Well eventing isn’t exactly for the faint of heart, so make sure you really know what you’re doing before you attempt that route too seriously.
[QUOTE=zaparaquah;7652626]
Of course that’s the plan, I don’t care if it’s glamorous. But I really do want to learn to jump as soon as possible because I’m also planning on doing a bit of eventing. So I just want to learn basic two-point, understand what’s expected, etc. so I’m prepared to advance when I get the chance.[/QUOTE]
If eventing is your end goal, I would find a barn outside of IHSA. College riding is great and has its advantages, and you will (hopefully) learn to jump, but I would not expect a college program to prepare you to event. Jumping is significantly more complex than a basic two-point - I think you will be surprised by the amount of finesse required to event or do any serious jumping. IHSA, unfortunately, does not require the more technical aspects of jumping.
In IHSA, they will give basic notes about the horses to your coach (Needs more contact, don’t fiddle, etc.) Your coach will have likely watched all of the horses and can give you hints. Also, talk to the horse holder. They usually know the horse well and can tell you about his quirks or what kind of ride he likes. The Walk/Trot and Walk/Trot/Canter horses should NOT be complicated rides. The judge will be looking for a solid basic position at these levels. Heels, tight leg, diagonals, and leads. Stay by yourself on the rail.
[QUOTE=OnDeck;7652638]
If eventing is your end goal, I would find a barn outside of IHSA. College riding is great and has its advantageous, and you will (hopefully) learn to jump, but I would not expect a college program to prepare you to event. Jumping is significantly more complex than a basic two-point - I think you will be surprised by the amount of finesse required to event or do any serious jumping outside of IHSA.[/QUOTE]
Ah, yes. I think IHSA will be a great way to meet people with similar interests and be involved with the school while improving my riding. However, I’m also going to be taking lessons at an eventing barn. Should have clarified that.
[QUOTE=zaparaquah;7652626]
Of course that’s the plan, I don’t care if it’s glamorous. But I really do want to learn to jump as soon as possible because I’m also planning on doing a bit of eventing. So I just want to learn basic two-point, understand what’s expected, etc. so I’m prepared to advance when I get the chance.[/QUOTE]
So go take a riding lesson from a hunter jumper trainer.
A lot of other people on the team will have several years head start, so now would be a good time.
OP-This isn’t your first go round on the BB. You have come back with some reasonable questions, but now again you are jumping off into an a new and different area.
My best advice to you is to keep your mouth shut, and your eyes and ears open. Aggravating the team coach or your team mates can be deadly.
[QUOTE=maddiehorse;7652144]
Here is a video of one of the previous winners of the Maclay Finals (one of the national championships) to get you started, you can google maclay finals for more videos and examples.[/QUOTE]
Just ride like this and you will win every class! 
But yes, there’s a difference between Hunters (judged on the horse, not important for you right now) and Equitation (the basis of IHSA where the rider is being judged).
In the lower IHSA levels, there’s no need to get a horse nice and round. Except for helping your sitting trot, it won’t make a difference in your placement. Ignore the hunter videos with round backs and loose reins, that’s an entirely different discipline.
Search IHSA videos on Youtube. If you want to know what the big girls and boys look like, watch Medal and Maclay videos like the ones posted above.
If you add “IHSA” into your post title, you might get more helpful posts. There are many of us on this board that have shown IHSA, and it’s really a whole different beast.
[QUOTE=maddiehorse;7652144]
First off hunters,jumpers,and equitation are all very different even though they are grouped together. Hunters is judged just on the horse, equitation is just judged on the rider and how they influence the horse, jumpers is just judged on who has the fastest clear round. Sounds like you will be doing equitation. Here is a video of one of the previous winners of the Maclay Finals (one of the national championships) to get you started, you can google maclay finals for more videos and examples. Have fun![/QUOTE]
Watching this video, you can see that the rider (Yes, this is equitation) has a light, slightly forward seat. She is quiet and balanced. She has a beautiful, quiet leg nicely under her hip and shoulder. Her hands are quiet and she uses a long release over the fences. She barely leans forward over the fence, instead allowing her hips to fold and close and open again and allows her horse to rise up to her maintaining a solid leg all the way up in contact with the animal and giving her a quiet upper body. It allows her to stay straight on the horse, engage her thigh and seat when needed lightly to influence the horse’s straightness without dramatic or unnecessary hand/arm/rein direction. Her hands are quiet, she maintains constant, steady contact for the horse to rely on yet does not get in his way in any manner. Her head is up, looking where she is going, but not dramatically turning, keeping the horse between her hands/legs. This is a lovely example of good equitation. She does not stick her bum in the air over a fence, she does not duck down and throw her hands forward, she does not perch over his neck or use a crest release showing a broken line between her shoulder, elbow hand, she shows a straight line, with unbroken contact.
