The Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) was founded in 1967 from a design by Robert E. Cacchione, a sophomore student at Fairleigh-Dickinson College in New Jersey. The association was founded on the principle that any college student should be able to participate in horse shows regardless of economic means. The emphasis continues to be on learning, sportsmanship and teamwork. IHSA competitions have eliminated the expense of shipping horses and even owning horses to enable all students to participate.
Starting with just two competing colleges, the IHSA has grown to include 370 member colleges in 47 states and parts of Canada. More than 8700 riders participate in Hunter Seat Equitation, Western Horsemanship and Reining events. The IHSA is the premier student equestrian sports body in North America, continuing a long tradition of love and respect for horses.
Caption: Jumping is a direct descendent of the jumping contests in which military officers showed off militarily important riding maneuvers and tested their ability to train and control their mounts.
No one can point to exactly where the sport of horse jumping originated. Horse shows are about traditions and form that originated with military horsemanship, training horses and riders for mounted warfare. The sport is a direct descendent of the jumping contests where military officers showed off militarily important riding maneuvers and tested their ability to train and control their mounts. Special traditional clothing and the wearing of hats derived directly from military uniforms and the requirement of wearing helmets and head coverings.
Show jumping or stadium jumping, as it was originally called, has been part of the Olympic games since 1912. The sport has been about speed and skill, but strict conformity to tradition has always been an important part.
Early show jumping courses included barriers made of hedges, flower pots, even parked cars and boats. Recently concern in course design has turned to care for the safety of the horse and rider. Show jumping courses employ light weight materials and breakaway and collapsible rails that do not constitute a hazard.
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