The coach will contact you at a later date to let you know when the first meeting is scheduled to fill out horse and rider registration forms. Do I need a horse to be a member of the Hanover-Horton Equestrian Team? Anyone can be on the Hanover-Horton Equestrian Team. There are two types of members - Riding members and Grooms (Non-Riding members). Grooms are responsible for assisting riders as they
prepare for competition and participating as a non- competing team member. Members who want to ride must have access to a horse because horses are not provided. MIHA Competitions are held at the Lenawee County Fairgrounds in Adrian. Transportation is the responsibility of each team member. How many competitions are there? For the MIHA, there are three District meets. The team with the highest points from Districts will go to Regionals and the top two teams from Regionals go on to the State Finals. Do I get to choose my classes? After getting to know each rider and horse, observing them at practices and determining the team’s needs, your coaches will determine class placement. For MIHA competition, the more versatile a rider, the more likely they are to participate in the maximum slots. What special clothes do I need if I want to be a riding member? Appropriate show attire is required and varies depending on the types of classes you enter. It is always best to have your own show clothes, but when the team needs a rider to participate in a discipline that they do not normally show in, the team attempts to loan clothes (and related tack) to help minimize cost to the rider. When are team practices? MIHA mandatory practices (1-2/wk) usually begin in August. Each rider should be practicing at least 3-5x/week on their own. The team may hold additional practices in which the rider may wish to participate. Equestrian Team practice is not intended for rider instruction or horse training, but provides athletes with an opportunity to prepare for competition. Practices will evaluate our pattern awareness, allow us to experience the event-specific obstacles and focus on team events. What classes are available to show in? There are 17 MIHA classes available:
1. Western Fitting and Showing
2. Saddle Seat Fitting and Showing
3. Hunt Seat Fitting and Showing
4. Saddle Seat Equitation
5. Saddle Seat Pattern
6. Saddle Seat Ba****ck
7. Hunt Seat Equitation
8. Hunt Seat Ba****ck
9. Equitation Over Fences
10. Western Equitation
11. Western Ba****ck
12. Western Riding or Western Reining
13. Trail
14. Flag Race
15. Cloverleaf
16. Timed Events Pattern
17. Two-Person Relay Race
Can I show more than one horse? For MIHA competition, riders are limited to two mounts per season. These horses must be registered with the MIHA and registration must be completed before a rider can participate. Horses can only be shared by immediate family members. A current negative coggins test is also required, in accordance with the Michigan State Law. How many classes can I ride in? The number of classes that each rider can ride in will depend on how big the team is. Coaches assign the slots and their decision is final. How many are on the team? Per MIHA guidelines, an “A” team can have 10 or more riders, “B” team 5-10 riders, “C” Team 2-5 riders, “D” team 2 or less riders. The coaches will determine, based on need, how and if the team will need to be divided.
