Hobby horsing is a sport[1] and a hobby with gymnastic elements which uses hobby horses, also known as stick horses.[2][3] Movement sequences similar to those in show jumping or dressage are partly simulated in courses, without real horses being used. The participants predominantly use self-made hobby horses.[4][5][6]
The sport was introduced to a wider public through Selma Vilhunen's 2017 film Keppihevosten vallankumous (Hobbyhorse Revolution),[7] which won two awards at the 2017 Tampere Film Festival.[8]
In Finland, the country of origin of the sport,[9] an annual national championship is held in addition to regional competitions. This sport, which can be classified as a fun, active and trendy hobby, is particularly popular with girls and young women between the ages of 12 and 18[6] years[10] and is gaining popularity beyond the other Nordic countries in other parts of Europe. The hobby had spread to Australia by 2016,[11] and the first Australian national championship was held in Queensland in 2024.[12]
Reception
While the sport may be perceived more as a childish pastime by "real riders," Fred Sundwall, secretary general of the Finnish Equestrian Federation, views it positively: "We think it's just wonderful that hobby horsing has become a phenomenon and so popular." "It gives kids and teenagers who don't have horses a chance to interact with them outside of stables and riding schools."[13][14]
A 2022 article in the British equestrian magazine Horse & Hound said that in the UK hobbyhorsing takes place occasionally as a novelty charity fundraising or Pony Club event but that "hobbyhorse competitions are probably more likely to be seen as a bit of fun at a school sports day than as a serious competition".[6]
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