6921 Wildlife Trl, Raleigh, NC 27613
Dead Broke Farm is a horse stable that offers one-time trail rides instead of requiring you to sign up for a series of horseback riding lessons. Located on over 110 acres off of Creedmoor Road, you’ll enjoy your trail riding excursion through a shaded forest and rolling hills. They also offer guided rides for kids age 6 and under, and birthday party packages for the horse-lover in your family!
I’ll preface my review by stating that we only attended a birthday party here and did not host one or even participate in a trail ride. Birthday party packages can include a horseback ride, but our host opted not to do that portion since we had a lot of kids under the age of 5. Instead, we just hung out on the farm and fed the horses. At the end of the party we had a scheduled time to sit on the horses for a photo op, which was all we needed for the 2, 3, and 4 year old’s in our group!
Our party host had scheduled this party at Dead Broke Farms without actually seeing the space, so I thought this review would be helpful for those of you who are considering doing the same!
Party Space
If you want a pretty hands-off party space, then Dead Broke Farms is your place! You are given free reign of the picnic tables and playground, which are located right near the horse pen. We were able to pet and feed the horses as much as we wanted throughout the party. There is no party attendant, so you are on your own. However, when you have your scheduled time with the horses there will be a horse-handler present for everyone’s safety.
There are 6 plastic picnic tables setup right next to the playground. There’s plenty of guest seating and table space for your party food. Just keep in mind that you are right next to the horses, which have a pretty strong smell! 💩 It’s an authentic farm experience, porta-potty and all! It may not be the most appetizing, but the kids were in heaven and it didn’t phase them one bit! 😂
The whole space is surrounded with trees so there’s plenty of shade. We were celebrating an October birthday, so it was such a nice space to hang out with leaves falling all around you.
Feed the Horses
There were four horses in the pens right beside us throughout the party, and we brought bags of carrots and apples to hand feed them. Some of the horses were a little picky, but the black horse ate just about everything we gave him! All of the horses seemed to enjoy the apples the most, and our group went through a full bag much quicker than we anticipated. Definitely stock up on the horse treats!
Playground
The playground is a hand-built wooden structure. There are a couple slides, monkey bars, and swings. They even had one of the horse-shaped tire swings that we loved at Page Farms! All of the kids stayed on the playground most of the time we were there, so it’s a great addition to the farm!
Party tip: The monkey bars are also a great spot to hang a piñata, which was the popular party game of the day!
Horse Back Rides
While we were there for the party, we saw lots of people gearing up for trail rides. According to the website, a trail ride is $65/person for a one hour ride, but group discounts are available. You can get all of the rates, times, and even reserve your ride on the website. You can use a credit card to pay your balance online, but the rest of the payment is due in cash at the time of the ride. This goes for birthday parties as well.
As I mentioned before, our party did not include a horseback ride so I can’t really speak on how those go. Your party package includes 2 horses for an hour, so instead of riding we just sat on them and took pictures. I’m sure most parties opt for the trail ride, but since those last 20 minutes you are only able to accommodate 6 riders in an hour. If you have more riders than that, you will have to pay $60 per horse. So, this would really only work for a smaller party.
Instead of only offering the long trail ride I really wish they had a circle they could just hand-lead the kids around on the horses, like what you see at the fair. But I’m sure that’s because I still have small kids that can’t handle a 20 minute ride. If you have older kids who can ride on their own I’m sure this is a great option!
Do you have a horse-lover in your family? Take them on a trail ride or schedule your horse party today!