Our Guide: THH Horse Show and Country Fair

Want to meet a therapy horse and its friends? Here are 5 things to know before you go.

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If your kids love riding ponies and want to learn more about horseback riding, mark your calendars for the THH Horse Show and Country Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, May 18, at Therapeutic Horsemanship of Hawaiʻi, adjacent to the Waimānalo Polo Field Arena. 

This event is a fundraiser for THH, which specializes in riding instruction for people with special needs. The program also brings mini horses to people who cannot visit the Waimānalo property, due to physical or financial constraints.

Our 5 Tips

1. Be ready for outdoor fun. Dress in comfortable clothes, slather on sunscreen and bring sunglasses and hats for protection. Closed-toed shoes are a good idea, since there are horses on the property. There will be portable bathrooms and mobile hand-washing facilities on-site. But bring hand wipes and sanitizer to clean off your keiki, especially after touching animals.

2. Arrive before 10 a.m. The horse show—featuring riders as young as 4 years old—begins at 10 a.m. and is about 90 minutes long. But if your keiki want to participate in keiki activities first, get there as early as 9 a.m. That’s when the petting zoo and pony rides start (riders must be at least 4 years old). The keiki games also begin at 9 a.m. and include a ring and bean-bag toss, soccer ball kick and polo ball whack. All keiki activities end at 2 p.m.

3. Bring cash. Scrip will be sold for $1 each. Pony rides are 4 scrip per ride, and keiki games are 1 scrip each. Keiki can play inside inflatable bouncers for free. You also might want to buy lunch from a food truck selling shrimp plates, burgers and other yummy dishes.

4. Plan your route. The entrance to the property can be easy to miss from Kalanianaʻole Highway. Click here for detailed driving directions from Hawaiʻi Kai, the H-3 freeway and Pali Highway. As you enter the property from the highway, please do not use the polo field’s gate. Instead, enter through the Makapuʻu gate bearing THH signs. For the safety of animals and children, please observe the 5 mph speed limit while inside the property. Parking attendants will be on-site to help.

5. Meet Tammi’s friends. Does the horse in the above picture look familiar? Therapeutic Horsemanship of Hawaiʻi was featured on the Spring 2019 cover of HONOLULU Family. Our Cover Kid Penelope rode a horse named Tammi and met a mini named Kamalani. Your keiki can meet these gentle creatures and other animals on the property, too!

The THH Horse Show and Country Fair is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, May 18, at the Waimānalo Polo Field Arena, 41-1062 Kalanianaʻole Highway, Waimānalo. Therapeutic Horsemanship of Hawaiʻi, thhwamanalo.org, (808) 342-9036.