Hobby-horsing, a sport made up mostly of Finnish teen girls, mimics traditional equestrian events, such as show jumping and dressage.
But rather than ride an actual horse, competitors straddle a horse head on a long stick, replete with glued-on eyes and manes.
Hobby-horsing also has a strong element of female empowerment, some riders say. Young girls are building their own scene and setting their own terms, free of strict standards and the scrutiny of official committees.
“No boys are coming and saying what we need to do, or bossing around,” Alisa Aarniomaki, 20, told the Associated Press. “I think hobby-horsing has a feministic agenda.”
About 10,000 people, nearly all of them tweens and teens, are thought to be involved in Finland’s hobby horsing scene, though no official statistics exist.