Small children run between their legs, kids try to mount backwards, and necks are grasped and smothered with sticky kisses, but party ponies happily jump into the trailer the next time the work whistle blows.

Pony boss Tamara Dumont of Newcastle, Calif., says it can be a dirty job for both the ponies and their handlers.

“Bubble gum in manes, sticky hands, and all sorts of ‘accidents,’ ” Dumont recounts.

Party Pony Chex and his human coworkers.

Training for a professional pony can take from one to two years, and Dumont occasionally comes across a pony not suited to the job.

“The ponies that make it in this business do it for two reasons: some want to please our family, and some flat out love the work,” Dumont noted.

Larry Goss, DVM, of Animal Medical Center in Auburn, Calif., attends to the needs of the working Dumont ponies. He said he firmly believes in jobs for horses, of all sizes.

“The more they work, the happier they are,” he noted of the party ponies.

Joyce Chartier of Choyse Party Ponies in Palm City, Fla., points out a special reason for the job.

“I bring horses to those who would not otherwise have the chance to ride or even touch a horse,” she said.

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