The IHSA is a program for colleges in the U.S. and is designed to let those who attend college have the ability to ride horses. The US is divided into ones and those zones are divided into regions. Each college competes against other colleges within their region. Each college organizes a show and invites all other teams from their region. They provide an arena, judges, and even the horses that we ride, so you don't need to have a horse to join!

Here is a run down of a show day. We arrive as a team at the event and the team coach goes into a meeting to sign up its members and draw a horse for each member who is riding. The team coach will then tell each person who they are riding and there will be a list of the horses participating in the show posted somewhere. When you know your horses name you can go look at their description which will tell you what they look like and a little about their riding style. The horses will then be warmed up in the arena and you will have a chance to watch the horse you will ride later being ridden by someone else. Then there will be all the english or western classes. There will then be a lunch break and your coach will draw a new horse for your second ride. There will be a second warmup after lunch and then all the english or western classes will go again.

The classes are divided up into walk/trot, novice, intermediate, advance, and open based on your ability level. We decide your ability level and place you into a class when you first register with the IHSA with the individual membership placement form which asks you a series of questions to figure out your ability level. From there you can move up to higher levels of riding by getting 35 points during the show season. You get points by by placing in your classes and you get 7 points for first place, 5 for second, 4 for third, 3 for fourth, 2 for fifth, 1 for sixth, and 0 for any other placing.