Hobby Horse, to put yourself in his shoes

Hobby horse riding is a sport that originated in Finland, a land where it has a crazy following, especially among youngsters, so much so that it has a community of more than 10,000 enthusiasts among its ranks.

This activity consists of performing show jumping and dressage routines of increasing difficulty, riding… a broomstick with a horse’s head at the end, obviously a stuffed horse, complete with ears, mane and reins.

This para-equestrian speciality has for years been part of the habits of children in northern Europe as well as in England, so much so that last September at the Bury Farm Equestrian Centre in Luton, north London, world hobby horse championships were held.

This reality, which, until recently, we did not know about except for a few amusing videos ‘scrolled’ on social networks, is now powerfully making its way into the Italian and international equestrian paradigm.

Like all novelties, hobby horsemanship is not exempt from arousing controversy and perplexity. However, it is worth emphasising the potential of this new discipline that, from 2025, we will also begin to see practised in our own equestrian centres.

Approaching riding

Often, those who are unfamiliar with this world see it as distant from their own, one might say another reality. And yet the equestrian world is rich and varied and, above all, full of enthusiasts who love to spend their days outdoors surrounded by nature. In short, a bit like what we all hope young people do, of whom all too often we only notice the propensity to isolate themselves behind screens.

It is not so automatic, however, that a parent who is not a horse-lover would push his or her child towards this sport seen as expensive and dangerous. Here we say that the hobby horse, which is definitely cheaper and allows one to keep one’s feet on the ground, can be a first approach for curious neophytes.

Then the stable will do the rest, as a place for socialising, animals, nature and laughter. In short, why not see this new activity as an opportunity to bring more and more young and very young people closer to our beloved world of horses? After all, the very long queue of children ready to compete in the reserved area of Fieracavalli could be a clue in this respect.

As if I were him

There is also another educational aspect to horse riding, and that is to be, for once, the horse. It is the kids riding their pony-snouted broom who are, of course, having to engage in the shooting, with the changes of gait, with the need to be precise in preparing and executing the scheduled figures precisely to the required letter.

Just as it is the children who have to jump, realising how much effort the horse has to make, how easy it is to throw down a barrier, how much a well-done turn and approach can make a difference. In short, it’s a fun and engaging way to put oneself in the horses’ shoes and, perhaps, learn to respect them more, paying more attention to technique.

But that heat…

The advantages of this fun discipline are many and not to be underestimated; indeed, it can be a resource for basic riding with the aim of getting ‘hobbyists’ interested in horses in the flesh.

Yes, because it can be done as if it were a show jumping course or a dressage round, maybe even a cross, why not tomorrow, but there is one piece missing… the other piece of the heart of this sport, the horse, which is precisely what makes our sport unique in the world. So welcome to the hobby horse if even a child, who starts out for fun, decides he prefers the riding school to the IPhone!

Elena Pecora

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