A demographic and performance assessment of horses used in draw-based Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association competitions

Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) competitions evaluate riders on equitation and skills when riding randomly drawn horses. This study considered demographic and competition-related variables of horses involved in IHSA competitions, and their correlation to performance through points accumulated. Demographics were recorded for fifty-nine horses in two-day Hunter Seat and Western IHSA shows along with use of artificial riding aids, day of competition, number of rides, and points, to evaluate performance. Data were analyzed using a mixed effect model and correlation coefficients with significance set at P < 0.05 (SAS 9.4). Hunter Seat horses averaged more rides per day than Western (P < 0.0001), but points per ride were not different between disciplines (P = 0.57) or days of shows (P = 0.47). Use of artificial aids did not impact points per ride a horse accumulated (P = 0.63 Hunter Seat, P = 0.41 Western). Age, (r = -0.10, P = 0.60; r = 0.02, P = 0.90), BCS (r = 0.15, P = 0.42; r = 0.17, P = 0.34), height (r = 0.20, P = 0.28; r = 0.15, P = 0.39), and weight (r = 0.23, P = 0.23; r = 0.20, P = 0.25) were weakly correlated with points earned for Hunter Seat and Western horses, respectively. Random draw in IHSA is suggested to be effective for equitation competitions, allowing a fair opportunity for riders, regardless of the horse-related factors evaluated in this study.