Hobbies · Sports
Animals & keeping
Hobbies built around caring for, training or working with animals.
Fishkeeping
HobbyKeeping a freshwater or marine aquarium — which is really the practice of keeping water, with fish as the beneficiaries.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
Dog training
HobbyTeaching a dog to live well with people — a genuine skill with a contested literature and a surprising amount of law attached.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
Smallholding
HobbyWorking a few acres with livestock and crops — the scale between a garden and a farm, and the registrations nobody mentions.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
Goat keeping
HobbyKeeping goats at home — the registration nobody expects, what goats actually need, and the honest commitment before any of the pleasure.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
Horse riding
SportHobbyLearning to ride — the routes in, what it honestly costs, and the horsemanship that comes with it, from a page that stops short of the horse’s care.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Also in this category
Classified but not yet written up.
64 activities in the catalogue, 5 written up so far.
Alpaca keeping
HobbyKeeping alpacas for fleece, walking or grazing, which suits small acreages.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ant keeping
HobbyKeeping ant colonies in formicaria and watching a superorganism develop over years.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Aquaponics
HobbyRunning a fish tank and a growing bed as one nitrogen cycle.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Aquascaping
HobbyCraftDesigning planted underwater landscapes in an aquarium, competitively.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bantam keeping
HobbyKeeping the small breeds, which suit gardens too small for large fowl.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Beekeeping
HobbyKeeping honeybee colonies through the year, and the honey that follows.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bikejoring
SportBeing towed on a bike by one or two harnessed dogs, on forest track rather than road.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bioactive vivarium keeping
HobbyBuilding self-cleaning enclosures with live plants and a clean-up crew of invertebrates.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Birdsong recording
HobbyField recording of bird and wildlife sound, halfway between birdwatching and audio work.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cage bird showing
HobbyBreeding and exhibiting budgerigars, canaries and finches to breed standards.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Canary breeding
HobbyBreeding canaries for type, colour or song, each a separate tradition.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Canicross
SportRunning attached to your dog by a bungee line and harness.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Carriage driving
SportHobbyDriving harnessed horses to a vehicle, competitively or for pleasure, with its own licensing culture.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cat showing
HobbyBreeding and exhibiting pedigree cats to standard at judged shows.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cavy showing
HobbyBreeding and exhibiting guinea pigs to standard — a distinct fancy from rabbits.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Chicken keeping
HobbyKeeping hens in a garden for eggs, and everything that comes with them.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Competitive sheep shearing
SportHobbyShearing against the clock and on quality, judged in graded competition classes.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dog agility
SportGuiding a dog around an obstacle course at speed, on voice and body cues.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dog showing
HobbyExhibiting dogs against a breed standard, with its own handling craft and circuit.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dressage
SportRiding a horse through precise judged movements at a marked arena.
Over £1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Endurance riding
SportLong-distance competitive riding with veterinary checks that decide as much as speed does.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Equestrian vaulting
SportGymnastics performed on a cantering horse on the lunge, judged as a team or individual routine.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Eventing
SportDressage, cross-country and showjumping on one horse over one competition, at every level from unaffiliated up.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Falconry
HobbyKeeping and hunting with birds of prey, under substantial legal and welfare duties.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Fancy pigeon keeping
HobbyKeeping and showing ornamental pigeon breeds, distinct from racing them.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Fancy rat keeping
HobbyKeeping and sometimes exhibiting fancy rats, which are kept for temperament as much as looks.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ferret keeping
HobbyKeeping working or pet ferrets, with their own housing and handling requirements.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Flyball
SportRelay racing for dog teams over hurdles to a ball box.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Garden pond keeping
HobbyBuilding and maintaining an outdoor pond, for wildlife or for fish.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Honey showing
HobbyPreparing and exhibiting honey, wax and mead in show classes.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Horse showing
SportIn-hand and ridden classes judged on conformation, way of going and turnout rather than a clock.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Horseball
SportA mounted team ball sport, part rugby and part basketball, played at a canter.
Over £1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hound trailing
HobbySportRacing hounds over a laid aniseed trail across open fell, a Cumbrian sport.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Isopod keeping
HobbyKeeping and breeding woodlice for colour morphs and as vivarium clean-up crews.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Koi keeping
HobbyKeeping koi in a filtered outdoor pond, judged on form and pattern at shows.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mantis keeping
HobbyKeeping praying mantids, which need live food and careful humidity.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mounted games
SportFast relay races on ponies with batons, poles and vaulting mounts, run by clubs across all ages.
Over £1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pig keeping
HobbyRaising a few pigs, usually on a rotation of ground, at smallholding scale.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pigeon racing
HobbySportBreeding, training and racing homing pigeons over hundreds of miles.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Planted aquariums
HobbyGrowing aquatic plants as the point of the tank, balancing light, carbon and nutrients.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Polo
SportA mounted stick-and-ball team game on ponies, with a real amateur and university entry route.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Poultry showing
HobbyBreeding and conditioning birds to a published standard and exhibiting them at shows.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Quail keeping
HobbyKeeping quail for eggs in a small space, considerably easier than chickens for a suburban garden.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rabbit hopping
HobbySportTraining rabbits over a course of jumps, a Scandinavian sport now run in Britain.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rabbit showing
HobbyBreeding and exhibiting rabbits to breed standards at judged shows.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Reptile keeping
HobbyKeeping reptiles and amphibians, with exacting heat, light and humidity needs.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Saddlery
CraftMaking and repairing riding tack in leather, a trade craft with a live apprenticeship route.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Search and rescue dog handling
HobbyTraining and working a search dog to national assessment standard, which takes years with one dog.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sheep keeping
HobbyKeeping a small flock, often of a rare or primitive breed, on a few acres.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sheepdog training
SportTraining and trialling working collies on livestock.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Show pigeon breeding
HobbyBreeding and exhibiting fancy pigeon breeds, distinct from racing them.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Showjumping
SportRiding a horse over a course of fences against the clock and the faults.
Over £1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Shrimp keeping
HobbyKeeping freshwater shrimp, where water parameters matter far more than in a fish tank.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Skijoring
SportBeing pulled on skis by dogs or a horse, which is two sports learned at once.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Top-bar beekeeping
HobbyKeeping bees in horizontal hives on natural comb, a lower-intervention alternative to framed hives.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Turkey keeping
HobbyRaising turkeys on a smallholding scale, usually seasonally.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Waterfowl keeping
HobbyKeeping ducks and geese, which need water and forage rather than a run.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Western riding
SportThe stock-horse tradition — reining, trail and western dressage — ridden one-handed on a loose rein.
Over £1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wormery keeping
HobbyComposting kitchen waste with worms, which works indoors and in a flat.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet