According to Cherise Mishler, president of the equestrian team, the team has a membership of 39 girls and a couple of boys.
There are no prerequisites to be part of the club, and its doors are open to everyone, from people who have never ridden a horse to people as skilled as Mongolian horseback archers.
“You don’t have to have any experience,” Mishler said. “We can teach you to ride. We have something called a walk track. It’s the most beginner level, so basically anybody can do it.”
Everybody rides at least once a week, and the equestrians go to the Student Recreational Sports Center at least once a week to participate in group exercises to strengthen their core and lower body muscles.
Mishler said riding a horse is more challenging than what it seems.
“It involves a lot of your core and lower body, especially with the jumping,” Mishler said. “You’d really have to have a strong core. Having good calf strength and core strength will really help your riding.”
Unlike other sports, in horseback riding your teammate is not another person, but rather a 1,200-pound animal.
“You’re like a team with your horse,” Mishler said. “It’s different from any other club or any other sports because you’re riding a 1,000-pound animal that can seriously injure, but it’s amazing to have a bond with an animal like that and be able to do such awesome things with them.”
This partnership between horse and equestrian is regularly tested at the 10 horse shows run in association with the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association. Mishler said team members get the option to compete as well as ride for leisure.
“We can teach you to ride, and you can still go to all of our competitions,” Mishler said.
Chloe Taylor, team captain, said equestrians have to possess more than just strong core muscles and good riding abilities.
“My horse will do just about anything for you, like they do what you’re telling them to do, but you have to be able to communicate without words,” Mishler said. “It’s different doing something with an animal because you can’t communicate words with them.”
Preparing for the competitions has also allowed Taylor to pick up some invaluable life skills.
“I’ve definitely become more organized and definitely become more responsible,” Taylor said. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s definitely worth it,”
Taylor said it is more than just horsing around at the equestrian team. There are non-equestrian-related ?activities as well.
“We do a lot of fun socials, and sometimes they aren’t involved with horses. We’ve gone ice skating, and this year we’re planning on going zip-lining,” ?Taylor said.
“So even if people want to join but just want to ride every now and then, they could still do a lot of fun things with us.”
Mishler said the club could definitely use more male members.
“Generally we always had more girls than boys, but we have had some boys sign up this semester, so we’re really excited,” Mishler said.
“A lot of other teams in our regions have boys on their team, so we always try to get boys to join but they never do.”
The IU equestrian team competes next on Nov. 15 at St. Mary of the Woods College and then Nov. 22 at ?Taylor University.
