In today’s post, the second in our Meet the Ponies series, we shine the spotlight on Banjo, our fastest, bravest, and smartest party pony.
In the wild
Horses and ponies that live in the wild form herds. This natural instinct means they are more likely to survive in times of trouble. This is because they have more pairs of eyes to watch for danger, and they can gallop away from predators in a split second. Even horses and ponies that are domesticated still retain this instinct. Our party ponies live as a herd in the paddock, which means they feel safe and happy.

Pecking order
Just like chooks, ponies have a pecking order. This means the fastest, bravest and smartest pony is the boss. In our pony herd, Banjo is the boss. If you are a party pony that is not quite so fast or brave, you have your place as well, either as number 2, number 3, number 4, etc. down the line. But someone has to be the lowest in the pecking order. So the ponies play games with each other to work out who is in what position. The size of the pony doesn’t make any difference. It depends on the ponies temperament and how assertive they are. Banjo happens to be the biggest pony, however the second in charge is Wombat, our miniature pony. If Banjo is out at a pony party or taking someone for a ride, Wombat is the boss of all the ponies left behind!

Responsibility
Being the boss means you have advantages. Therefore you get to drink at the trough first, and the others have to wait their turn. And because you are the fastest, bravest and smartest, you are first in line at the feed buckets! But with advantage comes responsibility. In our pony herd, being the boss means Banjo is responsible for the safety of the other party ponies. He has to make sure they are all together and safe. Banjo takes this responsibility very seriously.

The fastest party pony
When we take children and the party ponies on a forest ride, Banjo always likes to be first. He walks fast so he is in the front. He wants to check out the scenery before the others do, and get to the green, juicy grass before the others see it.

Our bravest party pony
Our bravest party pony is Banjo, and he knows that if the ponies are all together then they are safe. If one of them is out of sight, he neighs loudly so they know where to come. If they don’t respond, Banjo will gallop around until he finds them.

The smartest party pony
Banjo thinks he is really good, and when he’s finished eating his breakfast, he picks up the bucket in his mouth, and tosses it to the side. He also knows how to open the car boot, and when no one is looking, he will have a sneak peak to see if there is anything tasty inside! He is our smartest party pony!
With some of his fans. Waiting for Santa.
Age: 16 years
Size: 12.2 hands
Colour: Bay with white socks
Peculiarities of this party pony
Banjo loves scratching himself on trees! During a break at an event, he took advantage of a nearby tree to scratch on, and it looks like he is a party pony jiving to the music!
Would you like to book Banjo for your Pony Party? Send us an enquiry.
Banjo the unicorn. Banjo the party boy.
Find out more about Melbourne’s Pony Parties. Meet our other ponies Rainbow Cassie and Wombat.
Poem for Peanuts Tips on hosting your own pony party First pony ride? Pony Parties for grown-ups