Hobby Horse Competition Equipment for Show Day
Training kit and show kit are different purchases. A set of poles gets dragged round a garden; what a rider takes to a class has to look right standing still, survive a ten-hour day and behave predictably in front of a judge. This is the hobby horse competition equipment side of the range — what goes in the bag, not what stays in the garden.
What the Rules Actually Require
Less than most riders expect. Drawn from our competition rules, the hard requirements at almost every show are about the horse rather than the rider: a head that is firmly attached, a fitted bridle with reins you hold in your hand, and a stick with no sharp end. Printed-on bridles are not accepted in dressage or showmanship. Some championships add a minimum head size, usually around 25 cm nose to neck.
Every horse we sell already meets that: 74 cm stick with a capped end, firmly stuffed head measuring about 35 × 23 cm, bridle and reins fitted. Which class of head that puts you in is covered in our size guide.
What is banned
Loose parts. Rosettes, charms and clip-on decorations are normally prohibited in jumping because they can fall on the course, and allowed in freestyle and showmanship. Take the ribbon off the browband before a jumping round.
Turnout: What Riders Wear
Most reglements ask for neat sportswear rather than formal riding dress: dark leggings or breeches, a plain top, trainers with grip, hair tied back. Costumes belong in freestyle and showmanship — in jumping and dressage they are usually marked down under presentation.
Dressage and showmanship
This is where turnout is scored directly. A quarter-zip top or a show jacket, full-seat breeches, a velvet show hat and a crop held correctly is the complete picture. The hat is dress-up, not protection: hobby horsing is ridden on foot, and ours carries no safety certification, which we say plainly on its page.
Show jumping
Function over appearance. Trainers with real grip, nothing loose, and a horse whose mane will not tangle mid-round. Some organisers require a helmet for younger riders in jumping classes — check the schedule.
What to Pack
Your horse and a spare bridle, because buckles break at the worst moment. Trainers with grip and a second pair if the ground is wet. Tidy riding clothes. Your entry confirmation, printed. Water and food, because show days run ten hours or more. A needle and thread for repairs between classes. If you are aiming at a national event, the entry process is in our championship guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you need to compete in hobby horsing?
A hobby horse with a firmly attached head and a fitted bridle with reins, and neat sportswear. Everything else — crop, show hat, matching outfit — affects presentation scores rather than eligibility.
Is a riding helmet required in hobby horse competitions?
Not generally. The rider is on foot, so there is nothing to fall from. Some organisers ask younger riders to wear one in jumping classes, and a velvet show hat is worn in dressage and showmanship as turnout rather than protection.
Can I wear a costume?
In freestyle and showmanship, yes — creativity is part of the score there. In jumping and dressage a costume usually loses marks under presentation.
What gets a rider eliminated?
Taking the wrong fence, a second refusal in jumping, a third error of course in dressage, a horse that loses its head or bridle mid-round, leaving the arena before the final salute, and unsportsmanlike behaviour — which is enforced against spectators too.
Do adults compete?
Yes, and senior or open classes for 18 and over are standard. Adults dominate the highest jumping classes. More in adult riders.
How Classes Are Scored
Show jumping is objective: four penalties for a knockdown, four for a first refusal, elimination on a second at most shows, and time penalties for going over the time allowed. Clear rounds go to a jump-off against the clock. What separates riders at the top is not the fault count but the quality of the round — a steady rhythm between fences and a straight approach.
Dressage is a memorised test ridden in a 20 × 40 m arena marked with the standard letters, scored movement by movement out of ten and converted to a percentage. Above 60% is a solid round; above 70% wins most club shows. The points most commonly lost are the same everywhere: transitions that happen two metres past the marker, a centre line that drifts, and a canter whose footfall pattern collapses when the rider tires.
Freestyle is a choreographed routine to music, two to four minutes, judged on technical execution and artistic impression in roughly equal weight. This is the class where an unusual horse and a coordinated costume earn their keep.
