19/09/2026
Just a few of the reasons we love IEA - Interscholastic Equestrian Association!
For young riders, it can be easy to think of progress primarily in terms of what happens in the saddle. Moving on to more difficult divisions and bigger goals. But Roxane Durant, co-founder and executive director of the IEA - Interscholastic Equestrian Association believes equestrian education has to extend beyond riding.
Over the years, IEA has increasingly incorporated horsemanship into its programming, giving riders opportunities to learn not only how to compete, but how horses are cared for, how horse shows actually function, and how much work happens before anyone ever walks through the in-gate.
For Durant, some of those lessons are built directly into the structure of the program.
After an IEA team has been in the program for a few years, it is required to host or co-host horse shows. That means the coaches have to come together to organize the event, but it also means their students become part of making that event happen.
The riders may help prepare horses for competition or set courses before the show. They may learn what happens at the in-gate, help with announcing, or work around the concession stand. “All the pieces that go into running, you know, just a small schooling size horse show,” Durant said. “All those learning pieces are happening inherently as part of participating in IEA.”
For riders accustomed to arriving at a show with everything already prepared, seeing the other side of the operation can offer a very different education. Someone has to make sure horses are ready. Someone has to know which rider belongs where. Someone has to set the course, call the class, organize the gate, and keep the day moving. The horse show does not simply appear when the first rider enters the ring.
📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2026/09/19/iea-is-teaching-more-than-equitation/
📸 © Jennifer Wile Rubin
