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

• Published in: Journal of equine veterinary science 2024-08, Vol.139, p.105146, Article 105146
• Main Authors: Price, Hannah A., Logan, Alyssa A., Snyder, Alyson J., Higgins, Ariel H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Body condition score; Breed; demographic statistics; Equestrian; horses; University; veterinary medicine
• ISSN: 0737-0806
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2024.105146

•Horses are randomly drawn in Intercollegiate Horse Show Association competitions.•Horse BCS, age, height, and weight were weakly correlated with performance.•Use of artificial aids (whip or crop) did not impact points acquired.•Random draw appears adequate at minimizing horse-factor preferences in performance. 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.