Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Oregon Portland Portland Horse Rings

Portland Horse Rings

Tiny horses tethered to antique rings are scattered around the city.

Portland, Oregon

Added By
Kerry Wolfe
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Toy horse tied to a sidewalk ring in Portland, Oregon.   piddix
A tiny mare and foal.   Francis Storr
A petite palomino horse.   Benjamin Chan
Tiny horse.   Michael Schwern
Headless horse.   Jim Fischer
Ring with out tethered horse   Captcurrent / Atlas Obscura User
At the corner of NW Overton St & NW 23rd Ave (In front of the Starbucks)   Linel / Atlas Obscura User
The herd has expanded to include non-horse members, too.   Francis Storr
  dbcoopersghost / Atlas Obscura User
November 2021…i had to bring my own horse. Alberta Street.   Qlyss / Atlas Obscura User
  ski queen / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Tiny horses have been taking over Portland's streets for decades. Look down, and you'll likely find some tethered to one of the antique horse rings scattered throughout the sidewalks.

Scott Wayne Indiana, a Portland resident, began tethering toy steeds to the horse rings in 2005. His quirky personal art project soon took off. Before long, other Portland residents were adding their own tiny horses to the herd. Now, many of the city’s horse rings have plastic ponies attached to them.

Locals have long been tethering toy horses to the rings scattered throughout the city. The trend shot off at a gallop after Indiana's Portland Horse Project gained traction. More than a decade since Indiana's first toy horses descended upon the streets, people still have yet to rein in their enthusiasm for the project. People leave treats, tack, hay, and riders for the little equines (and their occasional dinosaur friends). One Portland couple even got engaged after meeting because of one of the horses.

In addition to adding a fun touch of equine whimsy to the streets, the Portland Horse Project also preserves an often overlooked part of the city’s heritage. The horse rings date to the 19th and early 20th centuries and hark back to a time when horse-drawn carriages were the main method of transportation.

Over time, Portland began losing these small relics of its horsey history as construction tore up its streets and sidewalks. But in the 1970s, one of its residents began complaining about the lost rings and thus spurred their preservation. Now, the rusted circles are protected and must be replaced following any construction.

Related Tags

Horses Art Animals Statues Public Art

Community Contributors

Added By

Kerry Wolfe

Edited By

ski queen, Qlyss, Linel, dbcoopersghost...

  • ski queen
  • Qlyss
  • Linel
  • dbcoopersghost
  • Captcurrent
  • jsmalls

Published

February 20, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.facebook.com/pg/PortlandHorseProject/about/?ref=page_internal
  • http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/05/a_northwest_portland_couple_me.html
  • http://www.horsenation.com/2013/06/06/22-tiny-horses-tethered-to-the-streets-of-portland-oregon/
Portland Horse Rings
Portland, Oregon
United States
45.525101, -122.682171
Visit Website

Nearby Places

The Green Man of Portland

Portland, Oregon

miles away

Portland's Shanghai Tunnels

Portland, Oregon

miles away

Weather Machine

Portland, Oregon

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Portland

Portland

Oregon

Places 61
Stories 12

Nearby Places

The Green Man of Portland

Portland, Oregon

miles away

Portland's Shanghai Tunnels

Portland, Oregon

miles away

Weather Machine

Portland, Oregon

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Portland

Portland

Oregon

Places 61
Stories 12

Related Places

  • Wearing wellies, she’s striding forward with great purpose…

    Brisbane, Australia

    'Emblem'

    A colorful sculpture of an Australian symbol patrols an otherwise ordinary traffic island.

  • Statue of Captain Cook inside The Lighthouse: Tū Whenua-a-Kura

    Auckland, New Zealand

    'The Lighthouse: Tū Whenua-a-Kura'

    A neon-illuminated statue of James Cook at the edge of a historical Auckland wharf makes for an unexpected discovery.

  • One of the Twelve Stone faces.

    Torrig, Denmark

    Dodekalitten

    An air of mystery pervades this modern-day singing Stonehenge.

  • Kala Ghoda Statue

    Mumbai, India

    Kala Ghoda Statue

    A tribute to the area's namesake and King Edward VII.

  • Big Blue Bear

    Denver, Colorado

    Big Blue Bear

    Overlooking the Colorado Convention Center is this giant sculpture made from thousands of triangles.

  • ‘Bruin’

    Dundee, Scotland

    'Bruin'

    This monument depicts a harrowing event involving an escaped polar bear.

  • The Traveling Cow.

    Ventspils, Latvia

    The Cows of Ventspils

    The Latvian city of Ventspils is filled with dozens of cow statues showcasing unique themes.

  • Morris Frank and Buddy

    Morristown, New Jersey

    Morris Frank and Buddy

    A trompe-l'oeil statue honoring the first guide dog in North America.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.