That description is the general idea of good equitation you will want to go for. Watch for this in your instruction. Try not to copy other riders on your team, unless they truly are superior examples of how to ride top equitation.
Find and watch as many vids of top equitation riders you can find. Attend as many clinics as you possibly can. Lean on the rail, so to speak, and watch good equitation riders ride and eaves drop on their trainers, if you can politely. Learn to discriminate between what is good and what is not good. Learn the high standard of good riding, and use it as your benchmark when you look at another rider, or listen to a coach. And no, it is not insulting to recognize bad riding where you see it. Its the beginning of learning to be the best instead of copying the mediocre.
[QUOTE=OnDeck;7652638]
College riding is great and has its advantages, and you will (hopefully) learn to jump, but I would not expect a college program to prepare you to event. [/QUOTE]
I wouldn’t necessarily agree – I grew up riding dressage, rode hunters in college (b/c that’s what they had) and now event at T level.
I was lucky that my undergraduate school had excellent trainers. It was a surprise to be put in the “beginner” class at first since I took dressage lessons for 10 years, LOL, but there I learned there really is a big difference between disciplines, as well as pleasure riding vs. competitive riding.
My school was very serious and regularly win IHSA regionals, etc, and also, luckily, focused on correct, effective riding, and had wonderful school horses. I really did learn so much, as I only did a little jumping as a kid and had never gone into real technique other than “get in two point and hold mane.” So I became a much stronger, more correct rider and had a ton of fun! I also leased a friend’s horse so I could ride more often (didn’t have my own horse till I did it myself at 26, hee). I did not compete in IHSA, although it was because all of the riders on our team were, hmmmm, not my compatible personality type when it comes to people I want to spend time with, I’ll just leave it at that, ha. But I did our in-house schooling shows and some local off-site shows.
When I bought my horse, I intended to just pleasure ride and do some hunter schooling shows, but was coerced into an eventing clinic in 2007 and the rest is history. But my teachers in college definitely gave me the tools to transition easily to eventing.
The only downside was getting rid of a habitual “hunter perch” (damn you, hunters!! LOL!) once I got back in a dressage saddle, but I’d say some of that could be attributed to the fact I had not ridden dressage in, oh, about 13 years!!!
Now, at 35, I keep learning! There’s always more out there – and I think that is an element of good horsemanship, to me. Good riding is good riding, no matter what kind of saddle is under you and you can learn something from each. And it is important to be picky about your teachers and never be afraid to ask around for guidance (even, and especially, if the teacher doesn’t like it).
The thing about IHSA is that it varies school to school. And while you’ll advance, at depending on the team, they may see you most valuable as a beginning walk-trot rider and keep you showing there for as long as possible until there’s a spot to move up to walk-trot-canter, cross rails, etc. There are some IHSA programs that have a ton of very competitive, A-circuit riders while you have other IHSA programs that have all sorts of riders in the program.
I say by all means try the IHSA team on for size and see what you think. After about three months, I think you’ll get a good idea of where you stand and if you’re progressing as a rider/horseman. IHSA is not for everyone. It can provide wonderful opportunities if the right program for the right rider, but it can be completely wrong for a rider, too.
If you really want to do eventing, then it wouldn’t hurt to check out some eventing barns in the area. If you really want to try the hunter/jumper/equitation, it wouldn’t hurt to check out some hunter/jumper/equitation barns. Cover your bases. Go where there is the best trainer available. Good riding is good riding. Some of the best instruction I ever got was from an eventing trainer who was like a yogi to me for the eight or so lessons I had with him. Totally enlightening. And then I’ve worked with a trainer who had won plenty at Devon and indoors, and the most I got out of that experience was a glorified pony ride–and a drugged one, at that.
