Hobby horsing is a real sport — show-jumping and dressage courses ridden on horses you craft yourself. We're bringing the herd to Northeast Florida.
Yes, they're horses on sticks. No, it isn't just for kids.
Hobby horsing started in Finland and has grown into a genuine athletic sport with national and world championships. Riders run and leap through real show-jumping courses and perform dressage routines — the athleticism is in the human, not the horse.
Every horse is handmade, so no two are alike. It's part sport, part craft, part community — and you don't need a barn, a trailer, or a single riding lesson to start. You just need a horse and somewhere to gallop.
A handcrafted stick horse is your gear. We'll help you build one.
Show jumping, dressage, and freestyle — we teach the patterns.
Practice meetups, friendly comps, and the occasional rosette.
From your first wobbly canter to clearing a full course — there's a lane for everyone in the herd.
Clear a course of jumps against the clock — knock a rail and it costs you.
Precision, rhythm, and flair through a set pattern. Elegance scores points.
Your routine, your music, your rules. The most creative event in the sport.
Build your own horse from scratch — felt, fabric, and a lot of mane.
This herd is built to be welcoming. Come as you are — no experience, no gear, no pressure.
The heart of the sport worldwide. A confidence-builder that's active, social, and genuinely fun.
Adult classes are real. Bring the cardio, the craft nerd, or the horse-lover who never got the barn.
Never heard of it until five minutes ago? Perfect. Most of us started exactly there.
We're gathering the founding herd right now and lining up a launch meetup on the First Coast. Add your name and you'll be first to know the date, place, and how to join.
Save my spotMeetups will move around the region so no one has to travel far — think parks, arenas, and community spaces from Jacksonville down to St. Augustine.
Like every hobby horsing group, we run relaxed meetups and structured competitions. Here's the difference, plus what to have with you.
Relaxed, open sessions to try the course at your own pace. Borrow one of our horses, ride as much or as little as you like. Free or low-cost, and no registration needed — perfect for first-timers.
Structured show-jumping and dressage classes with judging, scores, and real rosettes. These follow set rules and need advance sign-up, so everyone gets a fair, organized ride.
The horse is half the fun — and making one is a craft all its own. Come to a craft day, or start at home with a sock, a stick, and a fistful of yarn for the mane. We'll bring the templates and the glue guns.
Get the craft-day invite
Every good hobby horsing site runs on photos. As we ride, this fills up with real shots of our meetups, comps, and handmade horses.
Drop photos at images/gallery-1.jpg through gallery-8.jpg and they appear here automatically.
Everything a first-time rider needs, plus how to plug into the wider hobby horsing world and help the herd grow.
You don't need a horse to start — borrow one at your first meetup. When you're ready for your own, make one at a craft day or buy from a maker. Handmade horses also turn up in our Marketplace.
Hobby horsing has a growing national and global community. These are great places to learn the sport and follow bigger competitions.
Meetups are casual and open — just show up. Competitions are judged and need advance sign-up. Either way, we teach the courses and patterns on the day, so you're never thrown in cold.
A group this new grows on volunteers. No experience needed — we'll train you. If any of these sound like you, get in touch.
A few shops our herd loves — and that have my daughter's stamp of approval. We link straight to each shop, so your purchase supports the maker directly.
The one-stop shop: horses in every color and breed (sizes XS–M), plus halters, bridles, blankets, jumps, sticks, and even build-your-own and made-from-your-photo options. The most beginner-friendly place to kit out completely.
Visit shop →Sparkly browbands, rope halters, bridles, and bonnets to dress up your horse, plus made-to-order horses. Six years and over a thousand happy riders behind it — the place for finishing touches.
Visit shop →Handmade horses in classic coat patterns — pinto, palomino, dapple grey — sized A5 to A4, some with matching halters and blankets. An Etsy Star Seller with lovely detailing.
Visit shop →Characterful handmade horses — including fjord and konik types built for show jumping. A newer shop earning glowing five-star reviews for horses that look just like their photos.
Visit shop →Drop your details and we'll send you meetup dates, craft-day invites, and everything you need for your first ride. No spam, no pressure — just the herd.
None at all. Hobby horsing has nothing to do with riding a real horse — the skills are running, jumping, balance, and a bit of showmanship. Plenty of our herd have never been near a barn.
Nope. Kids and teens are the biggest part of the sport globally, but there are adult classes and grown-up riders everywhere. Families ride together all the time — bring the whole stable.
Meetups are casual, open, and usually free — show up, borrow a horse, and try the course with no pressure. Competitions are structured, judged, and need advance registration, with classes in show jumping and dressage and real rosettes on the line. New riders almost always start at meetups.
Not for your first meetup — we'll have horses you can borrow. When you're ready to make your own, we run craft days and can point you to templates and materials.
(Set your pricing here.) Most local hobby horsing groups keep casual meetups free or low-cost, with small fees only for organized competitions. We'll keep the barrier to entry as low as we can.
We rotate around Northeast Florida — Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Amelia Island, and the beaches — so travel stays fair for everyone. Join the herd and we'll send exact locations as each meetup is set.