A Quick Guide to IHSA
When showing in college, we compete in IHSA, the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association. IHSA is based on equitation riding, both on the flat and over fences. There are divisions ranging from Walk-Trot to Open in two disciplines: Hunter Seat Equitation and Hunter Seat Equitation over Fences. Within our region, we will participate in about 8 shows over the course of two semesters. Shows are held in a similar way that “meets” are held for other school sports, with colleges from within our region coming to compete against us, both as individuals and as a team as a whole. USEF Hunter Seat Equitation approved judges will judge all IHSA shows.
Each team competes in a Region within a Zone. Our team competes in Zone 4 Region 1 against other schools such as American University, Goucher College, Towson University, Hood College, Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, George Washington University, George Mason University, Georgetown University, and Mount St. Mary’s University.
HORSES & TACK:
In IHSA, each team’s coach will randomly draw a horse for their members to ride, taking in certain considerations such as height and weight for safety reasons. The horses are provided by the hosting college, although another school may trailer extra horses if need be, as decided by the coaches. The host school will provide the tack and required equipment; riders are not allowed to touch any of the tack except for adjusting their stirrups of their assigned mount. If tack needs to be adjusted, the horse’s handler from the host school will do so. Riders are not permitted to school their mounts, so the host college provides a “horse description list” to better inform riders. You mount up, adjust your stirrups, and then enter the ring to show!
SCORING:
Scoring is done on both an individual and a team basis. Riders earn ribbons for their performance place, and those ribbons correspond to a point amount that is added up for the rider. Certain riders, called Point-Riders, will have their points added into the team total, to count towards the team’s overall score compared to other showing colleges in attendance. There is one Point-Rider per division. They are chosen by the team’s coach but nobody knows who is the point rider until the day of the show when scores are posted on a bulletin board. If you are not a Point-Rider, your points will contribute to your individual ranking and progress to the next level but not towards the team’s overall ranking.
