park, we had planned to ride the trains, pony ride, feed the ducks, and play on the jungle gym (toddler size). We got to the park early and waited along the pony ride for the train. My son was asking about the ponies and I tried to reassure him and asked the young ladies about the difference in their size. One of them made a snide comment, «they are these size because they only grow to this size… and that one bites» WTH I explained to my son (age 3) that some are ponies and some are miniature ponies. A simple and sweet answer to a basic question He started pulling me away, «no ponies, no ponies». Thanks alot rude employee! NOTE: don’t keep ponies that bite– It freaks kids out!!! And learn to be kind to your potential customers!
On a positive note: good & ample parking. Didn’t smell bad. And the ponies looked well cared for.

As a youngster I worked at the pony ride when it was owned by Louie Meier (late 60’s). Back then it was .50 for five times around the ring. Walk, Trot or Canter. What great memories. It was obvious which kids were cursed with the «I love horses» gene. Also spent some time taking «dudes» out on the trails when the stables were owned by the Parham family. Great park and great memories.

We recently visited this park and it wasn’t what we expected. There were not many people here. We rode the train and all we could see where dead plants. We did pony rides and the kids got to do 2 laps and and then were rushed off to get the next people on. I would have to say the good part of this park was the bike riding as we got to go at our own pace but there really was not much to see but people having their parties and picnics.
Would not recommend this place as our kids did not have much fun here. I’ve been to other parks that have had more to offer.

We just got through doing the Pony Walking. Walking the Ponies are not for big kids… five and older may not be able to walk the ponies. You must check height at booth. I’m not sure about Pony Trotting.
The cost is $ 5 (cash only) and its totally fun for the kiddies. But, if there is a line there will be a long wait. The kids get impatient easily and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Don’t count on this place to honor their «business hours». Today’s the second time they refused to sell us a ticket more than an hour before the posted closing time. The owner/​operator told me he’s got another job at 5PM so he needs to be out of here by 4:30PM. Really? You’d rather honor a second job and turn away many customers right in front of you? Broke my daughter’s heart. NEVER coming back again.

My son took his first pony ride here. Cost is $ 5 per child and there is an option of walk or trot. There are height minimums/​maximums depending on your choice. The walk option gives you 3 laps and the trot option gives you 2 laps.
My son had a good time. This horse was pretty tame and calm and from what I could tell the other horses were the same. Hubby pulled the horse along while I took photos.

Excellent place for children to enjoy ponies. I have been taking my children here the past 9 years and always had a fun experience. When the children get older, they can ride the trot ponies let by an experienced rider.
Highly recommend!

I have a 4-​year-​old daughter and she had been asking me to take her to ride a horse. She had been on the little go-​in-​a-​circle ponies at the fair before, so I know she wanted more than that, but she isn’t quite ready for equestrian camp, ya know? So I looked for a place where she could ride a kid-​friendly horse and still feel like she got to do something special.
We went last Saturday (7÷20÷2013) to Irvine Regional Park because it seemed like exactly what I was looking for. A lot of the Unilocal reviews stated it was only a few dollars for three laps around the track.
It ended up being $ 5 for only two laps, plus $ 5 to enter the park. So it was $ 10 for roughly 7 minutes of entertainment. I lean toward the 3-​star end of things, BUT, my daughter thought it was awesome which was the whole point. So for her sake, they get a 4-​star rating from me.
The dude at the ticket counter was nice. The horses were super mellow, so much so that they almost seemed sad or something, but I am no horse whisperer so I don’t know. There were clear signs on the fence that said not to pet the horses as they may bite, which did alarm me a little bit but the one my daughter rode, Patches, seemed gentle and she thought he was great.
I would probably do it again if I was going to make a day of it at the park, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to go there again just for the pony rides. And I would probably buy her two tickets so she could go more than twice around the track.
But all in all, my daughter was stoked and that’s all that matters in this case. Great little activity for the young ones.

our baby fell in love with riding horses here. fell in love with horses overall. the first time he ever cried for something that he wanted was here, cause he wanted to ride a horse. the look of absolute contentment on his face when he got what he wanted was such a precious moment. that’s when I realized this baby has a mind of its own now.
rides can get pricey so I use the entertainment book coupon for a buy 1 get 1 free. also for the train rides. makes it a bit more affordable cause 1 round is never enough.

Kids as young as 1 can ride on the ponies. There are separate sides for «walkers» and «trotters» so the very young kids and the older kids can have individualized experiences. The cost is $ 5. The horses and ponies are on loose leads and they walk at their own pace around a secured area. For the walking side, a parent needs to walk holding the lead. The ponies and horses are very gentle. Worth the cost for the experience, especially if it’s a special thing to do just once in a while.

My boys are now both big enough to ride the horses. That means they get to go a little bit faster. I think they both enjoyed the experience.
There are a few things that keep this attraction from getting four stars from me. First, they raised their prices. A couple years ago it was $ 2 for a short ride. Now, it is $ 4. That is not enough to break the bank, but it is still double the price I was expecting to pay.
Second, the horses look pretty depressed. I hope they treat these animals well.
The staff is okay. No enthusiastic, but they make sure the kids are strapped into the saddle so there is not much chance of falling. It would be great if the staff just gave the kids a pointer or two like hold the reins here and squeeze with your knees.
Oh well, what can you expect for $ 4?

My girls loved it it could get a little dusty but its all worth it. They are a separate business than the train co. so their tickets can’t be used here but it’s only $ 4 a ride

My sons love this place. They have a walking side and a trotting side. The kids get three laps for the $ 4, so it’s worth the price. You do have to walk your own kid on the walking side, so don’t wear heels. (Okay, I know… you’re thinking, who wears heels to a park. It’s Orange County, and several moms had on heeled sandals and boots.) It would be nice if they opened on time, though.
They only take cash, but there is an ATM by the train station.

My daughter absolutely fell in love with the horse riding. Its cheap, but short. The smell is a bit noxious in the «stables» but the kids absolutely adore the rides. They have special saddles built to hold a kid properly in place. They do about 3 – 4 circuits of a 100 yd course so almost a ¼ mile for about $ 4. Every kid who goes on it has a big grin from ear to ear. This kind of happiness is a Godsend for parents who want to treat their kids to something special.
For the little tykes they have a pony walk at the same price where you can lead a pony around a shorter course a few times allowing the tot to sway with the movement.
These are both great introductions to animals for kids.

This is a really nice place for a families or just a day out in nature.
It has everything from pony rides for kids to horses for adults, bike rentals and paddle boat rentals.
A very large park with lake for great picnic and fun! I’ll have to make a trip back here every summer!

The Sound of Ponies and Horsies is the Sound of Music to Kids!
Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Horsies and Railroads you don’t have to google
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things
When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad
A pony ride cures all. A great and fun activity that your child will remember for life. The simple things in life are what matter most.
These ponies and horsies are close by and cheap. A few bucks. You do have to pay for the park entrance which is cheap. This is also a great place for Birthday parties. Enjoy the Park. These ponies and horsies will bring love, laughter and fun to any child 1 and over. Yes, the minimal age is 1. Just a few bucks!
Horsy and Pony rides at Irvine Park in Orange… another reason the OC is the best place to live!