The IHSA was developed to allow student riders of any skill level or economic background to be able to compete and succeed at their own levels of skill and experience. Only about half of the regions offer competition in western horsemanship. Horses and Tack Teams do not move horses to shows. Riders from all colleges ride horses provided by the host college, drawing lots for mounts.
Riders draw whatever tack happens to be on the horse they've drawn.
All IHSA shows are judged by AHSA Hunt Seat Equitation approved judges or AQHA judges for western horsemanship and reining. The locations and dates of shows are determined by the Regional President and are widely variable from one region to the next. In the northeast most shows are indoors and are held throughout the school year, while in the Rocky Mountain states shows are in the fall and spring so as to avoid winter travel, and the south and west commonly have outdoor shows. Individual Scoring Each ribbon is worth a point value to the winner. When a rider scores enough points to qualify for the regional championships, he or she moves to the next higher level for the remainder of the year, returning to compete at the lower level at Regionals.