Small farm with pony & horse riding and farm animals. Nax (Valais, Switzerland)
The "it" factor
What makes it special:
What needs to be considered:
The farm is quite small
The Little Happiness Farm (Ferme du Petit Bonheur) in Nax - impressions video
The fun factor
The highlights of the Ferme du Petit Bonheur are the pony and horse rides. Important - you have to book your rides in advance. There is not always someone at the farm to discuss it in person and no option to do it via email (no internet around the farm) - best is just to call.
Katia, who runs the farm, is in the habit of adopting horses and ponies that are abandoned or no longer wanted. They then retrain them properly and treat them very well. Our almost 4 year-old absolutely loved her 30-minute pony ride around the village and the contact with the animal. The size of the pony is perfect for tiny people
On specific days you can also take advantage of one of the adventures offered by the Little Happiness Farm in Nax. For kids they offer rides with "pancakes party", Robin Hood ride with archery and a treasure hunt. More advanced riders can opt for a two-day riding adventures and adults can even combine the rides with local food & wine tastings. We haven't tried these but would love to come back and check them out.
Tip - helmets are not provided so bring your own.
After the ride, you can go on a small walk around the Ferme du Petit Bonheur to meet the animals. Our favorites were the cute little bunnies, who were keen to engage and eat grass out of our toddler's hand. There are also chicken, geese, guinea pigs, sheep and more. Each animal has an information table in English and French if you want to learn more about them. The farm is rather small and unless you get stuck on a specific bunny for an hour like we did (they are too cute!) 30 minutes are enough.
On specific days The Little Happiness farm in Nax also organizes immersion activities, where kids feed and look after the animals together with the staff. If you are interested, we recommend to call and ask for details.
The food factor
As it is a farm, they also sell food. We went for their mutton sausages (merguez). They come in frozen packs of 12 and we enjoyed them very much on a barbecue later on. They also have seasonal foods - ask for what is available.
The value factor
In 2023 they asked for 12 CHF for a 30 minutes pony ride / walk around the village but we gave more as we felt it was absolutely worth it. Our guide was very nice and explained a lot about ponies and the local area. Part of it was in english but he clearly felt more comfortable in french.
We really loved our visit to the farm as we felt it to be very genuine and run by people who are passionate about what they do and put their heart into it.
Practical info
Ferme du Petit Bonheur Address: Rte de Pramylon 2, 1973 Nax
Make sure you book in advance
Some of the activities are available only on specific days. Check in advance
You can only pay with cash (there's an ATM no too far away in the village)
It's a great activity to combine with a stay at the alp safari, a tour of the underground lake, a visit to an amusement park Happyland or Sion