Are you a varsity sport?

  No, right now we have club sport status at Rice, which entitles us to only a very limited amount of funding. Thus, we cannot recruit members or offer scholarships.

Do you need a horse? If I have one, can I bring him?

No, the IHSA format makes owning a horse unnecessary. If you want to bring your horse, there are several local stables that could accommodate you, including All Heart Horse Farm and Blue Fox Farms.

Where do you ride?

Our hunt seat team currently trains with Heidi Zeimer at All Heart Horse Farm and Teri Bludworth at Blue Fox Farms. Both All Heart and Blue Fox are located 15 minutes from Rice; members usually carpool to the barn together. Our western riders train with David Lawerence at David Lawerence Quarter Horses. His barn is located in Tomball, about a 45 minute drive from Rice. Lessons are set up on an individual basis, but most members take group lessons. During show season, weekly lessons are required for all beginner, intermediate, and novice riders. Lessons are not required for open or advanced level riders, but highly recommended. You can call (713) 515-1261 to set up lessons with Heidi, (713) 731-1193 to set up lessons with Teri, or (281) 351-7433 to set up lessons with David. If you for some reason cannot make a scheduled lesson, you must call and cancel with at least 48 hours notice, or you will be responsible for the cost of the lesson.

How do the IHSA shows work and where are they held?

The shows are held at OSU in Stillwater, OK and at Texas A&M in College Station, TX. The college hosting the show provides all the horses for the competition; which are then randomly drawn by the riders in each class 20 minutes before the class is to begin. You get no practice on the horse which you are to show. The classes are judged solely on your equitation, not the horses ability or talent.

Do I need riding experience to join?

No! IHSA has divisions for the very beginner to the very advanced. We are open to anyone who wishes to join.

What kind of equipment would I need?

Since the host college provides the horses, you do not need any tack. For English riders, youll need a pair of beige or khaki breeches, a long-sleeved hunt shirt (any color but white), a dark navy, brown, or grey hunt coat, field boots, gloves, and an ASTM approved helmet. Western riders need a pair of boots (no lace ups), a pair of chaps with matching pants, an equitation shirt or vest, a western hat (felt, no straw), and gloves. If you are just starting out, you can probably borrow clothing from teammates before you decide to make the somewhat substantial investment of show clothing. All clothing must be approved by the team coach and/or captain.

What kind of costs are involved?

 It depends on the amount of funding we get next year from Rice, but most likely you'll still have to pay for your own lessons and attire. Lessons are $45 a session and a set of attire can cost anywhere from $400 to $1400. There are no club dues. The team usually pays for airline tickets to the show, hotel accomodations at the show, and entry fees.

What if I ride dressage/eventing/rodeo, can I still compete?

Yes, although IHSA only offers only hunt seat and western classes. You might be surprised how well your skills from other disciplines cross over into western and hunt-seat.

How do I get more information/join?

E-mail the club president, Heather Griffis (eqteam@rice.edu), and she'll get you set up!