When we travel to a show, we ride horses belonging to the hosting school or barn. The horses you ride in your classes are chosen by a lottery system. We ride horses we have never seen before and are judged on our equitation. Yes, this sounds a bit scary if you're used to showing in the AHSA, however, the horses are usually great, and it works out to be a blast. Within IHSA, there are six divisions of ability, into which riders are placed by our coach according to their riding experience.
Divisions range from walk-trot for beginning riders to open equitation for the most advanced riders.
Only riders at the novice, intermediate, and open levels compete over fences. Scoring is done on a point system, each ribbon carries a certain number of points. Riders advance through the divisions by acquiring points, usually 35 to move up to the next level. For more information, visit the IHSA Home Page .