Anonymous
03/29/2026 12:46
Subject: Re:Experience with IHSA Equestrian Teams?
I competed on an IHSA team my first year of college. It was through an amazing barn with awesome school horses and trainers. But I stopped after one year - surprised my family and myself, as the riding team was a priority when I picked my college.
I just wasn't into it. I was a barn rat all through middle and high school, and I missed those close friendships and unstructured barn time. I didn't give the riding team a lot of time in terms of trying to form friendships, as I was fortunate enough to have landed in a suite with a nice bunch of non-horse girls I bonded with quickly. I preferred to hang with them on weekends vs go to horse shows (I grew up loving horse show time).
Later on at college once I had a car, I found a non-paying gig exercising polo ponies which I did for two years.
Not the way I initially expected to scratch my horse itch when I went off the college.
I just wasn't into it. I was a barn rat all through middle and high school, and I missed those close friendships and unstructured barn time. I didn't give the riding team a lot of time in terms of trying to form friendships, as I was fortunate enough to have landed in a suite with a nice bunch of non-horse girls I bonded with quickly. I preferred to hang with them on weekends vs go to horse shows (I grew up loving horse show time).
Later on at college once I had a car, I found a non-paying gig exercising polo ponies which I did for two years.
Not the way I initially expected to scratch my horse itch when I went off the college.
Anonymous
03/29/2026 11:29
Subject: Experience with IHSA Equestrian Teams?
^ was "not" their jam.
Anonymous
03/29/2026 11:29
Subject: Experience with IHSA Equestrian Teams?
OP - I wish I had experience with those schools, but I don't.
I do have OLD IHSA experience. The 90s at a large flagship public. I was a Big Eq kid before college.
I loved it! It was the whole school year, so it kept me engaged and riding. I met my core friends through it. I was fine with set up, of go to a horse show, draw a horse, get on and go. But for some other riders that came to school with extensive prior competition it was their jam, and either turned down a spot or slowly rolled off.
Wherever your daughter ends up she should definitely try it for a full year to see if the experience and set up will work for her.
I do have OLD IHSA experience. The 90s at a large flagship public. I was a Big Eq kid before college.
I loved it! It was the whole school year, so it kept me engaged and riding. I met my core friends through it. I was fine with set up, of go to a horse show, draw a horse, get on and go. But for some other riders that came to school with extensive prior competition it was their jam, and either turned down a spot or slowly rolled off.
Wherever your daughter ends up she should definitely try it for a full year to see if the experience and set up will work for her.
Anonymous
03/28/2026 22:25
Subject: Experience with IHSA Equestrian Teams?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I say this as someone who sought out an IHSA team, don’t go to a college for the IHSA team. Maybe your dd will have a different experience but I hated it and quit after a year. I was also high point in my region and showed at nationals in the Cacchione Cup. My daughter also barely stuck it out a year.
PP can you elaborate? Was the coach not great? Team cliquey?
DP but college equestrian generally is just kind of weird. The horses are wonderful souls but not very high quality. They all have a reason they're in that job and not just off being regular show horses. The format is weird. It's more a fun thing to do than a path to anything. If you want to ride in college, I would think the barn would be more important than the team. And really, the other schools who host competitions in your region are just as important, because you ride their horses when you get there.
Anonymous
03/28/2026 22:16
Subject: Experience with IHSA Equestrian Teams?
^ Smith does have a team, it’s at a barn off campus and seems to be pretty robust. I will have her ask about the possibility of riding at MHC as a Smith student, too, bc MHC offers her discipline & Smith doesn’t. Good idea, thanks!
Anonymous
03/28/2026 21:42
Subject: Experience with IHSA Equestrian Teams?
Anonymous wrote:OP here- D26 has her acceptances and will be doing admitted student visits over the next 2 weeks. Any feedback on the following IHSA teams would be very much appreciated:
Hamilton
Vassar
Dickinson
Oberlin
Smith
Mt. Holyoke (this one is probably coming off the list, their price tag is double compared to the above schools)
Does Smith still have one? I know thy closed their on campus barn several years ago, but they may have moved it off campus. Amazing school and if she wants all women, she would have great opportunities outside of riding. In theory, she could go to Smith and do the MHC club team through the five college consortium, but I would double check and not rely on my musing. MHC program is amazing and their facility is great, but I don’t know the politics. I would not pick a school based on IHSA. My daughter did IHSA at a school not on your list and quit after the first year. She just did not find it fun. Honestly, her personal horse was so much nicer than the IHSA ones and she jumped much higher than what IHSA offers. She had some fun on the team, but found it cliquey and did not love the coach (who definitely played favorites).
Anonymous
03/28/2026 14:41
Subject: Experience with IHSA Equestrian Teams?
OP here- D26 has her acceptances and will be doing admitted student visits over the next 2 weeks. Any feedback on the following IHSA teams would be very much appreciated:
Hamilton
Vassar
Dickinson
Oberlin
Smith
Mt. Holyoke (this one is probably coming off the list, their price tag is double compared to the above schools)
Hamilton
Vassar
Dickinson
Oberlin
Smith
Mt. Holyoke (this one is probably coming off the list, their price tag is double compared to the above schools)
Anonymous
01/04/2026 22:17
Subject: Experience with IHSA Equestrian Teams?
Anonymous wrote:I say this as someone who sought out an IHSA team, don’t go to a college for the IHSA team. Maybe your dd will have a different experience but I hated it and quit after a year. I was also high point in my region and showed at nationals in the Cacchione Cup. My daughter also barely stuck it out a year.
PP can you elaborate? Was the coach not great? Team cliquey?
Anonymous
11/26/2025 22:56
Subject: Experience with IHSA Equestrian Teams?
^ This is good advice, I appreciate it. DD will definitely be considering fit and academics ahead of the IHSA team. I see lots of kids at our local flagship who start out on the team and transition to private lessons at a nearby barn after a year. Just trying to gain some insight on which programs are friendly & inclusive vs. clicquey and overly competitive. Disappointing to hear Mt Holyoke is cliquey, it seemed very friendly when she visited.
Anonymous
11/26/2025 22:23
Subject: Experience with IHSA Equestrian Teams?
I say this as someone who sought out an IHSA team, don’t go to a college for the IHSA team. Maybe your dd will have a different experience but I hated it and quit after a year. I was also high point in my region and showed at nationals in the Cacchione Cup. My daughter also barely stuck it out a year.
Anonymous
11/26/2025 19:50
Subject: Experience with IHSA Equestrian Teams?
Believe Holy Cross has IHSA team. HC is a top 25 SLAC.
Anonymous
11/26/2025 19:40
Subject: Re:Experience with IHSA Equestrian Teams?
Skidmore?
Anonymous
11/26/2025 17:27
Subject: Experience with IHSA Equestrian Teams?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Randolph Macon college has their own equestrian center.
Does Randolph-Macon still have that? I was under the impression it closed after JT Tallon died, God rest his soul. Such a talented and nice trainer! I used to show there often, they had a regional Medal Finals there in the fall.[/quote
]https://www.rmc.edu/campus-life/clubs/college-equestrian-team/equestrian-center/