Hesse: Jumping with a hobby horse – Hobby Horsing becoming increasingly popular

Hesse
Jumping with a hobby horse – Hobby Horsing is becoming increasingly popular

12.09.2024, 01:29

Riding without a horse is a popular pastime. The whole thing is called hobby horsing and instead of sitting on a real animal, people use a hobby horse. The ambitions are great.

Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) – The trend apparently comes from Finland and is also becoming more popular in Germany: Hobby Horsing. However, this is not about a real horse, but one made of wood and fabric. Because instead of four animal legs, you gallop or jump on two human legs.

This weekend (September 14th/15th) the German Hobby Horsing Championships are taking place in Frankfurt. Around 280 participants are competing for several titles, as the President of the German Hobby Horsing Association, Kay Schumann, explained. They are competing in three categories: timed jumping, style jumping and dressage. “Each discipline requires a unique combination of precision, timing and elegance,” it was said.

Creativity, play and fun are the focus

But what exactly is hobby horsing about? Basically, elements from equestrian sports, such as dressage or show jumping, are recreated using hobby horses. These are often homemade, and the stick is shorter than on historical hobby horses to allow for more freedom of movement.

“Hobby horse riding gets children moving and at the same time gets them excited about horses,” says the website of the SV Blau Gelb club in Darmstadt. With hobby horsing, clubs can offer children something even “when there is no school horse or no space in a riding lesson,” added Lianne Dagan from the Hesse Equestrian Association. The hobby horses are often cared for in the same way and children can learn a lot before they perhaps come into contact with the real animals. But it is also clear that “hobby horsing is not horse riding.” And it is also no substitute for horse riding. “Dealing with a live animal is something very special,” said Dagan.

High demand for tickets

The response to the championships in Frankfurt has been great: According to the information, over 1,500 tickets have been sold or allocated for both days. The participants, who are mostly children and young people, compete in five age groups. Schumann is even the first German championships in hobby horsing to be held by an association.

In addition to the official competitions, there will be open competitions, for which a few international hobby horse riders have also announced their participation. The following will be on offer: gallop races, high jump, dressage with handicaps and timed jumping.

Some adults can also be enthusiastic

For association president Schumann, the hobby of horsing is much more than just a game for children. “More and more adults are getting excited about it,” he said. The 49-year-old from Osterode am Harz (Lower Saxony) became aware of it through his daughter. He is now a hobby horseman himself, trainer and judge at competitions. “It is a strenuous sport that demands a lot from the body.”

In Finland, it has long been known for curious events such as the Air Guitar World Championship or wife-carrying, which have been hobby horsing competitions for many years. In recent years, the trend has also come to Germany via social media such as Instagram and YouTube. In September 2023, the German Hobby Horsing Association was finally founded, which currently has 750 members.

“We hope, of course, that the championships will make the hobby of horsing even more well-known – and that we will be taken seriously,” said Schumann. In recent years, more and more people have jumped on the trend. “We are now a quickly recognized sport.” And the hobby horsers have a big goal: “Our wish is to take part in the Olympic Games at some point.”