RECRUITMENT

There is a Google Form application for the team that will be posted in the coming weeks and from there we invite those that are a good fit for the team to try out.

IHSA (Intercollegiate Horse Show Association) is the governing organization through which we compete against other colleges. IHSA welcomes beginners through advanced riders. All genders compete against each other. Horses are furnished by host colleges and are chosen randomly by drawing lots. The use of personal tack is not allowed and schooling is not permitted. The format tests the horsemanship of the athletes based on their ability to ride an unfamiliar horse on the flat and over fences (if applicable). Riders are placed in a division based on their riding and show experience. Please visit ihsainc.com to learn more about how IHSA works and the division placement criteria!

No. Texas Equestrian is affiliated with UT only in the capacity of a student organization/club. We do not receive funding for scholarships or recruitment from the university. Costs of riding and competing are primarily funded internally from member fees, with supplemental external funding through partnerships that helps us to cover team costs such as travel.

We train at Bee Cave Riding Center, owned by our head coach Kathy Slack. It is about a 35 minute drive from campus.

No, we practice on horses owned by our trainer Kathy Slack and horses are provided by host colleges and drawn at random at IHSA shows. If you have your own horse and are interested in bringing them with you, please contact us and we will connect you with our trainer for further discussion.

That’s totally fine! We arrange carpools to and from the barn, socials, and shows.

While prior horse experience certainly helps, you do not need to have riding experience to join. The IHSA divisions range from Introductory (showing on the flat at the walk and trot) to Open (showing on the flat/over fences at the 2’9 height).

Tryouts are typically held around Labor Day weekend, and are an opportunity for our coaches to assess your riding ability.

We require members to lesson at least once a week, and strongly encourage flatting independently when your schedule allows. For riding, expect each trip to the barn to take about 3 hours. Most of our members ride 2 or more times per week. We also have socials, which are fun team bonding events, and meetings which are mandatory to attend. These events happen on average about once a week.

Regular season shows are hosted twice per semester by a different college in our region. We compete in IHSA Zone 5 Region 4. We typically host one of the shows, and then travel to compete at the other ones. These shows are Saturday and Sunday and are usually a whole weekend commitment. Depending on the show, two to three riders will compete per division. Regionals is a qualifying day of showing that you acquire points towards throughout the season. Zones and then Nationals are held for the top riders in each division. Read more on ihsainc.com.

As we all know, horses are not cheap! We are extremely lucky to train at an amazing facility that offers us a discounted rate for lessons, and we also try to fundraise and facilitate partnerships for external funding as much as we can. We pay a lesson tuition fee and a membership fee each semester, which covers the cost of riding and membership on the team. There is also an entry fee and coaching fee associated with showing. The exact amounts for these fees can change from year to year, so please attend an info session for a more detailed answer.