A pole fitness instructor has started a new party business featuring a mystical celebrity unicorn.

Claire Economou, from Gravesend, came up with the idea of Wish Upon a Pony parties in lockdown after deciding to venture into something more "unique".

Claire talks about how the business came about

Horse lover Claire already had animals of her own, and when a friend asked for her help to find a pony to dress up as a unicorn for a TV show, the idea took off.

The 37-year-old said: "It just sort of evolved. A friend asked for a unicorn but they wanted [my other horse] Joey, but I said that is not going to work because he is chestnut.

"Then little Henny came along and I thought that he was the perfect unicorn – like he was meant to be – and the rest is history.

"He was such a hit that I realised he would make the perfect unicorn to add to my pony party business."

The horse went on to appear in the Channel 4 documentary The Pet Talent Agency: Barking Mad, which followed the Dover-based company as they secured animals advert and TV deals.

Henny is a five-year-old American miniature horse and Claire originally bought him after looking for a pony for her daughter, Sophia.

She added: "I went to see him and fell in love. Even more so, once I realised Sophia and Henny were born on the same day and year.

"I transformed him into Henny The Unicorn, I gave him a rainbow mane and tail and added beautiful glitter hooves."

To create the unicorn look, the fitness instructor uses non-toxic and equine-friendly chalk from My Happy Equine to paint his mane and tail the colours of the rainbow and ensures it is all safe.

It lasts a couple of days before it fades and can be re-applied or washed out. Henny is even a brand ambassador for the company.

Claire said: "The colours in his mane and tail have caused quite a lot of controversy in the past. It just washes in and washes out.

"I had my vet come out the other day and he said it was the best thing he has seen in ages."

She also uses an equine hoof polish on his hooves and then dabs it with glitter when tacky to create the magical look – again all using safe products.

But it is not as easy as it may sound to start a company using animals, Claire explained, as you need to have a licence and go through a lot of checks.

She added: "It took me a year to get my licence and that was really hard to get. A lot of people do not realise that when they hire horses and they get it cheap. There is a reason why you pay a little bit more for quality.

"It is extremely thorough and rightly so. I am working with children and animals."

Claire holds a full licence from Gravesham Borough Council for the keeping and training of animals for exhibition, her horses are also all vetted, their stables checked and she is insured.

She also completes a risk assessment before taking Henny into any parties to ensure his and the children's safety.

Claire has been running her other business, Claire's Pole Fitness based in Crayford, for 15 years but wanted to switch things up.

She said: "I have had my other businesses such a long time, I was just looking for something different.

"I do not think I am going to be doing pole fitness forever.

"I often get told that it is an amazing idea. It started during lockdown so has not had a real chance to bloom. This is our year though."

A unicorn meet-and-greet party is £190 for an hour and allows children to hold Henny's lead and make wishes, give him a lot of fuss and attention and take photos. They have also visited care homes, hospices and schools.

She also runs two-hour sessions with her 29-year-old Welsh Section B horse Joey.

Wish Upon A Pony closed throughout the winter months from November to allow the horses to have a break and reopened in April.