Start a hobby horse club
All you really need is a hall or a field, a couple of committed grown-ups and a few hobby horses. This guide walks you through the essentials — and you can register your interest so our team can help you launch.
Want the step-by-step version first? Read our guide to starting a hobby horse club
Why start a club?
Build a local community
Bring together riders, parents and volunteers, and give children a friendly place to belong every week.
Get children active outdoors
Hobby horsing mixes athletics, creativity and animal care — low cost, low pressure and brilliant fun.
Grow the sport
New clubs are how hobby horsing spreads. Your sessions today become tomorrow's county competitions.
National support
Once listed on the Hub, families can find you on the map, follow your events and message you directly.
Basic requirements
- Two or more responsible adults to lead sessions (ideally one first-aid trained).
- A safe space to ride — a hall, field, sports pitch or quiet paddock.
- A simple club name, contact email and a way to take bookings or enquiries.
- Basic policies: safeguarding, code of conduct, accident recording and photography consent.
- Public liability insurance in place before your first public session.
- A membership or session fee structure, even if it's free to start.
Insurance guidance
- Arrange public liability insurance (commonly £5m–£10m cover) before opening to the public.
- Ask providers for youth sports / community group cover — mention hobby horsing is non-equine, athletics-style activity.
- Check whether your venue's own insurance covers hired groups; most require you to hold your own.
- Add personal accident cover for volunteers and coaches if your budget allows.
- Keep certificates, risk assessments and an accident book with you at every session.
Safeguarding considerations
- Appoint a named Safeguarding Lead and a deputy, and share their contact details with families.
- Enhanced DBS checks for adults working unsupervised with under-18s.
- Keep an adult-to-child ratio appropriate to age (younger groups need more supervision).
- Written parental consent for participation, photography and emergency medical treatment.
- Clear anti-bullying and behaviour policies, plus a simple way to report concerns.
- Never allow one-to-one unsupervised contact; use two-adult rules for changing areas and transport.
This guidance is a starting point, not legal advice. Always confirm insurance and safeguarding requirements with your provider, venue and local authority. See our community guidelines for the standards we expect from listed clubs.
Venue ideas
- Village halls and community centres
- School halls, gyms and playing fields
- Scout and Guide huts
- Leisure centre sports halls
- Indoor equestrian arenas out of hours
- Public parks (check council permissions)
- Church halls and community gardens
- Farm barns and covered yards
Look for a flat, non-slip surface with room to run a short course, somewhere for parents to wait, parking and accessible toilets. Browse our national venue directory for hobby-horse-friendly spaces near you.
Equipment checklist
- Hobby horses (encourage riders to bring their own; keep 2–3 spares)
- Adjustable show jumps, poles and cups (or safe DIY equivalents)
- Cones, markers and dressage letters
- Tape measure and jump height chart
- Stopwatch or timing app, whistle and bell
- Rosettes, certificates and stickers
- First aid kit, accident book and emergency contact folder
- Register, name badges and lanyards
- Water, cups and a shaded rest area
- Storage boxes and a trolley for kit
Register your interest
Tell us a little about you and we'll store your details securely for our club support team. We only use them to help you get started.